Mommy FTW

Over the holiday break Violet came down with her first ear infection.  It’s been a long time since anyone in the family has had one of these (thankfully) and I had to rely on my seemingly ancient experience to figure out what was going on!  I remember with Cameron’s first ear infection I asked his pediatrician how I could tell (or at least get a good idea) that his cold had taken a turn for the worse and become an infection.  Below is her advice, along with a few new tidbits that I pick up from Violet’s pediatrician.

My poor sick baby snuggles up to dad.

A cold virus usually runs its course over 7-10 days.  Try to note when your little one gets ill (I happened to call Violet’s pediatrician when she first got ill so I could see in my phone history when I made the call).  If your child has been sick longer than that, and maybe even seemed to be getting better but then takes a turn for the worse, you might be looking at an ear infection.

If your child has a fever, and they have had that long lingering cold then it’s not looking so good!  I know with Cameron I was nervous about taking his temperature rectally… it just seemed like it would be uncomfortable for him.  But I’ve gotten over my squeamishness with Violet and honestly, it doesn’t seem to bother her at all.  This will give you the most accurate temperature reading.

At this point I’d call your pediatrician and tell them what signs you’ve seen – they will ask you about the fever, so be sure you get that reading!  It’s pretty likely they will have you come in for a sick visit.

Your little one might be in a lot of pain from the possible infection, and is certainly uncomfortable from the fever.  I tend to give my little ones Advil (ibuprofen) rather than Tylenol (acetaminophen) because it lasts longer (6-8 hours vs 4 hours).  This is especially key in the night because it will hopefully help everyone get more rest.

Feeling much better and eating again!

Violet had a pretty rough time with this infection – her fever was up to 104 for a few evenings.  It took about 4 days on the antibiotics to get her back to herself – eating, drinking, and smiling again.  There was a time that we had to force feed her pedialyte because she wasn’t having any wet diapers.  The pediatrician suggested buying pedialyte frozen pops (in the baby isle) and cutting them into small chunks so Violet could feed herself the pieces, or just try sucking on the pop.  This didn’t really work for her – but maybe it will for you.  In theory it would be a lot more pleasant than squirting pedialyte into her mouth every 10 minutes!

Finally she recovered – we’ve got 2 days left on her 10 day antibiotic course (always be sure to complete the antibiotic course even if your child seems all better) and then we will head back to the pediatrician for an all-clear on her ears.

If your little one comes down with an ear infection – just get them to the doctor quickly, and give them as much TLC as you can while they are recovering.  It seems like a long road, but they will get there!  Good luck!

As if a cold, then diarrhea, then another cold, and an ear infection didn’t make for an eventful enough fall already, this past weekend while we were in Chicago visiting family Cameron came down with Roseola.  Thankfully another mom friend had just encountered it and told me about it before we left – so even though I was stranded miles away from my pediatrician and my trusty copy of Baby 411, I figured out quickly what I was dealing with, and we all made it through.  So, here’s a little about roseola so you can be on the look out:

Roseola is sometimes called “baby measles” or the “sixth disease.”  It is a form of herpes.  Roseola is highly contagious, being spread through contact with saliva or being breathed on by another baby with roseola.  It usually starts with a sudden high fever with sometimes no other symptoms (in Cameron’s case he had some “cold like symptoms” as well).  During this phase of the illness just give your child ibuprofen to try and keep him comfortable.  I didn’t notice Cameron’s fever as being especially high, but he was already being dosed with ibuprofen for his ear infection, so I think this helped keep it down.  FYI – About 10 to 15 percent of children with roseola have a seizure. If this happens, your baby may become unconscious and jerk his arms, legs, or facial muscles for two or three minutes.

I didn’t realize what  I was dealing with until Cameron got the telltale rash.  The rash isn’t itchy or uncomfortable, and contact with the rash itself doesn’t spread the illness. It’s usually seen on the trunk and neck, but it can extend to the arms, legs, and face.  It usually lasts for about 24-48 hours.

There’s no specific treatment for roseola. Like most viral illnesses, roseola just needs to run its course. The most important thing you can do is make sure your baby rests and gets plenty of liquids.

Here are some pictures of the rash Cameron had on his left and right legs.  It looks a little scary but it didn’t last long!

Cameron's Right Leg - Roseola rash

Cameron's Left leg - Roseola rash