Down with Flu and Cough on one yr old...

hey..my bub is down with flu and cough for about a week already. his energy level is improving, and almost to his old self, but he is still coughing and i can hear phelgm as well. my questions:


1) his appetite these two days have been BAD! i thought his appetite will improve given his flu and cough is better. why is that? he just clams up his mouth during meal time and i seem to be running out of patient to feed him. :-( he seems to have interest in bread which he previously doesn't.


2) he kept crying last nite almost every 2 hours or so. he quieten down when i carried him and almost fall asleey very fast in my arms. but when i put him down to his cot, very soon, he cried again. is it because he got block nose? but his breathing sound seems normal. why's that? i hope i won't have another such episode tonite!


3) i still feed him medicine via syringe. he pushes me away when i feed him medicine and cries. will it be because of this that cos him phobia in feeding? he seems to push me away when feed milk too. how should i feel him medicine then since he doesn't want to feed through cup or spoon. the medicine is quite sweet. he seems fine to drink it once i got some in his mouth, but it is the initial part of putting in his mouth, he will turn away from him and result in crying and pushing. i tried to distract him by looking out to windows, playing with switches (which he loves..) but still there's still pushing and clamming of mouth. any ideas how to make the drinking of medicine more pleasant? i tried putting in his milk, and he just refused the milk.

oh..and another question, soemtimes, when he breath, i can hear phelgm in his chest, but it is not ALL the time in the day. it clears off when he cough, or something... is it a concern if i hear phelgm sound in his chest?

First of all, I'd like to note that I'm not a doctor or nurse, just a parent with some experience. ;)



Are you sure it is the flu? That is, has a doctor diagnosed the flu? From the symptoms it could be the flu, but also bronchiolitis or an infection in the lungs. I don't mean to be too skeptical but I have noticed many HKers call any cold like symptoms "the flu".


What kind of medicine is he getting? Was it prescribed by a doctor in response to the symptoms?


It is possible that the infection has "moved" and he needs some other kind of medication.




"1) his appetite these two days have been BAD! i thought his appetite will improve given his flu and cough is better. why is that? he just clams up his mouth during meal time and i seem to be running out of patient to feed him. :-( he seems to have interest in bread which he previously doesn't."


Just make sure he is properly hydrated. Use a spoon or syringe if necessary. Kids can handle a day or two with fewer calories.



"2) he kept crying last nite almost every 2 hours or so. he quieten down when i carried him and almost fall asleey very fast in my arms. but when i put him down to his cot, very soon, he cried again. is it because he got block nose? but his breathing sound seems normal. why's that? i hope i won't have another such episode tonite!"


He is probably in a little bit of pain and thus extra irritable. BTW try elevating the top of the bed/crib 15-20cm so that the head is higher than the feet. This makes it harder for mucus to reach the head.



"3) i still feed him medicine via syringe. he pushes me away when i feed him medicine and cries. will it be because of this that cos him phobia in feeding? he seems to push me away when feed milk too. how should i feel him medicine then since he doesn't want to feed through cup or spoon. the medicine is quite sweet. he seems fine to drink it once i got some in his mouth, but it is the initial part of putting in his mouth, he will turn away from him and result in crying and pushing. i tried to distract him by looking out to windows, playing with switches (which he loves..) but still there's still pushing and clamming of mouth. any ideas how to make the drinking of medicine more pleasant? i tried putting in his milk, and he just refused the milk."


Not an easy task. Be gentle but firm. You're doing great with the games. If he still refuses after all the games you'll have to force it.



"i can hear phelgm in his chest, but it is not ALL the time in the day. "


Could be bronchiolitis (very common in toddlers) or something else. You should have a doctor check it out.

Hi,


firstly about the medicine, theres no easy way of giving the medicine..some babies take without much fuss and some create as much fuss as they can...just make it quick for him...my 1 yr old too had really bad cold and i had to give her antihistamine syrup...she used to start crying the moment she saw me with the dropper, but it was better that she cried as the medicine would straight go in coz of crying and it would be over in seconds...


try applying some baby vicks in the night on his chest and nose...it does help...maybe hes hungry in the night since not eating too well during the day...maybe try slipping a feed at ard 11 while hes sleeping..that should atleast fill him for the night..i tried to do that with my daughter...some days it worked some days it didnt...


appetitie does suffer...just give him whatever hes ok with even if it means he wants bread all the time..he will get back to his normal routine once hes fine...try to slip in his fav fruit when hes playing...i


hope he gets better soon...




and if u are hearing some phelgm in his chest and have doubts over chest infection, do show him again to the doc and have it cleared..

"Try applying some baby vicks in the night on his chest and nose"


The Vaporub also helps if applied to the soles of the feet. Even with socks on. When our kids were under 12 months we felt that applying too close to the nose and mouth made it too strong. Yes I know it sounds weird but it works. ;)

I'm no doctor too, but my wife and I have used Baby Vicks on our kid's chest, normal Vicks is too strong, and also use a cool mist humidifier in his room in addition to the meds prescribed by the doctor. Also, try to keep the house temp cool and stable to avoid your baby's nose getting more sensitive/clogged/leaky. Make sure your baby drinks lots of fluids, water is best but any fluid is better than nothing. And let him rest more, his body needs to build up his own immune system.


A good doctor will try to prescribe only the most MINIMUM of meds for your child. Unfortunately for most HKers, a lot of doctors here prescribe a buffet of meds which is totally unnecessary. We're lucky to have an excellent doctor (Pediatrician)who was highly recommended by my sister and many of her friends. He's pricey, but worth it since you don't have to keep returning or looking for better doctors!


PM me if you're interested, our doctor is in Central. And good luck!

yes i recently read an article about applying vicks to the feet and how it helps with the coughing.....


u can apply vicks around his head..on the pillow if hes using one, on his night shirt, bed sheet ard his head...anywhere from where he can get the vapours...also i have observed that the baby vicks is not as strong as the adult variety..have seen my LO not complaining when my apply to her.....

Hi thx for all of your advice...my bub is feeling much better today! his cough subsided with occassional cough and no running nose since this morn. cross my fingers!


axptguy..i've heard about the vicks on soles of feet too! i've tried. it probably helped cos his cough reduced..of course, must be a combination of medicine he took too.


alcheng, thanks for the offer to recommend PD, but i live in Singapore. :-)


now that my bub seems to be almost 100% well, i hope tonite won't be another episode on regular wakings. i hope it is not a 'new' pattern he grows to like! cos once wake, he wants me to carry! last nite, he did that..though he was still slight unwell, i refuse to carry him and patted him back to sleep.