Strep Throat in Babies
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Strep throat is an infection caused by group A streptococcus bacteria. While common in children and teens, it is very rare in children under 3, but it can still happen.
Yesterday I began researching strep in babies after the doctor confirmed that my 9 month old had contracted a strep infection. Both she and I were surprised when the rapid result throat culture came back positive.
Strep can be a serious illness if not treated or if the treatment is discontinued to early. It can lead to complications such as arthritis, heart problems, kidney disease, and scarlet fever.
Symptoms of strep in babies include rash, lethargy, fever, and hoarseness. Some babies will refuse to eat or drink from a bottle or breast. They also may have an upset stomach as well or have excess drooling.
If your baby has any of these symptoms, it’s best to get them checked out by a medical professional. If anyone in your family has strep, or you know that others in your community have the infection, it would be wise to ask for a strep culture to be done.
Allison says...
We took our son after he started throwing up several days in a row, despite the fact that he had been throwing up inconsistently. We chose to wait on visiting the ped because Tyler did not show any signs of dehydration or loss of appetite. But when he threw up several times for several days, after either coughing or burping we knew that something was wrong.
Although Tyler was tested negative for Strep, he did test positive for Tonsilitis-with very much the same sympotoms as Strep.
Even though it may not be strep, it could be something similiar to this virius and should be checked out.
Michelle says...
Thanks for sharing Allison. I hope that your son is feeling better soon!