Weight loss

My baby is four months old and had a pacemaker fitted one month ago,after surgery he developed a pericardial effusion and a pleural effusion which he had to have drained,since the oPerations my son hasn’t gained any weight and is loosing small amounts,he is also being sick after most feeds since the pacemaker was fitted,please can someone give me some advice thanks

5 Comments

Failure to thrive

by MissFitts - 2018-07-21 07:55:16

Robin is quite right to urge you to get immediate medical advice. Even without the complication of a pacemaker, failure to thrive is serious.

You need professional advice. Most of us on here are not medically qualified, and though excellent advice is usually offered, you need to  get real  life help for your son ASAP.

Weight loss

by Bridget89 - 2018-07-21 09:11:36

Hi thanks for replying,my son was 6740kg before operation now he is 6700kg,he has a community nurse visit him once a week,she came to see him yesterday and is waiting for my sons dietician to get back in touch regarding changing his milk to a high Calorie one,he is due for a pacing check and cardiology appointment next week,what do u guys fink?

Help

by Gotrhythm - 2018-07-21 13:49:32

As I read your post I found myself wondering if you son was gaining normally before the pacemaker and if he was tolerating his formula--no more than ordinary spitting up. I also wondered what drugs he might be on.

I'm glad you have the support of a visiting nurse and an appointment with the cardiologist soon. That should help you get to the bottom of the baby's problems. But don't be shy about consulting a pediatrician. People with pacemakers can still get every problem that people without pacemakers get.

Hi gotrhythm

by Bridget89 - 2018-07-21 14:36:31

Hi baby was gaining a good amount of weight gain before the operation,he does have reflux but that is under control,I have spoken to the cardiac specialist nurses and they have told me it’s unlikely for the pacemaker to cause him problems as it’s been one month since it was fitted,I dnt believe this,there is obviously something that’s causing my baby to be sick and lose wieght?my baby was diagnosed with congenital complete heart block before he was born,thanks 

Good news that he was gaining before

by Gotrhythm - 2018-07-21 15:12:21

I didn't mean to imply that I doubted your observations. You know your baby better than anyone else on earth does.

I don't begin to know enough about pacemakers in babies to even guess what a pacemaker could do to cause upchucking and failure to thrive, but things do go wrong. Sometimes with the pacemaker, sometimes with how it is placed. 

If you say he didn't have the problems before the pacemaker and he does now, I'm sure you are right. And you need to make sure the cardiologist understands that the baby was gaining appropriately before. The possibility that the pacemaker is in some way the cause certainly needs to be ruled out.

Your baby is lucky to have you to advocate for him. Let us know how you and he get along.

 

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