Medicines are supposed to help battle illnesses, not make them worse. And yet this is exactly what Danielle Hart experienced when he gave his 15-month-old son Finley a liquid form of Ibuprofen to ease his cough.
It started when his mom noticed that baby Finley had difficulty swallowing. She also noticed that his breath was shallow, and his temperature had skyrocketed. On his skin, angry rashes began appearing, which soon blistered and turned black; that was when Danielle decided to get help.
No ordinary allergy
What the doctors concluded, four days later, was that Finley had Stevens-Johnson Syndrome—a rare but life-threatening skin condition that is usually a reaction to medication or an infection.
“We were shocked when we realized how serious his condition had become from taking such a normal product that many parents give to their children,” Danielle said of the ordeal. “I was horrified when Finley’s skin started to blister, his lips were black and a red rash was covering his entire body.
The allergic reaction was so severe that Finley’s organs began failing even as he was being treated at the hospital, and his skin had burned from the inside out.
“Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare, serious disorder of your skin and mucous membranes,” sources say. “Often, Stevens-Johnson syndrome begins with flu-like symptoms, followed by a painful red or purplish rash that spreads and blisters.
Recovery from the illness could take weeks, and more often months. If it is caused by a certain medication, you must permanently avoid it and certain drugs related to it.
All is well: mom Danielle and baby Finley are now doing okay; Photo courtesy: Caters
Thankfully, in the case of baby Finley, Daniel’s swift action saved her baby’s life
Stevens-Johnson?
If you begin to see these symptoms, then perhaps it’s time to take baby to see the doctors:
- Unexplained widespread skin pain
- Facial swelling Blisters on the skin and mucous membranes
- Hives
- Tongue swelling
- A red or purplish skin rash that spreads
- Shedding of skin
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!
