Is it just me or has this been an exceptionally awful year for colds?

[kenobi]

DD has had NINE colds, plus a cough that lasted for 3 months and is now recovering from norovirus. She's lost 3 kg in all. (Fortunately she was pretty chubby to start)

I picked up every single cold, including one which where I had a blocked and streaming nose at the same time, which ended with conjunctivitus as a nice finishing touch. I'm just waiting for swine flu before I shout 'bingo'.

So has this year been particularly bad or have I just been very unlucky? It's my 13 month old's first three months in nursery.

[Sirzy]

I think it's just the way with young children. They don't have as much natural immunity so pick up everything. Ds is 14 months and the last month is probably the longest he has stayed bug free!

[dikkertjedap]

I agree that it is particularly bad this year. Same here, also dh and myself are constantly ill (so much for children priming their immune system, clearly our immune systems need rather a lot of priming as well). Also, checked with my mom, she told me it wasn't like that when we were young at all.

[kenobi]

God Sirzy, aren't you fed up with it?! I am. I am thinking of getting an oxygen bubble and putting her into that for oooh, the next few years!

dikkertjedap - yes, exactly! my mum who never gets ill, picked up one of Marisa's colds which knocked her out so badly she was bedridden for a week.

[kapin]

To be honest, we had terrible autumn/winters with our two kids,until both of them were 2ish. Our youngest was 2 in August and so far (touch wood), this autumn and winter have been dramatically better than the last few. Like others have said, it's really their immunity at first that's the issue- particularly when they first start in nursery. At least now, mine actually get well in between viruses/bugs, and there have not been anywhere near as many of them. Last winter it was interminable! Good luck, it WILL get better, but it's tough when it's like this.

[Marne]

Yep, dd2 has had d&v bug before x-mas, chicken pox and is now coming down with flu, dd1 had chicken pox and is recovering from flu, i now have flu and my mum (who is never ill) has been signed of work for 2 weeks with flu. I can't remember it being as bad when i was a child, i think i have had far more bugs and colds sinse having the dd's.