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Hello. My Son Is 5 And Half Months Old. A

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Posted on Wed, 7 Nov 2018
Question: Hello.

My son is 5 and half months old.

A week ago, he was vomiting a lot and distressed. I took him to the ER and they diagnosed him with an ear infection and gave him drops and antibiotics (and pain relief medication). The symptoms came back 3 days later when we could no longer use the drops (the drops were off-market and expired after 3 days). I went back to the ER and they said the infection was a lot better but provided more drops. This seemed to do the trick for a while.


However, a couple days later he started vomiting a lot (tho this time was not distressed). I took him to the pediatrician who said to throw away the antibiotics (even tho we were only on day 5/10) because the infection had cleared up and the antibiotics could be making him more sick. We did this, but the vomiting continued. We tried pedialyte after the vomiting and used Zofran for the nausea. We are on day 4 and he is still vomiting, so I took him back to the pediatrician.

He said two things I want another opinion on. First, he said he should go BACK on the antiobotic (a stronger version this time) because the infection was back. And he said this way we can tell if he is better that it is working and if it is worse than it’s the antiobotic that made him sick. Second, he asked if he was rolling over. My son has stopped rolling over. He did it at 3 months but stopped around 4 months and change. The pediatrician said it is possible the vomiting and not rolling over could be linked. If this is true, would is the worst case scenario of the link? And is there another opinion on this generally?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (5 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Need you to answer a few questions.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for using the Ask a Doctor service once again.

I have gone carefully through your query. I would need to ask you a few things:
* Was the child exclusively breast-fed?
* Has any change in feeding habits occurred recently? It could be introduction of formula feed, or change of formula.
* Has the child been weaned?
* Does the child regurgitate after each feed or only at times?
* Is the amount of vomitus greater than 50% of the intake of the feed taken prior to that episode?
* Do you burp the child for 15-20 mins?
* Whether the child has any discharge from ears.
* Does the child frequently catch cold?

The muscle tone of a baby is lower than that of adults and therefore the junction of food pipe and stomach is not tight. The feeds can therefore automatically regurgitate back and make the child vomit. If the amount is lesser than 50% of the last feed it is not a cause for concern. Overfeeding, inadequate burping, formula feeds or change in dietary habits can all lead to the condition you mention. Make sure that you keep the head end of the child elevated for at least 15-20 mins after each feed.

Unless there is discharge from ears I would not be concerned about ear infection.

Regards
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
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Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Diptanshu Das

Pediatrician

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 3878 Questions

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Hello. My Son Is 5 And Half Months Old. A

Brief Answer: Need you to answer a few questions. Detailed Answer: Thanks for using the Ask a Doctor service once again. I have gone carefully through your query. I would need to ask you a few things: * Was the child exclusively breast-fed? * Has any change in feeding habits occurred recently? It could be introduction of formula feed, or change of formula. * Has the child been weaned? * Does the child regurgitate after each feed or only at times? * Is the amount of vomitus greater than 50% of the intake of the feed taken prior to that episode? * Do you burp the child for 15-20 mins? * Whether the child has any discharge from ears. * Does the child frequently catch cold? The muscle tone of a baby is lower than that of adults and therefore the junction of food pipe and stomach is not tight. The feeds can therefore automatically regurgitate back and make the child vomit. If the amount is lesser than 50% of the last feed it is not a cause for concern. Overfeeding, inadequate burping, formula feeds or change in dietary habits can all lead to the condition you mention. Make sure that you keep the head end of the child elevated for at least 15-20 mins after each feed. Unless there is discharge from ears I would not be concerned about ear infection. Regards