Preschooler Constantly Getting Sick

[Anonymous]

I am so frustrated right now. My 3 year old, who just started preschool this year, has already missed 8 or 9 days of school because of sickness (colds and croup). It angers me that students in the classroom come to school coughing because obviously their parents don't care enough to keep them home so that they aren't causing other children to get sick. We always keep our child home when he's sick.

Can anyone shed some light on this? I know that my son has to build up his immune system, so sickness is necessary. I just never thought that getting sick every month was normal. Can anyone offer advice, coping strategies, preventative measures, etc? I already give him Vitamin C supplements and constantly wash his hands.

[Anonymous]

It's the hidden preschool curriculum.

They tell you that the upcoming curriculum is stuff like "animal families, seasons, months of the year, holidays, and celebrations" but the real curriculum is "pink eye, runny nose, ear infection, and GI bug"

[Anonymous]

Did you r kid get the flu spot, that helps

[Anonymous]

I am a bit worried about this for my DS who will be starting pre-school in January, we are moving back to the US after over a year in 85 degree weather minimum. She was always home and rarely got sick, now its school being around kids, and a different climate. I am very nervous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you r kid get the flu spot, that helps

I've always been against flu shots, but I must consider it at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you r kid get the flu spot, that helps

I've always been against flu shots, but I must consider it at this point.

I'm extremely pro-flu shot, but it only protects you against the actual flu. Which is miserable, and worth protecting against, but only one of a litany of things that kids pass around preschool.

[Anonymous]

I'd reconsider that flu shot idea.....New Study: Vaccinated Children Have 2 to 5 Times More Diseases and Disorders Than Unvaccinated Children

http://healthfreedoms.org/2011/10/14/big-study-vaccinated-kids-2-5-more-diseases-than-unvaccinated/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd reconsider that flu shot idea.....New Study: Vaccinated Children Have 2 to 5 Times More Diseases and Disorders Than Unvaccinated Children

http://healthfreedoms.org/2011/10/14/big-study-vaccinated-kids-2-5-more-diseases-than-unvaccinated/

That is not real science, it's propaganda. It was an internet survey where they asked parents who were opposed to vaccination how often their kids got sick and comparing it to how often the general population gets sick, but that is comparing apples and oranges. It hasn't been published in any scientific journal or proved to be repeatable.

[Anonymous]

Is this his first year in a school type setting? Meaning, did you SAH or was he in daycare prior to this? When my son started daycare he was sick ALL THE TIME.

As for why parents send sick kids to school, I agree it is terribly frustrating. But unfortunately many employers are not sympathetic to a sick child and sometimes parents have to send a sick child because there are no other options. Not fair for anyone, really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so frustrated right now. My 3 year old, who just started preschool this year, has already missed 8 or 9 days of school because of sickness (colds and croup). It angers me that students in the classroom come to school coughing because obviously their parents don't care enough to keep them home so that they aren't causing other children to get sick. We always keep our child home when he's sick.

Can anyone shed some light on this? I know that my son has to build up his immune system, so sickness is necessary. I just never thought that getting sick every month was normal. Can anyone offer advice, coping strategies, preventative measures, etc? I already give him Vitamin C supplements and constantly wash his hands.

I think part of that is age (especially in group childcare), but I bet you can reduce some of the incidence.

RE the immune system, fwiw, my kids take:

Multivitamin
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Fish Oil
Probiotics

Probiotics have been proven, by mainstream medicine, to help:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/124/2/e172

