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  • Please Stay Home And Protect The NHS

    PLEASE SHARE!! so going back 6 weeks the week before lock down Freddie became not himself. He had a high fever and a rash all over him so I took him to the doctors and it was suspected scarlet fever.

    He was given some meds which I found extremely hard to give him. He wasn’t eating, wasn’t drinking, drowsy and just completely not with it at all. Anyone that knows freddie knows how extremely hyper and loud he is. I took him to the doctors the Thursday and he went to his dads that night.

    The next day Friday we took him to the sick kids as he really just wasn’t himself and they told us it’s just a bad case of scarlet fever he would be on the mend in a few days. Then Sunday came and it sounds so horrible to say but he just looked like a zombie.

    His nose was bleeding out of no where and he was completely out of it. The whites of his eyes were bright red, it just seemed like there was no life to him. So I took him back to sick kids and the lady I seen told me again it was a bad case of scarlet fever. She couldn’t see a problem with him as he was responding to her when she asked him questions (when you’re a mum you know your child and know when there’s something not right at all). At this point though

    Freddie was point blank refusing to take the medication at all so they changed the dose down to a smaller dose. I tried everything possible to give him these meds but he just wouldn’t take them. Monday came and he still just looked horrendous. The rash that he had started to spread all over his face. So again took him back to the sick where we actually got kept in this time as he was refusing the meds completely.

    We got put into a room for isolation as we were still under the assumption it was scarlet fever. Freddie was kept in hospital Monday to Friday. On the Wednesday we got moved to a ward as they no longer thought it was scarlet fever and they thought he actually had Kawasaki disease. Kawasaki disease is a disease that only affects 8 in 100000 children in the uk. He wasn’t actually tested for it but he did have a heart scan which confirmed the the valves to his heart had swollen.

    They also found a heart murmur that had never been picked up before but this could’ve just been because of how unwell he was. Freddie is fully on the mend now. The week after Freddie was in hospital I was really unwell had lost all sense of taste and smell and had a bad cough with sweats. I didn’t think much of it because it wasn’t much worse than the general cold.

    I’m writing this post to raise awareness over this severity of this illness and to urge you to stay home. This was the worst week of my life. Freddie has had his fair share of hospital visits but this was nothing like this week we had. Please stay home, save lives and protect the NHS.

    EDIT – although Freddie is completely back to him self hes been on Asprin since being home. He’s not been able to hold his pee, Freddie was potty trained well over a year ago and never had a problem never had accidents never wet the bed. Since having Kawasaki he struggles to hold his pee at any time and we are dealing with a lot of accidents, he also has a continuous rash that looks like eczema on his stomach and back which he didn’t have before Kawasaki either.

    Credit https://www.facebook.com/chloe.knight.75

  • Heat Stroke In Babies And Toddlers

    HEAT STROKE IN BABIES & TODDLERS

    Heat exhaustion and heat stroke don’t just appear out of the blue. There are signs of heat stress, which, if left untreated, can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

    The initial signs of heat stress include:

    • Heat rash that doesn’t go away when the skin is cooled, called “prickly heat”. This rash looks like a red cluster of pimples or small blisters on or around the

    NECK – UPPER CHEST – GROIN – ELBOW CREASES.

    • Heat cramps happen as muscles and bodily systems deplete their supply of electrolytes, particularly salt and water, and as a reaction to lower blood volumes. These cramps usually occur in the ABDOMEN – LEGS – ARMS and are accompanied by MOODINESS and FUSSINESS. If a baby, toddler or young child starts showing signs of crankiness or fussiness this can be an early indication of heat stress.

    • Watch for unusual erratic and repetitive behaviors, such as repeatedly standing and sitting.

    If the above symptoms worsen and start to include:

    • Intense thirst

    • Dizziness or fainting

    • Pale skin

    • Rapid but weak heart rate

    • Headache

    • Nausea and vomiting

    • Concentrated pee & decreased output (yellow/orange)

    Then your child is becoming dehydrated and likely has heat exhaustion.

    TREATMENT:

    • IMMEDIATELY STOP ALL ACTIVITY !!!

    • Remove clothing

    • Move to a cool place

    • Give cool water with a teaspoon of salt per quart, or sports drink. (Cold water and salt tablets can actually increase cramping symptoms.) (not for babies)

    • Gently massage child’s muscles

    • Elevate feet on a pillow if they will lie down

    Rest and rehydration is usually enough, though some children may need more time to recover than others. Hospitalization is rarely needed.

    DO call your family doctor.

