RSV questions...

[mammom]

My best friend just called and told me her 9 week old is in the hospital with RSV - he's been in an oxygen tent, is on a nebulizer, etc. They think he's going to be fine, but he's really, really sick right now.

I'm really worried about his immune system for a couple of reasons:

1) he was born via c-section because in utero he had a lymphangeoma - a fluid-filled distension under his right arm - that caused his arm to stick up so he would not have been able to come down the birth canal

2) a couple of days after he was born he had surgery to remove the lymphangeoma and was in the hospital for about two weeks after he was born

3) because of prior breast surgery the mama cannot breast feed adequately so he is on formula. He did get colostrum in his first few days, but the mama couldn't get enough milk out to sustain him.

4) the week prior to coming down with the RSV he was vaxed with HIB and the pneumococal (sp?) vaxes.

She said to me tonight that the doctors tested him for RSV and whooping cough (positive for RSV, negative for WC, obviously). She said though that after seeing him so sick, she was really concerned about WC - and that it's so incredibly scary to see your child sick like that. It concerned me that she might go get him his DTaP because of this!

I have sent her a million links to this forum and told her about all the good books, but I know she is incredibly busy with ds and hasn't been able to read anything.

I don't really know what my question is, I guess am just looking for advice to give her. I just don't want her little man to get any sicker and I really think all this abuse to his little body is harming him. I think any more assaults and he might be *really* hurt.

Thanks for "listening'!

[mattemma04]

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[aira]

Wow!

RSV is quite scarey in FF babies. It does sound like this little guy has been badly assaulted.

I don't know what to tell you if the mama won't read what you've sent her. I would hope that learning about her babe's health would be her first proirity.

Mine had RSV at 8 weeks, but as scarey as it was, I haven't been all scared of WC. I just vowed to do my all to get him healthy. But I've come from a long background of thinking that way before having a kid. I wish I knew what to say to help someone start looking at vaxes more critically if they aren't inclined to...

Sorry for the pointless ramble. Good luck in talking to her!

[mammom]

Thank you both for your posts. I spoke to her at length this morning and it was a really good talk. She finally had a few minutes to read some of the links I have sent her and she is buying the Romm book today. We talked about her fear of WC too - I don't think she's thinking about DTaP, so that is good.

One of the links I sent her was one in which Momtezuma mentioned autism being caused by multiple hits to the immune system (not only vaccines), and that autistic children's guts are a mess. My friend is concerned about her little guy's gut - he's already lactose intolerant and although I don't think he has received any antibiotics, he has had such a hard first two months. She's concerned that any damage to his immune system might already be irreversable... Any thoughts on that?

Another link I sent her was one I posted a while back about boosting the immune system of formula fed babes - I think she read that today and is going to try making her own formula. She *does* see a naturopath and a chiro, so she is also going to have lengthy discussions with them.

I feel so sad and frustrated for her because I think given the babe's full history, I don't think there is anything she could have done differently (well, except for the two vaxes, but she knows now not to move forward with those...)

Thanks again for any thoughts - especially on the immune system damage possibilities!