"RESULTS: Relative to the placebo group, single and combination probiotics reduced fever incidence by 53.0% (P = .0085) and 72.7% (P = .0009), coughing incidence by 41.4% (P = .027) and 62.1% (P = .005), and rhinorrhea incidence by 28.2% (P = .68) and 58.8% (P = .03), respectively. Fever, coughing, and rhinorrhea duration was decreased significantly, relative to placebo, by 32% (single strain; P = .0023) and 48% (strain combination; P < .001). Antibiotic use incidence was reduced, relative to placebo, by 68.4% (single strain; P = .0002) and 84.2% (strain combination; P < .0001). Subjects receiving probiotic products had significant reductions in days absent from group child care, by 31.8% (single strain; P = .002) and 27.7% (strain combination; P < .001), compared with subjects receiving placebo treatment.
CONCLUSION: Daily dietary probiotic supplementation for 6 months was a safe effective way to reduce fever, rhinorrhea, and cough incidence and duration and antibiotic prescription incidence, as well as the number of missed school days attributable to illness, for children 3 to 5 years of age."
Apparently probiotics are helpful in colicky infants too:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/119/1/e124

http://www.naturalnews.com/030620_colic_probiotics.html

It also helps to cut back on white flour-based products and sugar, and to get plenty of fresh air and sunshine, because all of that will help with boosting the function of the immune system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this his first year in a school type setting? Meaning, did you SAH or was he in daycare prior to this? When my son started daycare he was sick ALL THE TIME.

As for why parents send sick kids to school, I agree it is terribly frustrating. But unfortunately many employers are not sympathetic to a sick child and sometimes parents have to send a sick child because there are no other options. Not fair for anyone, really.

Yes, this is his first year in a school type setting. And I agree with your comments. I'm just trying to get past the frustration, and your post has helped me to put things in perspective. Thanks

[Anonymous]

I think part of that is age (especially in group childcare), but I bet you can reduce some of the incidence.

RE the immune system, fwiw, my kids take:

Multivitamin
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Fish Oil
Probiotics

Probiotics have been proven, by mainstream medicine, to help:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/124/2/e172

"RESULTS: Relative to the placebo group, single and combination probiotics reduced fever incidence by 53.0% (P = .0085) and 72.7% (P = .0009), coughing incidence by 41.4% (P = .027) and 62.1% (P = .005), and rhinorrhea incidence by 28.2% (P = .68) and 58.8% (P = .03), respectively. Fever, coughing, and rhinorrhea duration was decreased significantly, relative to placebo, by 32% (single strain; P = .0023) and 48% (strain combination; P < .001). Antibiotic use incidence was reduced, relative to placebo, by 68.4% (single strain; P = .0002) and 84.2% (strain combination; P < .0001). Subjects receiving probiotic products had significant reductions in days absent from group child care, by 31.8% (single strain; P = .002) and 27.7% (strain combination; P < .001), compared with subjects receiving placebo treatment.
CONCLUSION: Daily dietary probiotic supplementation for 6 months was a safe effective way to reduce fever, rhinorrhea, and cough incidence and duration and antibiotic prescription incidence, as well as the number of missed school days attributable to illness, for children 3 to 5 years of age."
Apparently probiotics are helpful in colicky infants too:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/119/1/e124

http://www.naturalnews.com/030620_colic_probiotics.html

It also helps to cut back on white flour-based products and sugar, and to get plenty of fresh air and sunshine, because all of that will help with boosting the function of the immune system.


This is great info - thanks! Turns out he has an ear infection as well. We've started him on antbiotics immediately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this his first year in a school type setting? Meaning, did you SAH or was he in daycare prior to this? When my son started daycare he was sick ALL THE TIME.

As for why parents send sick kids to school, I agree it is terribly frustrating. But unfortunately many employers are not sympathetic to a sick child and sometimes parents have to send a sick child because there are no other options. Not fair for anyone, really.

Yes, this is his first year in a school type setting. And I agree with your comments. I'm just trying to get past the frustration, and your post has helped me to put things in perspective. Thanks

I know it is frustrating, but many of us have been through this when our first DC started to preschool. If you could see how the children cough and sneeze on one another, and how many have their fingers in their mouths and noses, you would be shocked that all of them are not sick constantly. All you can do is try to make sure they get plenty of rest, eat well, etc. and keep your child home if they seem to be coming down with something rather than risk them going to preschool and catching something worse while their immune system is already fighting.

[Anonymous]

it's upsetting to watch your child with preventable ailments...I remember my child missing roughly 4 weeks between september and december that first yr of preschool....

[Anonymous]

Can anyone recommend a probiotic for kids.