  • Warning To Dog Owners-Alabama Rot Disease

    Warning to dog owners as several cases of deadly Alabama Rot is confirmed!

    Alabama Rot, also known as CRGV (cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy) is an increasingly common disease in dogs.

    It causes damage to blood vessels of the skin, and also to the kidneys, and dogs with the disease can suffer from skin ulcers, acute kidney failure and even death.

    Two new cases of the deadly dog disease have now been confirmed, including the first ever in Essex.

    The cases were confirmed by Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists with one in Manningtree and the other recorded in Ivybridge, Devon.

    In total the UK has now seen 188 confirmed cases across 39 counties since 2012, with 52 cases in 2018 and 13 in 2019 so far.

    The advice to dog owners is that, while the disease is still very rare, vets are still warning dog owners to remain calm but vigilant.

    Owners are advised to seek advice from their local vet if their dog develops unexplained skin lesions.

    What steps should I take to protect my dog?

    While there isn’t a known cause of the disease, there are ways to give your dog the best possible chance of avoiding Alabama Rot:

    * Know the warning signs – This is key to treating the disease. If caught early then your vet can evaluate if your dog has contracted CRGV.

    * Wash off woodland mud – The majority of cases are reported after dogs are taken for walks in muddy, woodland areas. Make sure you wash your dog thoroughly to ensure all woodland mud has been removed following a walk.

    * Check for symptoms – Always be on the look out for the common symptoms, and if you’re in any doubt call the vet.

  • This Mama Knew Something Wasn’t Right

    Where do I begin? Our baby, Sienna-Rose has always been so unsteady with her balance.. we thought nothing of it at first. We assumed it was down to being short sighted and having a double squint! She was still hitting all of her milestones on time. Nothing to worry about right?

    Wrong.. fast forward to January the 30th 2019. Sienna has her injection and we were pre warned there would be a fever. She had the fever.. followed by sickness, unsteadyness, lethargy and a high temperature. We firstly rang our GP who recommended calpol and lots of rest. The sickness still came. After a few weeks of constant sickness and crying we took things further. We took her to A&E who did their checks and diagnosed “gastritis” she was prescribed a course of amoxicillin which she did dont take down neither did it fix the sickness.

    We returned to our childrens walk in centre only to be told the same thing.. “gastritis” again she was prescribed a stronger form of antibiotics only for her not to take down again.. then the motor neuron issues took place. Sienna was showing clear signs of balance issues and could no longer walk/crawl/sit upright. She was very lethargic and hot. We went to A&E for the third time just to be told her immune system was weak and that some babies take longer to recover than others.

    Weeks went by while she rapidly reclined. She was soon stuck in a corner of the sofa watching TV and sleeping all day. We tried to contact our health visitor but she left the service and forgot to transfer her notes over to the new health visitor who didnt know she existed. I came to the end of my tether and broke down to the lady in the weigh in clinic who took my concerns seriously. She refered her to paediatrics but we wasnt going to be seen until June.

    7th of May came, I rang 111 (emergency service information) because Sienna couldn’t lift her head from her shoulder and was struggling to straighten her back. I was told to wait for a phone call of a paediatric doctor. They finally rang back 2 and a half hours later. They asked if she was still tilting to one side. She wasnt. So they told me to keep an eye on her and bring her in if she did it again!
    Friday the 10th of May 2019 Sienna fell off the sofa. She bumped her head and her eyes rolled back. I didnt bother phoning. I took her straight in. I lost all faith in the emergency phone services/GP/Health visitors. When we arrived then again didnt believe what I was saying, when she was too poorly to move and her cry was weak. Eventually the most amazing doctor came and spoke to us. She listened to everything. Even wrote it all down. She measured Sienna’s head and demanded an urgent MRI. 
    11th May 2019 We had our diagnosis. Within 2 hours of the MRI. We was taken to see the consultant. He broke the news Sienna has a tumour just a slight bit bigger than a golf ball in the back of her brain. We were heart broken. She had an external shunt fitted to drain the mass of fluid on her brain. In 48hrs they collected 650ml of spinal fluid from her head stabilizing her condition ready for her operation 14/06/2019
    Surgery day came, they’ve so far removed what they think is all of the tumour.. 

    17/05/2019
    We had the results! Had a meeting with the consultant..

    This Mama Knew Something Wasn't Right
    This Mama Knew Something Wasn’t Right

    Good news – They’ve gotten rid of 95% of the tumour. 
    Bad news – Its defiently a stage 4 aggressive medulloblastoma. The 5% that remains is attached to a membrain that the surgeon didnt want to remove as it would effect her brain development. In two weeks time she will have chemotherapy.

