Re: Compromised immune systems?

February 13, 2006

I wish I could offer some wisdom on this subject. We have been SO LUCKY (knock

on wood) that Brockton has not been sick at all so far this winter, in fact,

he's never been sick! I do have to say that we don't go ANYWHERE though. There

is Whooping Cough going around in this neck of the woods. Schools have even

been closed down because of it. We stay in, mainly because he didn't get the

RSV shots this year.........they said he was too old. Who cares if he's the

size of a 10 mo. old??? Makes no sense to me. Anyways, that's my advice to

keeping our kids healthy during the winter months. Hibernate!

Good luck. I hope she starts feeling better soon!

Jeanie

devansoma wrote:

Is there any information regarding the immune systems of a child with

RSS? My granddaughter,Devan, nine months old, has been sick more often

than well, for the last five weeks. She has had upper respiratory

infections, pneumonia, and croup. She has run a temperature, whether

low grade or as high as 103 degrees. Her pediatrician has seen her

almost twice a week for the past month or more and has been

supportative but is stymied.Because of the fever and coughing, she has

frequently vomited her tube feedings. So, naturally , her growth has

been slower than normal.

Do your children get sick more often than " normal " children? Has there

been any studies linking the immune system to the syndrome? Maybe it

has nothing to do with RSS and she is just having a rough Winter, but

losing weight or at least not gaining is really so frustrating!

Thanks all!

Maggie Sievert Oma to Devan, age 9 months RSS and Tyler non RSS age 5

February 13, 2006

Hi Maggie

I have not heard of RSS kids with immune suppresion (that would be a

an abnormal blood test showing low immunity)

However, most of us have been through very long winters and

sometimes other times with our RSS kids.

Rss kids dont have much in reserve, body fat or energy stores, what

they have they use for growth and development. When they get a virus

or bacterial infection they struggle to overcome it, and it often

takes longer than other kids.

Our kids often have lower muscle tone, this includes the muscles

that work their gut, when they are sick it goes even slower, and we

often get lots of vomitting (or more than they already had)

Has Devan got or been tested for reflux, if she is having alot of

upper respiratory infections it is something to consider, the

infections maybe from the refluxed milk getting into her airways.

When my son Liam is sick, small slow feedsBoluses) is best for him,

even if they have to be more frequent.Keeping him hydrated and his

blood sugar maintained is the most important.

Hope this helps, and i hope she is better soon.

Jody(mum to Liam 4 1/2 RSS gtube ,ght, reflux meds)

>

> Is there any information regarding the immune systems of a child

with

> RSS? My granddaughter,Devan, nine months old, has been sick more

often

> than well, for the last five weeks. She has had upper respiratory

> infections, pneumonia, and croup. She has run a temperature,

whether

> low grade or as high as 103 degrees. Her pediatrician has seen her

> almost twice a week for the past month or more and has been

> supportative but is stymied.Because of the fever and coughing, she

has

> frequently vomited her tube feedings. So, naturally , her growth

has

> been slower than normal.

> Do your children get sick more often than " normal " children? Has

there

> been any studies linking the immune system to the syndrome? Maybe

it

> has nothing to do with RSS and she is just having a rough Winter,

but

> losing weight or at least not gaining is really so frustrating!

> Thanks all!

> Maggie Sievert Oma to Devan, age 9 months RSS and Tyler non RSS

age 5

>

February 13, 2006

Hi. I just wanted to let you know that I had a similar problem with

my daughter Autumn (24 mos). She was ALWAYS sick, just one sickness

after the other, and was rarely well. She had no tests showing

problems with immunity, but she just couldn't seem to fight off

anything. She didn't have a g-tube until 21 mos, and ended up

needing one because she couldn't gain or maintain weight due to

sickness and lack of eating. She also would cough up her formula

when sick and she vomits with colds...she has such a gag reflex the

with an upper resporitory infection or especially with croup (that is

the worst) she would vomit over and over from the slightest cough.

It turns out that she has athsma ( called Reactive Airway Disease in

kids) and after a lot of problems and a severe sudden attack, she was

put on a preventative for athsma (pulmicort). Now when she gets sick

she handles the upper resperatory issues much better and her new g-

tube on top of that has helped her gain weight and fight off illness

better. Her coughs aren't that bad and they don't last for weeks on

end, she still throws up from them though!

I have become quite a germ fanatic. I rarely take her into public

areas that would require her touching anything, we have hand

sanitizer all over the house, in my purse, van, diaper bag..etc, with

all the sicknesses she has I do all I can to keep them away. She

has been hospitalized quite a few times for being so ill.

Also, someone else mentioned reflux causing upper resporitory

infections and we were told the same thing...even when Autumn was

diagnosed with athsma because reflux can cause that too...but it

turns out it wasn't that for Autumn.

mom to Autumn 2 RSS, Summer 7 mos SGA poss RSS, Ocean,

Skye

>