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Baby Reggie, 11 weeks old, taken to William Harvey Hospital after asthma misdiagnosis, says mum Bex Walton

A mum has told of the terrifying experience her baby falling ill after being recommended use of an adult inhaler.

Bex Walton, 21, of Ashford explained that 11-week-old Reggie had misdiagnosed with asthma at a doctor’s surgery.

But when the baby was home for a nap that day he ended up trembling and suffering abnormal breathing.

The William Harvey Hospital Ashford is currently the main focus for A&E care, along with the QEQM in Margate.
The William Harvey Hospital Ashford is currently the main focus for A&E care, along with the QEQM in Margate.

Ms Walton said: “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced and its scares me more if I hadn’t thought something was wrong and carried on using the inhaler it could have ended a lot worse.”

Ms Walton had put out a warning on Facebook to warn other mums.

In her posting she explained that on Thursday she had taken Reggie to a doctors’ surgery as he sounded chesty.

She says that she was told he had asthma and eczema and was prescribed an inhaler and cream and was told to use the inhaler when needed.

She said: “You believe was a doctor tells you. When we got home Reggie had a nap, when he woke up he was trembling all over and breathing weirdly.”

An ambulance was immediately called and Reggie was taken to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, which has its own children’s A&E department.

Bex Walton.
Bex Walton.

Ms Walton said; “When we got to hospital they looked at me in shock that he had been prescribed an adult inhaler, which increases the heart rate, for an 11-week-old baby.

“They said that he has not got asthma, he has bronchiolitis (a young children’s bronchial condition) and it will eventually go on its own.”

Reggie has since recovered and Ms Walton concluded in her posting: “Always trust your gut instinct when it comes to your babies,

"God forbid what could have happened if I didn’t. We will be reporting the doctor that did this.

Ms Walton’s aunt Karen Chamberlain, of Dover, also took to Facebook commenting: “Reggie could have died. Babies so young should never be given an inhaler.

“The William Harvey luckily now has a children’s A&E and he was seen immediately.”

A spokesman for NHS Ashford Clinical Commissioning Group said that it did not comment on individual cases because of patient confidentiality.

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