    We expected this outcome.

    Still doesn’t stop the pain, anger and emotion. I know she is a strong ass girl who will kick cancers ass! 

    I want to raise awareness about the earlier detection of a brain tumour especially in children. Because nobody should have to suffer what Sienna-Rose did! For months she was miss diagnosed. All it takes to diagnose is an MRI brain scan! Here are some symptoms to look out for..
    – Involentry eye movement
    – Tilting of the head 
    – Growth of the head 
    – Vomiting and nausea 
    – Lack of interest in food 
    – Poor movement 
    – Behaviour changes 
    – Unable to hold balance/Regression in milestones!Even if you think it’s not.. request to be seen my a neurologist to rule out a tumour! Earlier detection means better treatment and a higher survival rate! Trust your gut instincts and if you feel something is wrong, please fight until you find out what is! 
    – Sienna-Rose’s Mum xx

     

  • The Shocking Reality Of Allergic Reactions

    My daughter recently had a controlled tree nut challenge at her allergist. She went into anaphylaxis during the trial. It looked nothing like I expected it to look. It was nothing like they show on TV. I’ve seen allergic reactions in the hospital to medications as well, anaphylaxis didn’t look like that either.

    I hope I can educate some people on what anaphylaxis could look like, so they don’t wait to give epi. First, my daughter was fed approximately 1/10 of a cashew for her challenge. Her first symptom was simply itchy ears within five minutes. She was perfectly happy, and playing still though.

    Then she started complaining of a belly ache. She then started to itch all over. No rash was present at this point. They decided to administer her first epi shot at this point, because she was exhibiting 2 symptoms, belly pain and itching. They also gave her oral Zyrtec.

    The shot calmed everything for about ten minutes. After the ten minutes was up, she really started itching a lot more. Upon inspection, her entire body was quickly breaking out in severe hives before our very eyes. She quickly became covered in huge hives. They gave her a shot of prednisolone at this point. She was still playing, and not showing signs of distress.

    Around five minutes later, she started coughing a little bit. We couldn’t hear her breathing hard or wheezing at all. We called the nurse just to double check, and she listened with her stethoscope. She said she was wheezing and tight. When her vitals were taken, her sats were in the low 80’s, her bp was low, and her pulse was high.

    Amazingly, she was still just playing, and just annoyed with the itchy hives! It all changed moments later. They laid her down quickly, and she then started blacking out. They gave her an albuterol treatment, and another shot of epi. An IV was started with a dose of solu medrol given. She was lethargic and out of it for around ten minutes, before she started coming around again. She had to be watched for many hours afterwards, because anaphylaxis can return in a second round, just as severe as the first, so always call 911 for observation!

    Anyways, it was nothing like we expected to see. It snuck up on us so unexpectedly and quietly. I expected to see choking, gasping, hear wheezing, and see her grabbing at her chest and neck area. I expected the entire ordeal to be very fast and obvious and dramatic. It was actually very silent, and she didn’t show any severe trouble until very late in the game. If she hadn’t already been given meds before she blacked out, I don’t want to think of how severe it could’ve been.

    Please if you are one of the people that cares for my child or spends time with her, be careful what you eat around her, what you give her, and DON’T be afraid to give epi. She had zero side effects from the epi. It could save her life.

    Much rather safe than sorry. There is NO danger in giving the epi to her even if she ended up not in a true reaction, she has no underlying heart disease or anything. Epi will NOT harm her, even if it wasn’t needed. You want to react before she gets this severe! It’s a matter of life and death for her. Also don’t forget to call 911 after the first epi!! As there are so many other meds that she needed to save her, other than just the epi. You can give a SECOND EPI in 5 to 15 minutes if EMT hasn’t arrived and she still has symptoms. Don’t be afraid of the epi pen PLEASE!!

    Please note also, if you only have expired ones, give them! EpiPens that were 5 to 7 years past expiration date still had more than 70% of the original dose remaining in the device.

    Credit Julie Ferrier Berghaus

  • STOP Pulling Your Baby’s Top Lip Back Over Their Face

    Ladies,

    Please, STOP pulling your baby’s top lip back over their face, taking photos, and posting them into parenting groups or your to your Facebook friends.

