I'm worried that my 17 year old got lyme in utero. I didn't have any sever symptoms of lyme until the the year after my daughters birth but I remember getting bit the year before. I never connected a tick bite to the cause of my sickness. Finally diagnosed and tested positive in 2006. Had my daughter tested in early 2007 through ARUP Labs and she tested negative.
My daughter isn't as mature as others her age and was recently diagnosed with ADD. I have thought for a long time that lyme could be her issue instead of ADD.
When she was an infant/toddler she was a bit slow learning to talk but she eventually caught up. Things went well until 5th grade and her grades started to slip and she became a bit less social.
Now as a 17 year old she shows no interest in taking care of herself and homework is a constant challenge. We recently transitioned her to online high school to help keep her on track with her school work.
I took her to our family doctor and I demanded anothe lyme test. She was tested through Quest Labs and the results are:
Lyme Disease, IgG and IgM, Relex B. burgdorferi c6 Peptide Ab 0.92 H
ISR = Immune Status Ratio <= 0.90 ISR Negative 0.90 - 1.09 Equivocal >= 1.10 ISR Positive
Family doc claims the tests results are negative and just shows that she has been previously exposed. I don't agree with his thoughts on the results. Anyone else have a similar experience with their children?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Cricket,
Yes, it is entirely possible. However, if she has chronic lyme she could have also been exposed otherwise.
Yes, Lyme can cause ADD. Absolutely.
As for that test, you have reason for concern and that really is equivolcal (maybe yes, maybe no) . . . but most tests are just not adequate.
At this point, though, it's best if you steer away from your doctor.
Do get a copy of that test for your own use but it's best to fly low key with the regular medical establishment and strike out to find those doctors with the courage to see the truth about tick-borne and other stealth infections.
Topic: VESTIBULAR REBAB Therapy, Supposed to be so Brutal?
The VISUAL DYSFUNCTION posts here are very important, as there are some special prism glasses that may help.
====================================
The herb, GOTU KOLA, has been very helpful for concentration without agitation. Pretty sure that is listed here. Adrenal support is a huge key to being able to learn, too:
Your local lyme support groups should also be able to help guide you to doctors.
And, after just looking up at your profile, I see now that you are not new to lyme at all so you may already have all this detail other than the gestational lyme question.
Good luck with this. Take care. -
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
VERY MUCH SO.
Posted by aperture (Member # 34822) on :
My son got it congenitally. His symptoms were sensory problems, autism traits and frequent illness (ear infections, sore throats).
He was also a little bit behind his peers in terms of developmental milestones. Nothing was screaming "he's got chronic infection going on here!".
However, you have to trust your instincts as a mother. You know when something's not quite right.
I had my son checked by my LLMD and, thank God I did because he has Lyme and is in treatment.
My LLMD told me that Lyme causes bahavioral symptoms in children (similar to ADD, autism, etc).
Posted by canaanbites (Member # 32852) on :
All four of my children got it congenitally too. Two of them have ADD symptoms. They have other symptoms as well, but ADD/mood/sensory issues are significant.
CB
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Cricket, I listened to the world's foremost pediatric lyme specialist make a presentation on lyme at the recent lyme conference in Toronto.
Here are the notes I took. I hope they help you decide whether or not to explore lyme further in your daughter's case.
2011 ILADS Conference, Toronto, Canada
Pregnancy & Tick Borne Diseases: Gestational Lyme
Dr. J 10/28/11
Impulsivity is an earmark of children born with lyme. Lyme is a multi-system disorder. It can wax and wane and change. It likes collagen (valves), nerves, and joints; it is almost always tick borne
HIV, CMV, any infection in mother can be transmitted to the fetus.
If lyme is transmitted, you will see severe hypotonia (floppy baby), child will be irritable, tire easily, sensitive to light, noise, skin. The hypotonia will cause trouble sucking due to the lips being floppy. This can improve as time goes on. 30% of these children will have developmental delays.
Tissue PCR biopsy is more likely to be positive rather than a test of bodily fluids (blood, urine, spinal fluid, etc.). Test placenta and foreskin remnant.
Some of these children are classified as autism spectrum early on due to their failure to progress. These children do NOT experience regression as is often seen in autistic children. If antibiotics help them, it points to lyme as the true diagnosis.
He described 2 patients. One little boy ran around his office. He had never spoken. It was doubtful that he could understand what others said. But Dr. J. noticed that the boy made good eye contact with him, which autistic children will not do. He took his face in his hands and said to the boy, �I am going to unlock your brain.� The next time the child returned, he ran to Dr. J., put Dr. J�s hands on his face and said, �Thank you for unlocking my brain.�
The other boy had committed a long list of crimes, the most serious of which was attempted murder of his mother, and was about to be removed from his home due to his crimes. The boy announced that nobody was taking any blood from him. Dr. J. gave him a choice--either give blood or have a wrestling hold put on him. He put the hold on the child lightly and the child asked for him to stop. Then, he jumped into Dr. J�s lap and hugged him (while Dr. J. patted him down for contraband) and cried profusely for about 2 minutes. When asked why he was crying like this, the little criminal said, �Nobody has ever given me a choice before!� This boy was diagnosed with lyme thanks to the persistence of his mother.
Treating the pregnant mother: There is less than 1% transmission of the illness if the mother is treated with 2 antibiotics during the pregnancy; 25% rate of transmission if she is treated with just one antibiotic; and 50% rate of transmission if she is not given antibiotics at all.
It doesn�t matter what trimester the mother becomes infected. These are the statistics.
A baby born with babesiosis is in really bad shape. He told of one with heart and numerous other serious problems who was given numerous transfusions at birth, plus atovaquone and azithromycin and is now well. It took 1 week to see great improvement.
Some medications he suggests for the pregnant mother include 1,000 mg amoxicillin every 8 hours for months, also mentioned IM (intramuscular injections), ceftriaxone (? not sure of this--something that started with �ceft� but not ceftin), etc.
The mother can only breast feed the child if she is on antibiotics. Then, yes, it is fine to breastfeed.
He mentioned that a lab known as Advanced Laboratories can now culture for the lyme bacteria. Western Blots test only for exposure, so this is a much better test.
He said that a father can infect a mother. In in vitro fertilization, a father infected the embryo, but it was not part of a study, just anecdotal.
He quoted Dr. H., �If the mind doesn�t know, the eyes don�t see� to explain how lyme can be missed in these children so that they are misdiagnosed.
One month of amoxi should be given to the mother if she is bitten while breastfeeding.
To treat bartonella in children, give them zith and/or Bactrim, ciprofloxacin in an older child.
Antineuronal antibodies can be found in infected children. If they are found, treat the child with antibiotics. The child can have strep antibodies also. He uses various meds including IV Gamma globulin, if needed.