Should babies under one year old be given allergy medicines?

Yes

1 of 2

by Laura Anderson

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My son, Michael, was only three months old and having problems with what appeared to be a cold. The doctor prescribed a cold medication, an antibiotic, to be administered for the next ten days. Ten days later, his symptoms hadn't changed and the same doctor prescribed another round of medication. This time, the pharmacist failed to remove the pharmaceutical company's brochure. In larger, bold letters was the warning not to administer the drug for more than ten days. I trusted the doctor and gave my son the additional ten day's worth of medication. By the end of that time, there was still no change in his condition. If anything, it was getting worse. Night after night, my son struggled for his breath with his little nose so sore from my constant wiping and still so clogged. Each attempt at breathing created a crater of a hole just beneath his rib cage, large enough to accommodate an adult-sized fist.

The third time the doctor tried to prescribe the same medication and when I went off, he merely reminded me he was the doctor, I was not. It was then, I reminded myself and made it a point to advise him that while he had the education, the term "practicing medicine" was still true and when he began walking on water, I would consider allowing him to treat my son. This was a clinic and I demanded to speak with his supervisor. After a heated discussion with the Clinic Supervisor, my son was seen by another physician.

The second doctor was a young man who said little during his extremely thorough examination. When he was done, he sat next to me and we talked. He asked me several questions about my son's condition: specific times of day when his condition worsened, specific foods and his diet, how often and how long he slept and others. He excused himself and left the room for about twenty minutes. When he came back, he requested my permission to give Michael a shot. He felt it might be extremely helpful and if not, it would not harm him in any way. Having watched my son suffer, night after night, fighting for every breath, I readily agreed. The young doctor filled a very small syringe and inject the clear fluid into my son.

At the time, it seemed miraculous! Within less than fifteen minutes, Michael's breathing was completely normal and the discharge from his nose had stopped! He'd spent 20 days on antibiotics with absolutely no change in symptoms. Now, in such a short time span, he was fine! The doctor invited me into an office and in the discussion, gave me a crash lesson in childhood asthma.

At Michael's young age, allergies usually appear as a skin irritation. It rarely manifests itself in breathing difficulties, hence the original doctor's prescription for antibiotics. While it is a rare condition, the first doctor never thought to check for allergies and asthma. The shot the second doctor had given Michael was minute dose of epinephrine, a common drug given to asthmatics. It increases the heart rate, sending more blood to the lungs and opening the airways previously closed by the disease in response to an allergen. The doctor then prescribed another common asthma drug called Quibron.

Michael was subjected to diets eliminating dairy products, wheat products or eggs from his meals. Back then, there wasn't a baby food on the market that didn't use wheat flour as a filler. We made cookies for him out of Rye Crisp crackers (no wheat content) and homemade icing of water, powdered sugar and vanilla. Upholstered furniture was all covered in plastic and I kept seven sets of curtains for his bedroom since they had to be replaced daily. Michael's activities were restricted, removing any physical exertion from his playtime. He was tested by child psychologists to eliminate any emotional upsets as the culprit; thankfully, I was told Michael was "the happiest and most well-adjusted child" he'd ever examined. Yet the asthma continued. During particularly bad episodes, Michael would wake in the middle of the night literally tearing at his pajama tops, trying to breath. It was a difficult time, but with the help of the doctors, the allergy clinic and a very understanding babysitter, we managed.

The Quibron worked for some time, but in another two years, the benefits wore off sooner and eventually, I would have done as well to give him water. His lung had collapsed once and hospital stays of four to five days duration were averaging once every month. With the drug no longer working, the fight for air became a nightly battle with midnight runs to Children's Hospital at least once a week. The police along the highway stopped me for speeding the first time I zoomed down the Interstate 65 in my little yellow VW bug, but upon seeing my son lying in the front seat along side of me, they accompanied me to the hospital. After that night, they recognized my car and confirming the license plates, would immediately give me an escort with one police cruiser in front and one behind, lights flashing and sirens blaring, with every trip to the hospital. Louisville's finest were truly my heroes. In each instance, a shot of epinephrine (sometimes two or three) and a lengthy wait time were necessary before Michael's breathing was corrected. I would return home at dawn, my son sound asleep in my arms.

By the time Michael was three years old, his back was physically large enough to begin allergy testing. Since he was still only a child, and his back still small, it meant three visits to complete all of the tests. The test consisted of placing droplets of suspected allergens on his back: four across and about 10 down, each column and row numbered to identify the toxin should a reaction occur. Then a small needle was used just to puncture the skin under each droplet, allowing the liquid access his system. Allergic reactions showed themselves quickly and sometimes violently. As soon as the data was recorded, alcohol would be rubbed onto his back to remove the last vestiges of the aggravating liquid and the ensuing reactions from mere redness to hives to horrific itching. Michael endured that and another painful test to determine his rate of metabolism on the Quibron. A blood sample was taken before he ingested the medication and again 30 minutes after swallowing the regular dosage, and another blood sample was taken every hour for another 8 hours. He was fascinated watching the blood travel through the plastic hose for the first two rounds. The remaining blood samples were not successful without a great deal of cajoling, convincing, bribing and finally battling for the last three. He was labeled a "rapid metabolizer" meaning his body burned off the medication before he could actually get enough into his system to produce any beneficial results. Because the medication was an elixir, having an alcohol base, increasing his dosage only sicken him to the point of vomiting. At that time, another drug was under scrutiny; it was still in the experimental stages with some impressive results. The doctor heading up the research asked if I would be willing to let Michael participate. The drug was Choledyl and unlike Quibron, it was a syrup and had no alcohol. Michael remained on Choledyl Syrup for the duration of the experimental stage and beyond. It would be another four years of medication and allergy shots before his body and lungs grew enough to accommodate the disease.

Later, scientists determined asthma to be a defect in the lungs and children didn't simply outgrow the disease as originally believed. While a change in environment can work in the short term, but allergens change and the lungs react to new substances. With body growth, the lungs expanded; allergy shots helped build tolerance to specific substances but with changing allergens, retesting was necessary every two to three years. Michael is now a grown man, very active, working out at the gym daily, aware of his asthma and able to keep it under control. Today, thousands of children use Choledyl Syrup to keep their asthma symptoms in check. And had it not been for the young doctor at Louisville Children's Hospital giving my son that first injection at four months old, Michael may not have made it to adulthood. I thank them all!

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