    This cannot be diagnosed by a photograph, your GP is the only one who can tell you for sure. Plus, right now, pull your own top lip up towards your nose. Nice and far, the way it’s done in these pictures. Not nice is it? That’s because we’ve all got one, it’s kind of how your face works, and is to do with how we developed in the womb.

    Please stop putting your baby through this.

     

    Just stop. Please.

    Tongue and lip-tie are common causes of nipple pain, uneven breast drainage, slow weight gain and low milk supply. Many doctors do not properly access for tongue or lip-tie until they are made aware that there could be an issue.

    Signs your baby may have a lip tie
    •poor latch and suck
    •unusually strong suck due to baby using excess vacuum to remove milk
    •clicking sound while nursing (poor suction)
    •ineffective milk transfer
    •infrequent swallowing after initial let-down
    •inadequate weight gain or weight loss
    •irritability or colic
    •gas and reflux
    •fussiness and frequent arching away from the breast
    •fatigue within one to two minutes of beginning to nurse
    •difficulty establishing suction to maintain a deep grasp on the breast
    •breast tissue sliding in and out of baby’s mouth while feeding
    •gradual sliding off the breast
    •chewing or biting on the nipple
    •falling asleep at the breast without taking in a full feed
    •coughing, choking, gulping, or squeaking when feeding

    Lip-ties often accompany tongue-ties, other parents cannot advice you if your child has a lip tie, please see your doctor for an assessment.

     

    If you have a story you wish to share with us or would like to raise awareness please email us at mumsadviceltd@outlook.com

     

  • Ear Infections Can Be Deadly Look Out For These Signs

    Amber Ella is trying to raise awareness about ear infections

    Most people are unaware of this danger

    He had a basic ear infection

    Went and seen family dr and got antibiotics

    Later that night his head behind the ear got a little red and swollen I called the dr he said that sometimes this can happen just let the meds work their way in call him in a couple of days..

    I just kept thinking oh my he just don’t look right so I took him to the hospital and with in 1 hour he was put out and a ctt scan was done and I was told he had mastoiditis

    An infection that grows into the back of the ear bone

    Which then goes deeper into the head

    If not caught and cared for in time

    Can cause meningitis….

    Loss of hearing completely….

    Brain abscess….

    Or can lead to death

    So please when your kids say their ear hurts always look for the signs

    Swelling behind the ear…

    Redness

    And ear sticking out

    If I would have waited my life could have been changed forever but thankfully I went with my instincts and went to the hospital

    They had to cut his eardrums and drain fluid ….put tubes in his ears…

    The cut behind the ear is where they had to drill in to release fluid and infection …

    Very painful operation

    Thank god for instincts

    Please watch for these signs.

    Thank you to everyone who shared this or is sharing this my son Markus is doing great.

    Thank you for all prayers and get wells

    The Dr who did this operation was amazing I’ve seen other incisions

    And they were top to bottom of the ear.

    Mastoiditis is the result of an infection that extends to the air cells of the skull behind the ear. Specifically, it is an inflammation of the mucosal lining of the mastoid antrum and mastoid air cell system inside the mastoid process

  • This Is Why You Don’t Give Dogs Chocolate

    Chocolate has a toxic ingredient called theobromine which is poisonous to dogs, dark chocolate is the worst  but it is still quite high in milk chocolate.

    Urgent treatment may be needed if your dog has eaten chocolate, you can help the vet by telling them how much you think your dog has consumed and bring the wrappers in.

    Symptoms for chocolate poisoning will occur between 4 and 24 hours after consumption, normally with vomiting and diarrhoea, increased heart rate, hyperactivity, rapid breathing and possible seizures.

    There is no antidote for chocolate poisoning in most cases the vet will make your dog vomit, also they may wash out your dogs stomach or feed them activated charcoal which will help to absorb any theobromine left in the dogs system, they may also need to be placed on a intravenous drip, medication to control heart rate and to stop seizures.

    This is obviously very distressing for the dog and can be very upsetting and expensive for the owner.

    This post sums it up by Greenbrier emergency animal hospital “This is a great “action shot” of what we start with after your dog presents for a Chocolate Toxicity. Thanks Dr. Antonucci for this picture. Thanks to the dog’s owner for allowing us to post and bringing her in to be fixed. Thanks to my staff for mopping up the floor. Thanks to the air filters for ridding the office of the smell of yucky chocolate. Thanks to the staff member who totally under estimated when placing a single blue pad to catch the vomit”.

    Do Not give your dog chocolate and if by accident they get hold of some please keep an eye on them and seek veterinary treatment if needed.

