scary... our baby was in the hospital :(

[kochh2]

well, i didn't have my laptop in the hospital, so i'm doing soem catch up reading... thought maybe some mamas here have BTDT... Lillian had a very high fever friday night (OVER 104) So i took her to the ER, and didn't get home till tuesday afternoon ... what an ordeal. poor baby (2 mos old) had several spinal tap attempts (finally got it on 4th try), IV tries, also successful on 4th try, XRays, and 2 caths to collect urine... turns out it was a nasty UTI... she will undergo OP testing to see if there is urinary reflux happening back up to her kidneys, then put her on a low does of prophylactic antibiotics if so, to avoid this... so, aside from major probiotics right now while she's on the antibx, what can we do to prevent this from ever happening again.. i asked the MD if cloth vs. disposable dipes had any part, or anything else,a nd they just said NO... don't ask what ifs... anyway, i am very blessed that this is ALL it was, as there were so many sick kids in the hospital... and just think, her stay of 4 days was LOOOONG for our family... i almost cried when a mom I passed int he hallway said "my son just came out of his coma!"... wow....
anyway, Lillian is on the mend, and i know all about staving off UTI's in older children and adults, how about babies?? we already wipe front to back, and she doesn't take bubble baths....

[Puddy73]

Oh, poor Lillian! That must have been so terrifying for you. Glad that she is back home and feeling better!

Jennifer
Mommy to Annabelle 9/08/03 & Finn 10/31/05

"If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane." - Jimmy Buffett

[TaChapm]

So sorry you and DD had go through this. We went though the exact thing when Jaci was 2 months old (spinal tap and all) and were in the hospital for 4 days. She had the VCUG done while in the hospital (another long post) and it did show reflux. There are several stages of the reflux. The most mild cases really don't need to be treated with prophylactic antibiotics unless it continues to be a problem (you run into other issues with the antibiotics) but if she has mild to severe reflux it is a good idea to start them. It is something you would want to talk to a pediatric urologist and your pediatrician about the advantages and disadvantages of taking them. If the reflux is severe there is also a surgery that can repair things (I have a cousin who had to do this). Most children will outgrow this by their teenage years. Luckily Jaci's is being controled with the antibiotics. We have only had one more UTI. Other than changing the diaper frequently, wiping front to back and no bubble baths I don't think there is really anyting you can do to prevent them. We have a family history of the reflux. I suffered with frequent kidney infections and UTI's as a child but thankfully only have 2-3 a year now. I know the pain all too well.

Hope she is feeling better. Pretty much if it is a high fever with no other symptoms it is probably a UTI. Make them check that first if it happens again so that they won't do TONS of tests.

Tara
Mommy to Jackson 11-10-02
Tyler 6-9-05
& Baby Jaci 8-10-06

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[megs4413]

oh my gosh! i'm so sorry!!!! i have no idea how to keep it from happening again...just wanted to send HUGE hugs!

[Jenn98]

HUGS! That must have been so scarry. I do not know any other ways to prevent UTIs than those you posted.

[Mommy Of A Little Angel]

So glad that Lillian is on the mend! That is such a scary ordeal. When my DD was around her age, we went through the same thing. It is horrible to see your little baby getting a catheter, IV, and spinal. I am so sorry that it took them so many tries! You are such a strong mama. I wish I had more information for you. Just BIG <HUGS> for you mama! Hope things keep getting better for you all.

[MNmomtobe]

How awful! It's so scary to go through this especially when they are so young. I would think keeping her well hydrated (I'm sure you do already!) and changing their diaper as soon as you can especially when it's a poopy one would help the whole UTI thing as well. So glad she is on the mend. :)

[elephantmeg]

Hugs, and no other suggestions, just sorry it happened to you!

[Corie]

Holly,

I'm so glad to hear that Lillian is doing better!! It's so hard to see your
children in pain.

It's so weird that I read your post tonight. My son had two appointments
at the children's hospital today for an ultrasound to check his kidneys & bladder
plus he had a VCUG appointment. My husband went into the xray room
with our son for the VCUG. He knew that I would have started crying and
we were afraid that would scare Knox.

I did go in at the end because he wouldn't go potty. I was finally able to
get him to go tinkel on the potty but it totally freaked me out when I saw
blood in his urine.

He refused to eat all afternoon and he wouldn't eat dinner tonight. Plus,
he has not wet his diaper because he is afraid that it is going to hurt. It
has been a long day today! He actually asked me to go to bed. I'm hoping
that he wakes up tomorrow with a HUGE diaper.

And you're right about putting things in perspective. I saw some seriously
ill children today and I physically ached for those moms. I can't even imagine
their sorrow.

[kochh2]

OMG... so what should we expect with the VCUG? is that the same as the IVP study? I hate hearing the name of a study/test and what it is for, but no one really preparing you for WHAT exactly will happen until you are in there... nothing like giving mom and dad time to process and prepare themselves, ykwim...
I hope Knox is peeing up a storm overnight!! I hope you have bed laundry to wash in the AM LOL!! poor dear....

[american_mama]

My sister's two DDs went through prophylatic anbx and VCUGs for years, and her 8 year old just had the surgery about 6 months or so after the latest VCUG showed not enough improvement. Plus, her oldest was uncomfortable, always needing to pee and never feeling like she was completely empty (because it was always reflexing, I guess). They never had to go to the ER, have a spinal tap, or be hospitalized.

My nieces took Bactrim for years, and my sister felt that it caused constipation, although I think her doctors denied this. I believe they mixed it in with one of the kids' milk for some reason. My sister said it tasted and smelled bad, but the girls never seemed to notice and were used to taking it, so never complained. They are compliant children, but picky about food, so I think if they could tolerate it, many kids can.

All I remember hearing about the VCUGs is that they strap kids down, so be prepared for that and prepare an older child. Her kids cried lots during the procedures. And they called the catheter a noodle, which seemed silly and a little deceptive to both my sister and me, but I guess was irrelevant to her daughters.

They were seen by a pediatric urologist throughout the years, and the surgery that my niece had was outpatient, almost no recovery time, and not painful. I do not recall what anesthesia she had or how the procedure was done. The surgery improved the situation, but she still leaks, which the pediatric urologist says is habit (she is stopping the flow mid-stream and then a little dribbles out later) but my sister doesn't buy it, and she and her DD are kind of in limbo deciding what they want to do about it.