5 Month Old with Sever Congestion

Updated on April 22, 2009
C.P. asks from Austin, TX
15 answers

I am hoping someone out there can offer some advice... my 5 month old has had severe congestion for at least 2 months - lately it seems to be worse in the morning, though it has happened throughout the day. I have taken him to the dr several times because he even sounds like he is wheezing (my 2 yr old has had wheezing issues since he had RSV at 7 months and takes a nebulizer frequently and is also dealing with allergies). The dr has found an ear infection and we are now on our 3rd antibiotic to try to cure it.

He was a c-section baby and i am thinking that is part of the issue with the fluid in his ears. We are not sure if it is allergies, a reaction to the formula, or what. He is on lipil AR due to reflux.

Anyone have any suggestions or ideas? We have not had to deal with food allergies (this is our 3rd child) so I am not sure what that would 'look' like.

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answers from Austin on

I'm allergic to milk protein. When I consume anything with milk protein in it my ears fill with fluid and become very painful. Basically my whole body becomes inflamed; i.e. my teeth hurt, my joints hurt. Being a baby the fluid in your child's ears can't drain properly and it becomes infected not to mention all the pain he has. I would highly recommend switching to a non-milk based formula for your child's sake. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful


answers from McAllen on

I would advice you if you haven't done it already to look for a pediatric pulmonologist. I have seen the difference from a regular pediatrician trying to treat the disease and jumping around with medications and when I took my daughter to the specialist, on the first time the problem was gone. They focus more on the problem and have a wider knowledge to help your kids.
Try it, even if you have to pay a higher copay, it's worth it. specially with asthma, allergy, cold/virus infections, and any other lung diseases.



answers from Corpus Christi on

I look forward to reading your responses because we are dealing with the same stuff at home. My son, also 5 months, has a lot of congestion. Our pediatrician has us giving him breathing treatments with xopenex, cough/cold medicine (neutrahist) and yesterday we took him back to the dr. and he has a stomach virus and an ear infection. UGH! I feel so bad for him. He is teething on top of it all. I didn't see in your request that you were giving him anything other than antibiotics, so that's why I just thought I'd let you know everything our baby is on. Oh...my son is also taking acidophilus once a day which helps replenish the "good bacteria" in his body. This is important when they take antibiotics or have a tummy bug. If your little one isn't taking it, I highly recommend it since he's been on so many different antibiotics. You can get it at any nutritional store and it needs to be refridgerated, so make sure that the one you buy is. Our dr owns the nutritional store where we buy our supplements. I live in Corpus Christi, TX, so if you are interested or in the area just send me a message and I'll give you the info.
Good Luck!



answers from Houston on

People have had some great suggestions but I haven't seen anyone say anything about elevating the head of his bed at night while he is sleeping - this will reduce the amount of congestion. Or you can have him sleep in a nap nanny (I think that is what it is called)...

It does sound like perhaps you need to see another Dr. - one who shares and is more responsive to your concerns.

Good luck.



answers from San Antonio on

Make sure his room has a humidifier in it all night long. Rub Vicks or the like on his chest each night. In the morning, put him in his car seat or some safe seat and put him in the bathroom while you take a hot shower (or just run the shower on hot for 10 minutes). Close the door and let him breathe that extreme humid air. Then, take him out, lay him tummy down on your lap with his head slightly lower than his tummy. Pat his back. You can flip him over and pat his chest too to help loosen up the flegm. All this should help keep things loose to where you can suction in out and/or use saline to help flush him out. It's not the answer, but it will help it a lot.



answers from San Antonio on

I know my 4 month old has had congestion since day 1 and we found out he has acid reflux. I was told congestion is very common with acid reflux babies. My nephew just turned 1 and he still has congestion from acid reflux.

Make sure you elevate where he sleeps. That helps a little and a cool mist humidifier helps to loosen it so you can aspirate it in the mornings, when its worse.



answers from Odessa on

you may try food allergies.... my child has this didn't realize till she was 2, but it has made a real difference.



answers from Austin on

Are you talking about chest or nasal congestion? if it's nasal congestion, You can use saline nose drops and the suction bulb. It's a pain to do, but with little ones who can't blow their noses, it's the only way to get the mucus out.

If it's chest congestion, it may be an early sign of asthma. Again, since you don't say which type of congestion, it's hard to tell.

Discuss this with the pediatrician. If he does have milk allergies, he will seem congested and full of mucus all the time. again, discuss this with your pediatrician.



answers from Houston on

Milk and dust can be two major possibilitie in causing mucus build up in the ears and the nose/sinuses. Remove all stuffed animals and remove as much dust as possible.

Do you have cats in the home?

Do your own personal allergin removal as much as possible before you take any other dramatic steps. Try a non milk based formula.

