Is dd going to be sick all of the time from daycare? - Page 2

[justKate]

DD (11 mos.) is ALWAYS sick. She's been in daycare since 4 mos. old and is only "well" when we've moved or had a break. Huz gets everything she brings home; I only got the GI bug. Who knows?

The "plan" for next baby (to the extent you can plan life!) is to be able to be home for much longer with him/her. It's hard to see your baby so miserable with congestion/sinus issues/cough/fever/stomach aches/whatever.

ETA: just realized this was in the Toddlers section and DD is young yet--but I still think the answer is "probably."

[hergrace]

Originally Posted by chipper26

What is your experience with daycare? Do kids get sick A LOT more b/c of it.

We do go places to be exposed to other kids, etc, but I do takes some precautions like wipes or washing her hands after the playground or a busy place with lots of kids.

Is my dd's immune system less strong b/c she hasn't been exposed to as much as other kids? She's only had about 2-3 colds/sickness bouts her whole life. I was thinking it's b/c we've been breastfeeding all of this time and that's helped a lot. Plus, I've been a fanatic about healthy food and getting her enough sleep. I've also attributed it to luck.

Anyway, have your toddlers been sick a lot? Do you attribute it to luck, bad luck, lifestyle, staying home or daycare, etc.? I'm just wondering what's in store for dd.

The simple answer is that your daughter's immune system will not build up the ability to fight these common viruses until she is exposed to them. At whatever age she is exposed to them, they will hit her harder than when she next encounters them. How hard depends on genetics and her basic health. BFing, sleep, and healthy foods all help with the strength of her immune system. Since you have been quite protective of her, she will probably get sick more often than some other kids, at least when she starts.

We do a part time preschool and not full time daycare, but we have hardly been sick at all this year. Last year, the kids were not in any formal programs but we went to play centres and big play groups all winter long. I am not a hygiene fanatic at all. I would rather my kids get most of the common seasonal viruses and build their immune systems young so that they don't miss out on fun activities when they are older. Between DS1 being at two different schools and the little ones being out and about, we brought a lot of viruses into the house and there was a cold or flu symptom in one of the kids most of the winter, but only a few times that I really felt somebody was "sick".

To me, keeping kids home if they have a cold is ridiculous. I don't stay home unless I am really sick and I won't treat my kids any differently. Unless the snot is green or there is diarrhea, vomiting, a fever, or an infection that the doctor has said shouldn't be taken to school, I keep the kids out in the community and I expect other people to do the same.

[tylerdylan]

When DS1 was in daycare from 12-27 months age he was rarely healthy. Cold after cold. Stomach flu after stomach flu and too many ear, throat and chest infections to count. It got to the point where our pediatrician was begging us to get him out of daycare (he was also failure to thrive so being healthy was really important). I had DS2 and took DS1 out of daycare to be home with me and he has been great ever since. We do go to storytime and gymtime and the park, but I think parents are more likely to keep sick children at home when they aren't well for an outing, but daycare is often necessary so they send their kids no matter how sick they are. Plus under 2 year olds drool and put everything in their mouths so no amount of hand sanitizing is going to help, so it is just a bad age group in general!

[kcstar]

Originally Posted by hergrace

The simple answer is that your daughter's immune system will not build up the ability to fight these common viruses until she is exposed to them. At whatever age she is exposed to them, they will hit her harder than when she next encounters them. How hard depends on genetics and her basic health. BFing, sleep, and healthy foods all help with the strength of her immune system. Since you have been quite protective of her, she will probably get sick more often than some other kids, at least when she starts.

We do a part time preschool and not full time daycare, but we have hardly been sick at all this year. Last year, the kids were not in any formal programs but we went to play centres and big play groups all winter long. I am not a hygiene fanatic at all. I would rather my kids get most of the common seasonal viruses and build their immune systems young so that they don't miss out on fun activities when they are older. Between DS1 being at two different schools and the little ones being out and about, we brought a lot of viruses into the house and there was a cold or flu symptom in one of the kids most of the winter, but only a few times that I really felt somebody was "sick".

