Peter Andre’s baby son spent last Christmas in hospital.
The 44-year-old singer and his wife Emily had a ”very scary time” last December when little Theo, who recently turned one, contracted bronchiolitis – a respiratory tract infection which causes the lungs to be inflamed – and was left struggling to breathe.
Emily said: ”He was struggling a bit with his breathing so needed oxygen in hospital.
”It was tough for me to speak about at the time but now he’s a chubby cherub and is right as rain, I feel fine to talk about it.”
Peter – who also has three-year-old Amelia with Emily and Junior, 12, and 10-year-old Princess with ex-wife Katie Price – added: ”It was a very scary time. We worried like crazy. Emily’s mum is a paediatrician so Theo was in great hands but it was a horrible time.”
Little Theo’s weight dropped from 6lb 10oz to 5lb 7oz in just three days as he battled the illness and his parents found it ”very emotional” seeing him in hospital.
Emily, who is a doctor, told Britain’s OK! magazine: ”The first night in hospital was so tough.
”Theo’s oxygen levels were so low he went into a little oxygen chamber to try and bring it up.
”I was very emotional and it’s very different experiencing something like that as a parent compared to being at work.
”He also struggled with his feeding because every time he would feed, his oxygen levels would drop, so they had to put a tube down to feed him.
”It didn’t work so they took it out in the end and I breastfed him through it.”
Thankfully, Theo made a ”full recovery” but it took some time before he was fully settled.
Emily said: ”He recovered on his own. It’s a viral illness so they can’t give antibiotics for it.
”He had supportive therapy, like oxygen, and made a full recovery.
”In the following few months, he was quite unsettled and I still don’t really know why.”