Good luck!



answers from San Antonio on

I have been there and have lost sleep through some of those tough nights!!! I would tell you elevate the crib(on one side place those bed raisers and on the other leave it as is) it will be on an incline but it WILL help.
Finally, get you some Melaleuca tea tree oil and either mix with a dab of lotion and rub on babies temples or add a couple of drops into the humidifier.
My baby suffered but for a short time ever since I started doing more natural home remedies rather than the drugs!!! I have even healed her from an ear infection when she was 5 months old. Thank the Heavenly Father for Melaleuca!!!!



answers from Austin on

Vaporizers have saved my life with my kids, highly recommend you get one of these, and put it in your child's room at night (cool mist vaporizer). Will need to be cleaned every few days to prevent mold build up.



answers from Waco on

Hi C.,
there can be several reasons for your little one being so conjested when he wakes up- the most prevailent is that he is breathing residue from your laundry detergents. It is a common and proven fact that the most used detergents are full of carcengenics which can cause allergies and other breathing problems. There is an answer but I cannot tell you on this site- but if you will PM me I can give you the information and you can make the decision to change or not.
there are lots of sites you can go to for more information on the chemically induced illnesses and I will be glad to share them with you. My e mail is [email protected]____.com .....just say "need details" and I will know it is from youu.
good luck and blessings



answers from Houston on

It could be a food allergy. My 4yo had similar symptoms and I finally took him to my naturopath and discovered he was allergic to milk. Unfortunately, if we had thought about it earlier, we could have avoided putting tubes in his ears. My son was also a c-section baby, 3 weeks early with complications for both of us due to severe preeclampsia, but I have never heard of that being a factor any time he's been sick.

I suggest seeing a naturopath. They can help get to the root issue, and help your whole family become more healthy. That seems to be my answer to any health issue lately, but it really has worked for me! Even in the high pollen counts lately, I have had NO allergy symptoms and other issues have cleared all on their own! =o)



answers from Austin on

Wow! A child that young should not be on ANY medications!

Avoid antibiotics; more research is surfacing about the long term damage they do to the liver, kidneys and bone joints.

Try Elderberry Extract in conjunction with a high-quality ionic silver (I only use Sovereign Silver).

Also try Chiropractic. The brain stem controls the autonomic nervous system; the brain stem goes down into the first vertebra of the neck. So think what must be happening to baby's brain stem when the doctor reaches in and pull him out by his neck? (I think your gut feeling about this being related to his birth is right on!) Never good!

Chiropractors ensure that the brain stem and spinal cord are not being impeded by the spine.

People are always surprised at the 'ailments' they get rid of when they start chiropractic care - like ear infections and allergies!



answers from Austin on

Having gone through a child that had a milk allergy myself (I once told her pedi that she was congested since birth!), I would suggest that you totally remove cows milk from his diet; If you are breast feeding, then that includes removing it entirely from yours (read ingredient labels).... Do it for 4 weeks (waiting a good 10-14 days to makes sure all cows milk proteins are out of his system before you evaluate) and see if this helps improve his congestion. (My daughter's ENT told me that just because she had the milk allergy didn't mean that subsequent children would also... Each kid is different... )

As for formula alternatives, try Nutramigen. Below are portions of an article on the topic. From : http://pediatrics.about.com/od/infantformula/a/0308_nutra...

"Babies sometimes can't tolerate any of the standard baby formulas, such as Similac Advance, Enfamil Gentlease Lipil, or Nestle Good Start Supreme Soy.

Some babies have both a cow's milk protein allergy and a soy protein allergy and will need an elemental or hydrolyzed protein formula, such as:
- Nutramigen Lipil
- Alimentum Advance

In addition to being lactose free, these formulas are hypoallergenic and are made of proteins that are extensively broken down. They work well for symptoms that could be due to a formula intolerance, such as excessive crying, diarrhea, and problems sleeping.

On the downside, these formulas are much more expensive than standard baby formula. Nutramigen and Alimentum, for example, can cost about $26 to $30 for a 16-oz. can, while you can expect to pay just $14 to $15 for Enfamil Lipil, Nestle Good Start Supreme, or Similac Advance.

Nutramigen AA

What happens when your baby continues to have problems when she has already tried an elemental formula like Nutramigen or Alimentum? It used mean finding Neocate, an non-allergenic formula made up of 100% free amino acids.

There is another choice now. Nutramigen AA Lipil is another amino acid based formula that can help infants who have a severe cow's milk protein allergy and/or multiple food protein allergies (soy, gluten, and milk, for example).

Parents who need these formulas can be in for a surprise, as Neocate and Nutramigen AA Lipil are even more expensive than other elemental formulas -- about $39 a can. They can be hard to find too, and often mean asking a pharmacist to order them for you or ordering them online:
- buy Nutramigen AA online
- buy Neocate online (Manufacturer's site)

On the plus side, insurance companies will sometimes pay for Nutramigen AA and Neocate if it is a medical necessity that your baby have it. In fact, insurance companies in Illinois and Minnesota are required by law to provide coverage for amino acid-based formulas when babies have certain medical disorders.

An evaluation by a pediatric gastroenterologist can be helpful if you think that your baby needs an amino acid-based formula, such as Nutramigen AA."

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