Kaleb’s journey: Treating C-diff with fecal microbiota transplantation

Bath time and bubbles, snuggling with Mom and playing hockey with his big brother are just a few of Kaleb’s favorite things. But for the bright-eyed three-year-old from Massachusetts, things weren’t always so carefree. Kaleb’s health changes: Battling ear infections and diarrhea As an infant, Kaleb was a healthy baby boy. He was eating well and growing by leaps and bounds. At six months, his health began to change. Multiple ear infections followed by numerous antibiotic treatments became a painful part of Kaleb’s young life. As his first birthday approached, a second, unrelated condition emerged. Bouts of diarrhea were frequent. And as the days turned to weeks, the diarrhea intensified and his condition worsened. “He wasn’t eating and was having up to 14 loose stools per day,” recalls Kaleb’s mother, Christine, a licensed practical nurse at an area medical center. Stool cultures examined by Kaleb’s local pediatrician confirmed the toddler was battling more than ear infections. He was also battling Clostridium difficile, or C-diff, an infectious disease that causes debilitating diarrhea and is often prolonged with antibiotic use. “As a nurse myself I was familiar with this infection. And though I was saddened by the news, I knew it was treatable,” Christine says. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy. Managing C-diff and ear infections In an effort to stop the ear infections, Kaleb had bilateral ear tubes inserted and underwent a partial adenoidectomy at ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: All posts Diseases & conditions Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) fecal transplant gastroenterology George Russell Mark Volk Poop pill Source Type: news