Bronciolitis / Asthma

DD is 15 months old and we've just come back from the doctor who has said that she seems to be resistant to some antibiotics for fighting an ear infection. She has had an ear infection for about 3 weeks.

She also has a terrible cough and he said that she has bronciolitis. She had this for about 10-12 weeks from when she was about 4 months old. The doctor said she has a 50/50 chance of getting asthma when she's a bit older and it looks like she's likely to get bronciolitis a fair bit.

He's prescribed her ventolin to have at night and in the morning when she has a cough and she also has to have it any time she has a coughing fit during the day. He also prescribed her a stronger antibiotic for her ear infection.

I'm really not happy to hear this news that she's probably going to have health problems for a lot of her childhood particularly in winter.

My DD had her first bout of bronciolitis at 3wks and ended up in the ER for xrays/observation ovenight. She then had reoccuring infections at least every month until at 15-18mths she deveoped pneumonia and was very sick. At every appointment I would ask the dr why she was getting these infections??? I have very mild asthma and my DS was diagnoised at 2yr with asthma but we were living in Mt Isa and he hasn't had any symptoms since moving away.

After the pneumonia I questioned the doctor seriously about what we coud do. He told us she couldn't be diagnosed with asthma offically until she was over 2 and even then it was better to wait until they were older for the specific tests but she did have very narrow breathing tubes - whatever they are called. She was prescribed ventolin to be used whenever she developes a cold/cough to help open them up and get rid of the phlem etc.

Around the same time a friend of mine introduced me to the sue dengate elimination diet. I started it for sleeping problems with DD and found she had a very strong salicylate reaction. She also reacted to glutamates and MSG etc (MSG also sets off my asthma) When we eliminated salicylates from her diet the colds/runny noses/coughs disappeared. She has had 2 colds in the past year and I have given her the ventolin when needed and we haven't had anymore brocitus/pneumonia or chest infections. It is such a relief. Might be something to look into to see if there could be a similar underlying cause to the reoccuring infections? PM if you want website details of the elimination diet

Hi Sarah, Other than aspirin, how common are salicylates? This diet sounds interesting!

Salicylates are in most fruit, veges and spices however they occur in different amounts. They are higher in veges artifically ripened or unripe and concentrated near the skin so we peel apples etc. Ariya reacts strongly to salicylates so if we limit her to one food from the moderate group (butternut pumpkin, carrot, beetroot etc) and avoid giving her any close to bedtime as it causes twitching and other symptoms withing about 1 hr.

I'm not sure if it is the salicylates or the glutamtes that triggers the cold/cough symptoms but here are the lists from friendly foods book - Royal Prince Alfred Allergy Unit

Low salicylates

Bamboo shoots
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbge
Celery
Chives
Choko
Dried beans
dried peas
leek
lentils
lettuce
mungbean sprouts
parsley
potatoe - white pealed
red cabbage
shallots
swede
green beans
peas (little - glutamates)

pears (ripe pealed)
red delicious apples
Banana (high in amines - the greener the better)
Mango

Glutamate (MSG) FOUND in these food - the rest can be assumed to have little to no glutamates

green peas
broccoli
champignon
english spinish
mushroom
silverbeet
tomatos
grapes
plum
prune
raisin
sultana
tasty cheese
soy sauce
some alcohols
hydrolysed vegetable protein
meat extracts
gravies
pastes
sauces
tock cubes
yeast extract

HTH