8 Month Old Always Sick!

My son was like that too. Constant runny nose, very congested cough. Our doctor finally put him on zyrtec (allergy med) ad he hasn't been "sick" since. Good luck. C.

My daughter is almost 10 months old (on the 6th) and my husband and I decided that she's been sick with a cold for about 5 or 6 months of that. We are careful to clean her toys and the surfaces of our house, wash hands, etc however I am trying to not go overboard with disinfecting everything because we feel that exposure to germs is in part how they develop immunities so we use our common sense. I can totally understand your frustration. I got so tired of seeing my daughter with a runny nose and listening to her struggle to eat through all of that congestion. I got really upset when she started crawling the day she got better from an especially long cold because I felt like her development was being slowed by all of the colds. Fortunately, she is healthy now and has been for about a month (written with fingers crossed). I agree, some babies are more suspectible to illness and exposure to other children does mean exposure to germs from countless people however, what can you really do about all of that? Some children have to go to daycare. Do what you can and know that she really can't be sick forever. Make her comfortable and cuddle her as much as she needs. Hopefully, the summer will bring her some relief. We were just about to ask for a referral to an ear, nose and throat specialist if our daughter required one more visit to the pediatrician. You could think about something like that if you don't see a lot of improvement soon.

I hate this questions...but I remember my son always being sick and every time I went to the docs they asked "Is he in day care or around other children alot? Or even your 3 year old at a day care or preschool?" The reason is they could be bringing things home, and if your daughter has even the slightest of a weakened immune system then there's a chance thats how. How often do you guys wash your hands at home? A lot of people wash their hands at home a lot less than they do in public. Make sure both children are washing their hands before AND after they eat, after using the potty or recieving a diaper change and about every two hours in general. You should also be doing this. It could cut down on the spread of germs. Replace toothbrushes after each illness. Just think the germs are in her mouth, and she brushes her teeth and then she gets better but the germs are still there so she's reinvesting herself with her own germs. Wipe down commonly used/touched surfaces with bleach water or disinfectant stuff regularly, at least weekly. Especially in the bathrooms, kitchen and their toys. Otherwise...I'm not sure. I was in the same boat. We were very neat and clean and he was always sick and he had bacteria things that were not related to what was going around his daycare. Plus he was only there 2-3 times a week and would get sick after not being there for 5 days straight! Some children just get more sick than others.

My son was the same way, one cold after another. Finally the doctor said to try Claratin and it worked. He was having nasal allergies that led to a chest cold. We also have a prescription for a cough medicine just in case we need it. Not sure at what age you can start on Claritin but I would definitely ask about allergies. My son gets one dose a day only when I notice he is getting a runny nose and is cleared up immediately, I usually continue it for a few days then he is ok again.

That seems about the age it all starts, around when babies are starting to explore and are more exposed to people and places. My daughter was never sick, until about 7 or 8 months of age. It's actually normal, and healthy, believe it or not. They say a healthy baby will get an average of 6-8 colds a year, so I guess that figures out to getting an illness every other month. The crazy thing, that I never knew, is that there are over 200 different cold viruses!! Meaning, if your baby gets a cold, the next one could be one caused by a completely different strain. I know it stinks, but each cold/illness is building immunities she needs in her body. Obviously their immune systems aren't as good as adults, but it will be in time. Just try to make her comfortable (a cool mist vaperizer will work well). My daughter is 15 months now and I have lost count at how many times she has been sick in the last 6 months. She will be fine for a few days, then she is sick again, so I totally relate and feel your pain :) She is in daycare,(and it's only part time, yet she picks up every illness) so it's worse, but I hear it gets better by around age 2. As for the croup, some babies are more prone to it, esp. if they were premies. The best way to prevent further outbreaks, and illnesses in general, is frequent hand washing.

Hi C.,
I feel for you. Having a sick baby is so draining on you. The best advice I received concerning this was to get both your baby and you (and any other family members) so healthy that these common ailments are fought off by natural immunity. I have been able to do that to a large degree and even now prevent my husband's pneumonia (which he used to get more than once a year). He has not had pneumonia in years.

If this sounds like what you are looking for, I'd be happy to share with you what I've learned. Best of luck to you both.
S.

Hi C.,
Most of us do our best at keeping things clean and germ free for our little ones. What we dont know is that what we use to clean with could actually be doing damage to our family! Almost all cleaning products have toxic chemicals and harsh additives in them that poison our body. Our babies are not able to tolerate these fumes and results in the baby always being sick! I have switched to a wellness company and my son, at 7 months, has not been sick since, nor have I or my husband. It might help you too. You can get the info on harsh chemicals at www.saferforyourhome.com and if you are interested in more, let me know! I can help you out!

Khrysti Jensen
Proud Member of The M.O.M. Team
www.wecanstayhome.info
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