Catching a cold

[anonymous]

Just wondering on any ideas on preventing our DS from getting a cold from us. I know i sound paranoid but he was released from hospital last week from a gastro problem and now looks like mum and dad have the flu from being so run down and stressed and when we all went to the doctors two weeks ago to get our shots DS was admitted to hospital with a high temp then came the diarreah. Any ways have been washing our hands frantically to prevent him from getting this flu. My mum even suggested we wear a mask but i thought this was over the top. He is on antibiotics right now so would that hold the bug off? I know i sound paranoid but he is only 7 months old and we have already been in hospital twice with the bowel. Can they get a cold and get over it themselves or should i take him to the doctor if he gets one. His nose doesn`t seem to run like a normal childs and he is my first CF baby with a 13 year gap but i remember my other two kids their noses used to run like a tap. Any ideas i would be grateful. i know that he will eventually get colds but i was hoping not so soon and he issoi different to my other 2 children that i get confused on how to deal with him. probably shouldn1t have had that 13 year gap hey!!

Donna mum to Benjamin with CF 7 months 13 & 14 y/old wo/cf

 

[izemmom]

THere is only a 3 year gap between my two and I still get confused on how to deal with the normal baby vs. cf issues! Emily is almost 6 months. When we had colds our cf docs said to do lots and lots of handwashing, use the hand sanitizer and limit contact like kissing. They said that's about all you can do. It's hard. Emily was on an oral antibiotic at the time, and I felt that helped but I'm not sure it really did. Her nose rarely runs, at least not like her sister's did, but sis went to daycare, Em doesn't, yet. Anyway, we've been BLESSED that she's not been hospitalized yet. I hope you all get through the rough .patch!

 

[anonymous]

Handwashing, not sharing the same cup, avoiding sneezing in each other's face can decrease transmission of colds. My daughter with CF did catch colds when she was a baby and did get over some of them without antibiotics. This was before she started culturing A CF bug. What we do is if our daughter with CF does catch a cold/runny nose we increase her Vest therapy/neb treatments. If she starts coughing at night, cough last longer than a week, or doesn't seem right them i know I need to call her pulmonologist.

Over the winter, my husband had a terrible cough, got pneumonia and he did wear a mask at home the first two days of his antibiotic treatment til his cough was under control so I don't think this is too crazy.

Rebecca

 

[dyza]

Hi Donna, we are just the same,12 year gap between our two, when he gets a cold, we all get the cold, except much worse than him. It is difficult to remember back to your first children and how you treated them, just remember that if you are paranoid about colds, then you will be well on top of his treatment. The slightest sign of a cold, and we have our son at the dr.They can hardly turn you away, can they, good luck

 

[Ratatosk]

When DS was finally released from the NICU at 6 weeks, I developed a nasty cold. I washed my hands constantly. I'd sneeze into my arm -- after leaving the room. I wore a mask -- the NICU nurse sent us home with several as a precaution. Used hand sanitizer. DS was fine. Your children are going to get colds, you just have to monitor them and make sure it doesn't develop into something worse -- two weeks ago DS's head cold developed into an upper respiratory infection and he was prescribed an antibiotic and we increased his beatings. Also, we make sure we avoid really really sick people -- those who have strep, influenza -- you know the type, show up at your house or family events sick as a dog to spread their germs <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

One of the worst experiences was when a stomach virus was going thru DS's day care when he was about 7 months old. He never caught it, unfortunately his dad, grandmother and I all did. We were soooo miserable and still needed to take care of him -- feeding, cpt, meds...

DS's nose never ever runs either. Well, it did once and that was two weeks ago. CFers must just have thicker boogers.

Liza mom to a 2 3/4 year old