To me, keeping kids home if they have a cold is ridiculous. I don't stay home unless I am really sick and I won't treat my kids any differently. Unless the snot is green or there is diarrhea, vomiting, a fever, or an infection that the doctor has said shouldn't be taken to school, I keep the kids out in the community and I expect other people to do the same.

This. The studies I've read say that children who don't go to daycare / preschool usually get the infections spread out over elementary school.

When we were working out regularly and DS was at the YMCA childcare most days, he picked up a lot of things. Even though we BF, eat in, etc. I'm hoping to start him in something this year, and I expect that he'll start catching things again.

Similarly, when DH and I were at the dojang helping out (and exposed to children) regularly, we started catching more colds and such ourselves.

[Dreamy]

DS was never sick until he started daycare at 11 months. He's been there 10 months now, and has had four ear infections coinciding with colds, laryngitis for which he was hospitalized, and strep throat just three weeks ago. He's started another virus today. He's still nursing and there are only seven kids total in the daycare, if that's of interest to you

[NaturallyPeachey]

Okay, I know this sounds horrible but I feel so much better reading about other kids and back to back illnesses! DS is sick AGAIN with some 'virus of the week' after just getting over a mild GI issue and being sick at Xmas. Some days I feel like we're the only family that has been sick all winter long but it's our first winter in DC and most of the families we know are full time SAHM's who only do playgroups and outings so.............

[nia82]

My nephew started daycare in September (he was 14 months then) and has been sick 80% of the time ever since. Nothing serious, but plenty of colds, stomach bugs and one case of pink eye. Many rounds of antibiotics. My sister still breastfeeds him... He was sick once before daycare (cold). His development is sort of halted ever since daycare, not the cognitive (he can talk) but the motor skills haven't advanced since September (he still cannot walk). It's not terrible, but being sick so often, he hasn't gained weight and seems to feeble to walk at this point. He'll learn it eventually of course.
I do think though that it depends on the individual child and circumstances. Nephew is vaccinated according to CDC plus extra EU vaccines (meningococcal shot, one MMR at 12 months and another MMR at 13 months, Prevnar 13 trial child). He always did get really sick from shots and I do think it contributed to his overall health.

DS will stay at home til he is 3, then he will start part-time preschool. He does get exposed to other children, mainly at meetings, malls and supermarkets (play areas). We wash his hands and I give him vitamin D, higher doses when he sniffles a little (which happened twice so far). He has the habit of licking everything, but I don't always wipe shopping carts down, I just forget, he still does fine though.

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by chipper26

Anyway, have your toddlers been sick a lot? Do you attribute it to luck, bad luck, lifestyle, staying home or daycare, etc.? I'm just wondering what's in store for dd.

My son gets sick a lot more often than most kids his age, he was in daycare til about 12 mos old, but even after I quit work, he got sick just as frequently (which I understand is atypical). Go to the grocery store--he'd get sick, Target, ditto.

For him, nutrients are key--how are you for vitamin D? *I* was low, hence he was low, lots of other nutrients for us too (which you'd have probably noticed by now), but that's an easy one to be low on (even me, a white person living in Texas). That could be worth testing for and correcting (50-80, not just "in the reference range" beforehand) and can help--read some of the studies at the Vitamin D council website.

Also, a huge help for us--start putting together a toolbox of ideas for how to treat illness. IME, there is a TON that can be done to minimize the effects of illness--quicker recovery, fewer complications. I think sometimes parents with healthy kids feel unprepared and even scared when their kids get sick--maybe I was lucky that he got sick so often as an infant and young toddler, but I've developed good routine that reduces symptoms and illnesses don't last that long. Lurk in Health & Healing, I got a lot of good ideas there, book recs too.

[Skippy918]

My son started daycare at 4 months old last January. He was sick nearly every other week, between various colds, RSV, ear infections, etc. He didn't catch most of the stomach bugs that went around. DH and I also got sick a lot after DS started daycare. The illnesses eased up in the summer and then started back up in Sept. Now he goes a lot longer between colds and knock on wood, not too many fevers either. He was breastfed for over a year.