Infant Asthma - One Family's Journey
Oct 20 '03 (Updated Jan 01 '04)
The Bottom Line One story of an infant through toddler journey through Asthma.
We were blessed in May 2000 with the birth of our one and only child, Colin. We wondered and waded through months of infertility medication just to help me conceive him, so it was an extra joy when he was finally born. Starting at just 6 months old though (the first wintery season here in Virginia) Colin kept getting ear infections. And he was constantly mucusy and coughing. He was constantly on antibiotics and we got tons of unwanted advice from people we knew (get rid of the pets, get allergy testing, rip up the old carpet, clean out the air ducts). By a year old I was going in to meet with the organization who sold and trained me on how to use a nebulizer machine - a heavy machine that plugged into the wall and had tubing and a mask so I could deliver my son breathing treatments.
Breathing Treatments - I was crushed. What was wrong with his breathing? Would he ever feel better? It seemed for the first year every time we took him off antibiotics and Albuterol breathing treatments, he'd just wind up back at the doctor's office again.
I knew from that point on that Colin had Asthma. Now just getting the doctors to confirm it and help us with a treatment plan would be our daunting task.
One of the things that bugged me most was the attitude of Colin's original pediatrician and the whole group he worked for. I guess there's some "code" that they can't/won't tell parents their kid has Asthma until age 2. We kept being told that he'd most likely "grow out of it" and that I was "over-reacting" and being a "first time mom". Magically, at around age 2 1/2 (this past Christmas) we got a new pediatrician, a woman, who happened to have moved from New York City and had extensive Asthma training. This doctor finally told us, "Yes, your son has Asthma". By that point it was actually one of more happier moments, at least we knew we weren't going crazy and maybe now there was finally something we could really do. Turns out we were mostly already doing it, but this diagnosis certainly gave us a sense of peace.
Every child with Asthma is different, and each treatment plan is unique - depending on the level of Asthma your child may have. This past Christmas I happened to get a book from my mom called Control Your Child's Asthma: A Breakthrough Program for the Treatment & Management of Childhood Asthma - which I feel really helped to educate me as a parent about the complex issues of Asthma. Between reading this book and then being able to approach an open minded pediatrician, we really feel like we are finally at a point where we have a good, solid treatment plan for our son - how reassuring. My husband additionally had the opportunity to go to a presentation by our pediatrician and to ask questions afterward.
Every time we went into the office, from that point on, it was more a discussion of our observations and concerns, and a plan formed from there. We started to take notes, keep a calendar and try to find out what might be triggering Colin's Asthma flare ups. We noticed every time he got a cold, or an infection of any kind, his Asthma would kick in. Weather and temperature also changes affect him some, but only to the extent that it can bring on an infection or cold. Since we cannot prevent an infection totally, we do try and be mindful of the changes of season and have a plan set up when we first see the symptoms. This is especially important to us, as for the first 2 years we were always told to "wait it out" when he was sick. This pediatrician wants us starting treatments and getting him seen for infections right away. Even treatments for a simple cold can have huge consequences. We now no longer "wait out" anything - Advil Cold is a staple in our house. We are extremely mindful of any runny nose, cough or slight fever. Often now we can just treat the cold quickly and we never hear any breathing problems heavy enough to warrant the Albuterol (which is a fast acting medicine).
The treatment - we did talk about the possibility of a daily dose of medicine. Due to his age our only option was the breathing mask, something I don't prefer to use daily. It only gets so much of the medicine into Colin's system, and he started complaining about the mist getting into his eyes. This past winter we did try a daily dose, for about 6 weeks, and it never did make a difference in his life. We again met with the pediatrician and told her we felt Colin fell more in the Mild and Intermittent range and was not benefitting from a daily dose. She took what we said into serious consideration and agreed. We now have a standing prescription for Albuterol at the pharmacy around the corner, and can pick up some vials any time we need. This fast acting medicine usually helps with any coughing Colin might have.
In the past 6 months, since really having a "game plan" year we have had to do breathing treatments once - for about a week each morning when Colin first got up, and each night before he went to bed. This resulted from a sudden change in season from very warm days and nights to cooler morning and nights but nice mid-days. Colin also had a slight runny nose and congestion we took care of with over the counter medicine. During this time he vomited phlegm 2 mornings and then seemed fine. The vomiting can be common, and really has not seemed to be a serious problem. It seems the best way his body has of quickly getting rid of the "bad stuff" that is causing him congestion.
We don't have a "set" plan yet - seasons change and Colin grows. We are now looking at the best combination of treatments or preventative measures to help with the morning coughing. The Albuterol will stop it, but we are now also looking at how to prevent it coming on in the first place. He doesn't cough consistently enough or seem congested enough to warrant an aggressive treatment, and yet we don't want to do any damage to his young lungs. We have a call into his pediatrician this week.
We called the pediatrician just this week, as part of the current plan. I was told to keep doing what we are doing (the Over the counter meds and Albuterol) until we notice we are doing that more than 2 days a week. If 2 days a week or less, continue treating at home - if more than 2 days a week, she wants to see him. As a result of multiple treatments recently, and serious vomitting just this morning, we are headed to see her at 2:15. The plan is to put him on some type of daily medication for the season.
I do feel though that we didn't take the first doctor's initial impressions as the end word, and we kept looking around for what was best for our son. We've attempted to educate ourselves about Asthma and be on the lookout for things we see in our son, but not be too obsessive about it. We continue to look into options as Colin gets older and his condition changes. This is the plan for now - at even only the age of 3 years old we have already had almost a dozen different treatment plans - all depending on the doctor's, what we've learned, and current options available for a child his age. As Colin continues to grow and become more active, will continue to develop a treatment plan that meets his growing needs and options. More treatment options become available as the child grows, and Colin is not old enough to warrant certain types of common treatments. As we see more triggers we will continue to re-asses his medication levels. Each child grows with Asthma differently, and the path Colin may take may be different from anyone else's.
I hope this was a useful resource to anyone with an infant or young toddler who is trying to help their child with breathing problems and the possibility of Asthma. When we first tried to read up on this issue there was little information we could find for younger children (age 3 and younger) and little treatment plans we could find available for our son. It is my hope that this helps someone with a small child who is gonig through what we have.
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