My son is almost 2.5 and he has 2 more teeth coming in. I've noticed everytime he is teething, he starts getting a cold and then usually a resp. infection. Does this happen to anyone else? I've been giving him chewable Vitamin C for the past 6 months or so and this is the first cold since we've started the Vitaminn C. I really hate taking him to the doctor because they usually want to put him on antibiotics...and I hate that. But, he gets the the point where his breathing is short and quick and he is wheezing a little. I'm tempted to just see if his doctor will just call in a precription for Alburterol(SP?) because they usually give give that too. Any suggestions? Should I just keep giving him the cough medicine and Vitamin C or should I take him to the doctor?

By Palmbchprincess on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 09:00 pm:

I'm sorry I have no personal experience with this, but hope things get easier. I know you don't want to take him in, but it's better to do so than have breathing problems. That situation can get serious in a short period of time, and better to nip it in the bud. (((hugs)))

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 10:04 pm:

As an asthmatic, and a mom of 2 asthmatics, if your child is wheezing and has rapid, shallow breathing, he needs to be seen by a doctor. I understand how frustrating it is to seemlingly be constantly running to the doctor, but you don't want to take chances with anything that is affecting breathing.

That being said, my ped told me, when mine were teething and constantly getting sick when they were teething, that the reason they DO get sick so much when they're teething is a) the skin of their gums is broken where the tooth is breaking through, and b) they are always putting things in their mouth to chew on, so they're getting tons of germs/bacteria, etc., so coupled with the breaks in their gums, it's pretty much a breeding ground for illnesses.

Has your child's doctor ever suggested he has asthma or allergies?

By Kolbysmom on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 12:02 am:

Karen, the last time I had him in there for the same thing I asked them about asthma and the doctor said "Well, it could be..but it's a little too early to tell". My brother was an infant when he was diagnoses as asthmatic. I know every time they check his oxygen saturation level and the last time it was down some. So, they gave him a breathing treatment before we left the office. It's frustrating! I guess I'll call the doctor tomorrow and see what they say.

By Mommymindy on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 12:21 am:

If you can get the albuterol, it's a good idea. My daughter was CONSTANTLY with RSV when she was little! My pediatrician told me that it's the same as asthma, they just don't call it asthma when they are that little because they can grow out of it. So if they keep having it, they call it asthma. Don't know if that is true, but that's what she said. For RSV they should not be prescribing any antibiotics, because RSV is a virus. There is an anti-viral they give to premies or children who are prone to these respiratory infections. It is VERY expensive though (over 700 dollars per shot) and they have to get it once a month during the season for the respiratory infections.
As Karen said though, if he is wheezing, he needs to be seen. Once you get the albuterol, give that, take him in the room with the shower running, humidifier, etc.. and these things don't help, he should go to the Dr. or the ER.
Note: from experience, if you go to the ER, they will probably give him 4 or 5 albuterol treatments, make you sit there until he is breathing clear, then send you all home with him bouncing off the walls!! Just to be prepared! LOL
My daughter used to have to take intal in the nebulizer 2 times a day every day & albuterol whenever she was wheezing!
As for the connection between this & teething, I didn't notice any link between the 2. My kids only had low grade fevers & bad cases of the grouchies when they were teething.

By Dana on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 06:20 am:

My daughter ALWAYS got sick with each tooth. My nights were spent sitting up in a chair holding her upright so she could sleep and breath. Obviously, she had difficulty breathing. Sometimes, but not always it would turn into an ear infection. Never did it give her lung infection. Although her breathing was really really difficult, the dr always gave her the "alls clear" report on her lungs.

Once they suggested tubes for her, but I blew the idea off because she only had the ear infections during teething, and even then it didn't happen with each tooth (like the breathing problems were).

Her teething colds were awful and I knew she bearly breath. As she aged, her colds unrelated to teething were just as bad. Breathing was impossible. Then she finally had her tonsils taken out and it fixed all of it.

If you suspect baby has asthma, then do as the others above recommend and take care of that. For me, my daughters breathing was problematic due to nasal/throat blockage due to cold symptoms. I just sat it out with each one and waited for it to end. That was after seeing the dr the first few times .

By Kolbysmom on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 09:10 am:

Mindy, I was sort of worried about RSV before because he was a preemie when he was born. They told me his lung infections could go on(the first year he was having them monthly) until he was around 2 or so. And, everything I've read says that once they're past 2 they can't get RSV. Is that true? I'm going to call the doctor at 9 and see if they can get him in.

By Mommymindy on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 11:15 am:

They can get RSV still after they are 2, it just isn't dangerous anymore. Adults get RSV & it is just like a small cold, nothing major. For some reason, since the baby's bronchial tubes aren't developed all the way yet, it affects them much worse. Sometimes they give the preemies that shot i was talking about once a month during RSV season. My kids were not preemies, but in Florida, where we live, because of the climate, RSV season is all year. It's also VERy contagious. That's why a lot of kids in daycare get it. It's contagious before the symptoms appear, and once they appear, it's not as contagious, so parents keeping the kids out of daycare or away from other kids isn't as effective as other sickneseses! It's scary! They take the machine (I call it the suckie thing) and suck mucous from their nose to test the mucous for rsv now!

By Kolbysmom on Thursday, October 23, 2003 - 09:21 am:

Well, I took Kolby to the doctor yesterday. His lungs were clear, no ear infections. The doc. just said he has a cold! He gave us a prescription for cough medicine...but that's it.