Dealing With Baby Asthma

I have never dealt with asthma before. I don’t have it. Zoe and Ziya don’t have it either. Although my sister had it when she was little, it wasn’t really severe and I don’t even remember her being treated for it. So, it just makes me feel totally helpless when my Ziggy starts coughing.

You see, his dad has had asthma since he was a kid. Naturally, since asthma is hereditary, that makes Ziggy a possible candidate for the condition too. So, when I got pregnant with Ziggy, I already knew that this was something I would have to deal with sooner or later. However, I didn’t prepare for it. Maybe some part of me was still in denial or something. I’m just glad that Kai is around to guide me on how to deal with it. However, there’s still a lot I need to know.

Ziggy has been coughing since Thursday. Every time he coughs really hard, he pukes. We were finally able to have him checked out by the pedia yesterday and thankfully, she said it wasn’t some serious condition such as pneumonia. Everything else about Ziggy is fine. He’s still active. His appetite is still the same. His breathing is good.

According to the pedia, the cough is most likely due to allergic reaction, which is common among babies or kids who have a tendency to be asthmatic. I’m so happy it’s just allergies. When he had asthma for the first time back in September, we had to give him antibiotics and he absolutely hated it. After that episode, he didn’t even want to take his vitamins anymore. My poor baby was traumatized.

Anyway, since he’s just allergic to something, we were just advised to have him use a nebulizer, three times a day for the next five days. Aside from that, he doesn’t need to take additional medication. When he first had the cough last Thursday, I gave him his usual cough medicine. The pedia told us to stop giving him that because it won’t make Ziggy feel better. Luckily, I already stopped giving it to him a day before. Also, I’m grateful that Kai already has a nebulizer so we didn’t need to buy one for Ziggy. We tried to have him use it already and he doesn’t really like it.

Here’s a photo I took of him using the nebulizer for the first time. He cried but we had to keep trying.

So, as a mom for the first time dealing with a baby with asthmatic tendencies, let me share with you what I have learned so far.

• Asthma is scary and can be a serious condition. However, there are ways to avoid asthma attacks.
• There are also ways on how to stop the attack or to prevent it from getting worse.
• Allergies are usually triggered during specific times of the day, such as every morning, or every night.
• Cough medicine should not be used to treat asthma.
• Keep your baby/child away from things that could trigger the asthma, such as stuffed toys and the like.
• Keep your house clean and dust-free as much as possible. Don’t forget to clean your air conditioner filter often.
• Only use VERY mild soap, lotions etc on your baby.
• For your baby’s clothes, don’t use your regular laundry detergent. Go extra mild on this one and avoid fabric softeners at all costs.
• Don’t use air fresheners at home.
• For moms with kids who have asthma, like myself, a nebulizer can very well be your best friend.
• Some kids do outgrow their asthma when they grow up. Actually, Kai has already learned how to control it a long time ago. So, I am hoping that Ziggy will too.

I am sure there are still tons of stuff out there that I can learn about this topic. I am on a mission to learn all that I can. If any of you are on the same boat, I’d appreciate all the tips you can share with me. Feel free to leave me a message!