A parenting question...what would you do?

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  • shonora
    shonora Posts: 48 Member
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    tbh Shonora I am not even sure if there is a vaccine in the uk for private patients - I would assume that if someone wanted it and wanted to pay for it they could (as with most things here)

    I am running an oatmeal bath as I type, hope it eases it a bit. I am also going to try a non alcohol mouthwash to numb his throat a little and I will definitely make some jelly/jello in a minute. He has a box of icepoles/popsicles which he is allowed to help himself to, they do seem to help some.

    There's nothing worse than having them sick I was 13 when I got chicken pox I remember my mam putting bread soda into my baths and that really helped, and my doctor always says boiled and cooled 7up to keep them hydrated hope they feel better soon x
  • trijoe
    trijoe Posts: 729 Member
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    Pediasure and Pedialyte. I would push these two things on him all day. The Pediasure has protein and other things that would be the same as a meal replacement for kids that don't typically eat healthy. It comes in really great flavors and tastes REALLY good. If you get them really cold, it can taste like a milk shake. Pedialyte helps restore electrolytes. It doesn't taste the best but does come in popsicle form. Don't wait on something like this, you don't want him in the hospital and them feeding him thru a tube or IV. Good luck and hope he feels better soon.


    THAT!!!

    Do they have pedialite pops where you're at? When my daughters get fevers and/or anything that makes it hard to eat, we give them these pedialite pops. It's soothing to them, and we're able to keep some form of electrolyte in them. Warm things like broth don't work so well. Ice cream's okay but it can feel too heavy to them.

    Good luck, I hope your cherub feels better soon, and I wish you peace through your struggles. I have 3 kids, 2 of which are sick A LOT, and there's little worse in this world than a sick kid laying on my lap feeling miserable while I have no clue how to change that.
  • MissAlexxMarie
    MissAlexxMarie Posts: 171
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    You can always make milkshakes out of filling fruits such as bananas and strawberries. Apples most of all do give nutrition so i don't know how you might be able to include that as well. Any kind of soup should help...make it from scratch though -- not store bought! You can always get Pedialyte. Your child might be a bit bigger but it's still just as helpful. It gives your child the electrolytes and the nutrients he does need. If they're not too big on the Pedialyte drink...use the pops! Same affect! Good luck!


    - I work in a doctors office.
  • susankaye123
    susankaye123 Posts: 28
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    If hes not eating could you try just an old fashion milk shake..chocolate, my mother had a medical problem once, she couldnt swallow food for awhile and she was told to drink shake.. Not diet shakes but somthing with calories.. He should be past the initial sickness after a few days but have the sores which cause him discomfort..:flowerforyou:
  • veobrien
    veobrien Posts: 39 Member
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    My daughter, at 7, came out in chicken pox.... in the same week as having her tonsils out! It was not the slightest bit of fun and I know that it generally gets worse, the older the child, so I sympathise with you a lot.

    My daughter isn't the best eater at the best of times and she didn't eat for days. All I could do was make sure her favourite meal was ready when she was (macaroni cheese) and then I tried not to stress about it too much (difficult, I know)

    If soups don't entice him, I'd give the Dr a quick call before the weekend to see if he needs any special drinks they would recommend.

    PS. If he's itchy, our nurse recommended Piriton - there is one that talks about chicken pox on the box. Can't remember if it had any special extension in the name.

    Hope he gets better soon.
  • sheresamae
    sheresamae Posts: 71 Member
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    So sorry your babies are sick!! Mine just have colds and i am losing my mind.. might try Pedialyte for hydration you can try the shake i kinda doubt he will like it but its worth a try also broth jello maybe spagetti o's?? I think the hydration is the most important though. I hope they get better really soon!!!
  • gtfcnat
    gtfcnat Posts: 199
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    I'm not a parent but when I was poorly as a kid my Dad always gave me Lucozade (the orginal flavour).
    Hope he's feeling better soon x
  • MarieAnneN
    MarieAnneN Posts: 205
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    When I had the chicken pox my mom made me chicken noodle soup. It's a cure-all.

    +1000

    Don't go with the shake... there are nutriments and caffein not good for kids in there.
    Sweet would be better (even that).

    Ice cream, yogurt, cream soups just warm and not hot, oatmeal, ...
  • KY2022runner
    KY2022runner Posts: 72 Member
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    I hope your kids feel better. I would recomend carnation instant breakfasts. if he can handle the milk you can blend them up with some ice and make it nice and cool. When i was crazy sick i also ate cream of wheat.... but i doubt most kids would eat it. Chocolate wheats are good though!
  • mstemen
    mstemen Posts: 111 Member
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    For the sore throat you could try lukewarm water with honey and maybe lemon. When my kids are sick I give them a tablespoon of honey and it relieves the sore throat better than any over the counter medicine I've tried. Plus they like the taste. I hope they feel better soon. There's nothing worse then having sick babies.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
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    Whenever my son's braces are adjusted, his meals that day are protein shakes (not diet or body building, just grocery store protein shakes), Greek yogurt, and applesauce.

    I would think the same thing is good for chicken pox - protein, calcium, vitamin c (they put it in applesauce to keep it from oxidizing). Just keep your child hydrated and provide the nutritional support to fight the disease -- I had a nasty case as a kid and this too shall pass.
  • traceyjayne64
    traceyjayne64 Posts: 262
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    Id go for anything he fancies but Ensure is good, full of everything his body needs whilst unable to eat.
  • traceyjayne64
    traceyjayne64 Posts: 262
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    and by the way, im in Milton Keynes and chicken pox seems to be everywhere :cry:
  • Artemis726
    Artemis726 Posts: 587 Member
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    So sorry your little ones are sick. It's so hard to not be able to fix them. :(

    I didn't read all the replies, but in your shoes, I would get some pain reliever in him- motrin/advil works the best for my kids. We have sore throat pops that numb the mouth and throat as well. Then I'd have gatorade (which is easier to get my kids to drink than pedialyte) and ice pops available. Whatever sounds good to him and keeps him hydrated.

