Update to Retaining the New Scout & Over-Protective Mom

[Gonzo1]

While I like both parents, they are my friends, I believe her overprotection is unwarranted.

 

I'm not a psychologist, but I know it's unhealthy for an 11 year old boy to sleep in the same bed as his parents - alot! The 11 month old brother does too.

 

As it happens, last week, Johnny went to mom and dad and said he was scarred, as he was sleeping, mom noticed he wasn't breathing and was "having a seizure", mom woke up dad, dad called 911, someone did CPR, they went by ambulance to hospital and were discharged by 6:00 am. If it were REALLY serious, he would have been admitted, possibly for a couple of days.

 

Since Johnny had recently been vaccinated, I, hospital ER docs and pediatrician) attribute the event as a reaction to a vaccine. BUT, it warrants further investigation. If it were my kid, I wouldn't stop until I know for sure.

 

All I know for sure is that they are nice people, and mom won't let Johnny out of her sight.

 

[packsaddle]

I can remember a few nights when, during really severe thunderstorms, both my children (and the dog and cats, for that matter) would all pile into our bed. It was almost like a family outing and we'd usually end up laughing ourselves to sleep. Or else, once the storm was over I'd run everyone back to their rooms with, let us say, a loud sound - not from my voice.

I sense that kind of interaction is not what's happening here though...but I'm not a psychologist either and if anyone tried to make even the sketchiest diagnosis from this it would probably have the same character as Bill Frist making his diagnosis from a video (that is to say, completely wrong).

But I do want to slightly modify my first impression...these parents are wacko! That said, Gonzo, if I were you, I'd just maintain my friendly interaction and continue to offer the kid whatever opportunities Mason's friendship affords. But I'd thank my lucky stars I wasn't trapped in a similar situation. Wow!

[Beavah]

Yah, and sometimes if you're a friend, or a respected scout or school "official", there's an opportunity that may come at some point where you encourage the mom to seek some "professional advice" and counseling on dealing with her fears/proper parenting.

 

Yeh gotta be gentle, be the right person, and wait for the moment. But sometimes it's helpful to lead somebody to a support network that recognizes how people who care do have fears for their kids, but that there are productive ways of dealin' with 'em.

 

B

 

[Gonzo1]

Pack, Beavah, you guys beat me to the punch, they're already in therapy, been there a while.

 

Like I say, they're nice, but nuts.

 

 

[evmori]

A while ago, my wife worked with a lady who wouldn't take her newborn across state lines. She thought it would traumatize the infant! She also sat for an hour each night in the "rain room" with her baby. The "rain room" was the bathroom with the shower running.

 

Takes all kinds!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[dScouter15]

Geez - parents sound a little psycho. As an EMT though, I'd like to shed some "professional" insight into the whole CPR/Seizure thing. Firstly, if someone has a full tonic-clonic seizure (aka a "grand mal" seizure) they WILL stop breathing. In fact, that's one of the ways to tell if someone is actually have a seizure, or is faking it looking for a drug fix. So yes, real seizure = no breathing. They will likely (almost definitely) still have a pulse during the time that they are actively seizing, at least. That's part of why its so important for someone to be immediately transported by ambulance to the ER if they suffer a seizure for the first time - to assess any damage done due to dyspnea, and also in case another seizure occurs. (As an aside, vaccines can cause seizures - as other have mentioned, it doesn't have terribly often, but it is a well known side effect. Also, seizures are relatively common side effects of many medications).

 

So, if we assume that the kid's not breathing, chest compressions would not have been ideal, unless he was also pulseless or gave other indications of inadequate circulation. Rescue breathing would have been more beneficial, and less traumatic for the body. Now, if CPR was preformed by EMTs in the ambulance, I'd really think that they assessed some basic vital signs (like, does this dude have a pulse? What's the 12-lead look like, etc)? Its also entirely possible for someone to be discharged from the hospital shortly after a seizure, but less so after CPR, do to the damage inflicted to the thorax. Unless, CPR was preformed by the parents ineffectively (as it would be if they kept the kid on his bed... if you feel the need to do CPR, NEVER do it when the patients on a bed. You'll compress the mattress, rather than the heart!)

 

Moral of my story is, lets trust that the EMS and hospital staff did their jobs well, and lets try not to second guess them based on second-hand information posted to a message board. To me, as an EMT, everything Gonzo posted sounds possible. Perhaps not likely, but in emergency medicine you often see very unlikely, but very real events play out all the time.

 

Not trying to get up on my soap box, but just trying to offer some more information on seizures and CPR to offer a rebuttal to those who would say that inappropriate treatment was rendered. Point is, its very dangerous to make that claim, unless you've actually witnessed the treatment being performed...