    If you have a story you wish to share or want to raise awareness please email us at mumsadviceltd@outloook.com

  • One Easy Tip To Discover Breast Cancer

    Hayley Browning is trying to raise awareness which could potentially save womans lives, Browning posted on the social media Facebook.

    Browning said:I’m hoping to share a little trick of mine with as many people as possible, which could potentially help save someone’s life.

    3 weeks ago, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I could only feel the lump whilst lying down and it completely disappeared standing up. Most websites tell you to check for lumps in the shower but if I had followed this advice, the lump may have grown too large to be treatable. Not even the surgeon could feel my lump when I was standing up.

    So, this is a call out to all women to check for lumps lying down, as well as standing up.

    As I think about my long journey ahead and the chemotherapy I will undertake, I want to reach as many people with this message and help find more #Laid Back Lumps

    In 2017 it is estimated that there were over 55 thousand cases of brest cancer and over 11 thousand deaths however 78% of woman diagnosed with breast cancer survive, so early detection could literally save your life.

    Mums advice suggest checking your breasts twice a week once whilst laid down and once whist stood up, look for lumps, changes in skin tone, a change in size or shape of breast, nipple becoming inverted, a rash on the nipple similar to eczema, discharge from the nipple, swelling or lump in the arm pit is also a sign, if in doubt check it out, breast screening services are available via your Gp, never ignore any signs, get to know your breasts and check them regularly.

    If you would like to share your story or wish to raise awareness of any topic please send us an email to mumsadviceltd@outlook.com

  • Be Aware Of The Complications Of Chicken Pox

    I’m sorry if this upset anyone but all parents need to be aware of the possible complications of chicken pox!

    Two weeks ago our 5-year-old had chicken pox, so it was no surprise when our 3-year-old started coming out in pox on Saturday morning. He had far less spots than his brother, was perfectly well in himself and we thought he’d just have a mild case.

    At 4am on Monday morning he woke up vomiting with a fever of 39.5c. I gave him some calpol and he went back to sleep. At 7am he vomited again and his temperature had only come down slightly to 38.5 despite the paracetamol. He was clammy, had freezing cold hands and feet, his heart was racing, his breathing fast, he was drowsy and howling if you so much as touched him. I also noticed one of his chicken pox had developed a red ring around about the size of a 50p.

    Be Aware Of The Complications Of Chicken Pox
    Be Aware Of The Complications Of Chicken Pox

    After Arlo’s many misadventures with sepsis I knew Rowan’s symptoms weren’t ones to ignore so I took him straight to A&E and he was seen immediately. By the time we got there he’d started to develop a separate large red area under his left arm. He was eventually admitted to the children’s ward in a terrible state, he began fluid replacement and IV antibiotic treatment for suspected bacterial cellulitis, an infection of his soft tissue and lymph nodes secondary to infected chicken pox.

    The first antibiotic made no difference so he started a second yesterday. Unfortunately the infection has continued to spread over night so he’s started a third IV antibiotic this morning and today he’s to have an mri scan and the surgeons are coming to review him to see if they need to insert a drain or remove some of the infected tissue.

    Be Aware Of The Complications Of Chicken Pox
    Be Aware Of The Complications Of Chicken Pox

    To say we’re heartbroken for him would be an understatement. Seeing our usually bouncing, laughing, bonkers baby boy in so much pain, hooked up to a drip and unable to move his arms is horrendous.

    Chicken pox is generally a mild illness without complications but sometimes it isn’t and as terrifying as things are right now, if I didn’t know the symptoms of sepsis as well as I do (2 years ago, before Arlo, I wouldn’t have had a clue!) who knows where we’d be now, it just doesn’t bear thinking about. We just have keep everything crossed that today will provide some answers and the Dr’s can get him sorted. Please keep him in your thoughts

    And please, if your little ones develop chicken pox keep a close eye on their symptoms, make yourself aware of the symptoms of sepsis and if you’re even slightly concerned that something isn’t quite right then get them seem by a Dr.

    Early warning signs for Sepsis can be:

    Fever and chills.

    Very low body temperature.

    Passing urine less than normal.

    Rapid pulse.

    Rapid breathing.

    Nausea and vomiting.

    Diarrhea.

    *for those asking why we didn’t vaccinate. Chicken pox vaccine is not routinely offered in the UK. The advice from the NHS is that it is generally a common mild childhood illness. Of course with hindsight etc etc… We are absolutely not anti-vaccinations and all 3 of our children are fully up to date on their immunisation.

    Credit https://www.facebook.com/ArlosRainbow/