    Hope they feel better soon!
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
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    I wasn't going to vaccinate against chicken pox but my ped mentioned how much worst it could be if they get it older and since MOST do vaccinate, the chance of them getting it as children is pretty slim...so I gave in. I was worried about them having issues as older teens or adults because chicken pox then can cause so many issues including infertility.

    I do believe that you can still get the CP with the vaccine, but it's usually a lighter bout.
    [/quote]

    you are right it isn't as bad if you have had the vaccine and it also has weird presentation. last time i saw chicken pox it was in a 10 year old and she had prob 10 spots and they were in her hairline, torso, and arms. it was definatly strange. i can't remember the last time i saw full blown chicken pox. it is also dangerous for pregnate women to be around it but i can't remember exactly what it does
    [/quote]
    A dose of the vaccine is also recommended for people 50 or older, even if they've had the chicken pox. It is intended to keep the virus dormant so that you don't get shingles, which attacks the nerves.
  • durangocal
    durangocal Posts: 90 Member
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    I still don't understand why we vaccinate since the immunity lasts only 14 to 25 years meaning that our children are possibly susceptible to it when they are in their 20`s? (see link to CDC website below.) I succombed to my doctor`s advice and had my children immunized as his answer to my question was answered with "it will be like polio. the virus won`t be around as everyone will be vaccinated." He also said that "perhaps they will require a booster before they go to college." I am amazed to see how many vaccicanted people are still getting the chicken pox!

    I hate that my son`s generation is the guinea pig generation for this vaccine...

    Wonder what other`s thoughts are on this?

    To the OP-hope your kiddos are on the mend very quickly!

    http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/varicella/vac-faqs-clinic.htm

    Is waning immunity a problem with the varicella-containing vaccines?
    The length of protection/immunity from varicella-containing vaccines remains unknown. Available data from follow-up of children vaccinated in prelicensure clinical trials indicate that protection from varicella vaccine lasts for at least 25 years (Japanese data) and 14 years (U.S. data). However, most of the data concerning vaccine efficacy and persistence of antibody in vaccinees are based on research that was conducted when natural varicella infection was highly prevalent and had not been affected by wide use of the vaccine. A recently published community-based study among children 12 months to 12 years of age suggests that 1 dose vaccine-induced immunity to varicella may wane over time. Experience with other live viral vaccines (e.g., measles, rubella), however, has shown that post vaccination, immunity remains high throughout life. For these vaccines, second doses are needed to cover the small percentage of people who fail to seroconvert after the first dose (primary vaccine failure). Follow-up studies are continuing to assess levels of immunity in vaccinees as disease incidence declines.
  • teeniemarie619
    teeniemarie619 Posts: 21 Member
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    The open sores (if he has them inside his mouth & throat) might be hurting him when he eats. Give him sugar-free ice cream pops, even sugar free pudding if he'll eat it. Try not to give him anything to drink that has citrus - it might burn. Try pedialyte too.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,064 Member
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    Reading this made me curious as to why the varicella vaccine isn't given over there. Here is a response: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8557236.stm

    It says that they worry parents won't like another vaccine in the childhood immunization schedule (they would rather promote the meningitis vaccine, which I kind of understand) and that it could increase incidence of shingles. But I think you can get shingles if you've gotten the vaccine or had the disease. So why would that be a reason?

    I had chickenpox when I was a kid - the vaccine wasn't around until I was five, and by then I'd had chickenpox. It's weird now (I work in a medical office) to see kids that were born even three years before me that had the vaccine and didn't have to go through having the chickenpox!
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
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    There has been a lot of good advice about ways to hydrate him, though I would skip the pedialyte. Honestly, it tastes disgusting, and I doubt he'd drink it. My kids refused and after I tried it I understood why.

    Also I'm curious to see how the oatmeal bath went. I also had a severe case at age 14, and the oatmeal baths were rough. It felt nice while I was in it, but the whole drying off part (both towel drying and air drying) made everything itch and hurt all over again.

    If you can think of any ways to help distract him and pass them time, that is also one of the most helpful things you can do. Time crawls when you are miserable. Get him some new books, maybe borrow or rent him a new video game, art supplies, laptop or ipad. Whatever he normally can get sucked into where he gets lost and doesn't hear you when you call for him . . . this is a great time to encourage that!

    One day at social gatherings he will tell horror stories of how he survived the great chicken pox of 2012.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
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    Reading this made me curious as to why the varicella vaccine isn't given over there. Here is a response: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8557236.stm

    It says that they worry parents won't like another vaccine in the childhood immunization schedule (they would rather promote the meningitis vaccine, which I kind of understand) and that it could increase incidence of shingles. But I think you can get shingles if you've gotten the vaccine or had the disease. So why would that be a reason?

    I had chickenpox when I was a kid - the vaccine wasn't around until I was five, and by then I'd had chickenpox. It's weird now (I work in a medical office) to see kids that were born even three years before me that had the vaccine and didn't have to go through having the chickenpox!

    The research shows that vaccinated people who do get the disease don't get it as severely, which with shingles can mean the difference between discomfort and blindness or amputation. My kids are vaccinated.

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