Advice on sick 3 year old

[yeknomyeknom]

Hi all,

Does anyone recognise my sons symptoms? I guess I want to hear someone else has experienced this too and it's going to be all ok soon.

My son was saying he wasn't well at bedtime 2 nights ago. He didn't eat his dinner and was very burpy and lethargic. That night he woke and was very hot all over and trying to be sick but just a bit of flem coming up.

Yesterday he was a little better in the morning, he ate breakfast and lunch but got low again after his nap and was really low in the afternoon, lying still for hours and refusing food. Went to bed without dinner but slept ok ish.

This morning he is still low. He won't eat again. When I encourage him too he chews it but won't swallow. Lots of gagging and burping and clinging to a basin to be sick but very little liquid coming up.

He doesn't have a temperature although very hot to touch. The real signature to this is the wind and burps coming out when he moves, I lift him, he eats etc. He has hardly eaten since lunchtime yesterday, very concerning.

Is there anything going around? Anyone recognising this?

[mima08]

I believe there is something going around but you should try and speak to the Dr. And make sure you get fluids in him... hope he feels better soon!

[sweetgirl]

My son has been through something similar since Friday.... On & off

Collected him on Friday morning from school, still ill on Saturday.... By Sunday he was getting on my nerves again as usual!

Sunday evening abit poorly again, Monday still not 100% but went to nursery. Again Tuesday not 100% but went to nursery.

When I collected him Tuesday I was told he was very quite n weak throughout the day & had only eaten abit of yogurt throughout the day.

On Tuesday evening he went to bed straight after nursery, about 6.30pm, then he didn't wake up til 11am Wednesday morning!!!! Bit much I thought, but seems to know be ok.

Throughout these days he didn't have a temperature, only once when I gave him some paracetamol syrup.

Fingers crossed its all over!

[Saffron]

Gastro symptoms can arise from a number of different causes, and are typically self-limiting. Interestingly, in a significant portion of individuals, norovirus causes few symptoms. This can sometimes occur as a subclinical infection (few symptoms) or 'silent' infection (minimal/no symptoms, but still contagious).

Rotavirus is also a common cause of gastro symptoms. It's generally associated with diarrhoea in infants, but it can cause milder symptoms and/or stomach symptoms in older children and adults.

Some respiratory infections also lead to gastro symptoms in children. This can either be because the virus enters the gastro tract due to children's relatively lesser developed immunity compared to adults. Or, it can be because the mucus produced by the respiratory tract is irritating the throat causing gagging feelings, and/or copious amounts of mucus are being shifted out of the respiratory tract and swallowed leading to nausea (particularly upon waking).

If your child seems particularly lethargic, has any shortness of breath, blue-tinged lips/face, sensitivity to light, a rash that doesn't blanch, or any other symptoms which concern you or seem unusual, you should seek immediate medical advice*, since some respiratory infections in the alveoli (air sacs of the lungs) can progress quite quickly without classical signs of coughing. Also, some microbes, like adenoviruses, can lead to rare complications such as meningitis.

My daughter is prone to the mucous-y type of gastro symptoms, and we've found that fresh apple juice and salty snacks help. Also, antihistamines at bed time are useful. Skip the pain meds or complex cough syrups. Go for lemon & honey simple linctus, and/or liquid Gaviscon. xx

*If you phone 111, you should be aware that you're not necessarily speaking to a licensed health care professional, such as a nurse. You're speaking to a "trained advisor". So if you think you have a medical emergency, if you want to speak urgently with a doctor, or if you feel uneasy with the advice you've received, don't hesitate to take further advice from another source. xx

[yeknomyeknom]

Thanks Saffron. I was hoping you might post. The respiratory paragraph above rings a bell. He was a bit better this evening and ate something. If he's still ill tomorrow we are going to a walk in doctors. Fingers crossed.

[Saffron]

Hope all's well soon! :)

[EDmummy]

Please seek clinical advice rather than from a forum (although I know Safron has clinical experience). So many things could be causing your son to be off colour but they can only be investigated by a clinician. Check his skin for redness and rashes and monitor his breathing. Chance is its a virus, chicken pox or similar but please watch for variation of temp that is low.

[yeknomyeknom]

Thanks Edmummy. Of course I've already spoken to NHS direct and have an appointment at the doctors this morning. The forum is just another resource :)

[Pickle]

Hope he feels better soon, it's horrible when they're off colour for an extended period of time.

[Saffron]

EDmummy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Please seek clinical advice rather than from a

> forum (although I know Safron has clinical

> experience). So many things could be causing your

> son to be off colour but they can only be

> investigated by a clinician. Check his skin for

> redness and rashes and monitor his breathing.

> Chance is its a virus, chicken pox or similar but

> please watch for variation of temp that is low.

I'm research-based, not a clinician. Agreed, always best to seek medical advice in person from a physician, esp'y concerning suspected respiratory illness in children or vulnerable individuals. xx