Why is my DD's immune system so bad? Will it improve?

[PFB1]

DD is 5 and started school in September. She's now got her 2nd stomach bug since starting school. She's also been struggling with a horrible cold for the last couple of weeks and she's had 2 bouts of viral asthma in the last month. She's had countless sickness bugs in the past and has had croup about 20 times. It feels as though she never gets a break!

DD2, on the other hand, is 2 and has never had a full blown sickness bug. She has only ever been sick twice and both times she hasn't felt ill before being sick or after. She never gets the cold and is generally just well the vast majority of the time.

I just feel so sorry for DD1 as she's now missing her best friends birthday party on Saturday and our visit to Santa this weekend. She also recently missed pyjama day for children in need at school and also her school photos.

Has anyone else had a child with an immune system like this? Has it improved with age? Thanks.

Anyone?

Sorry to hear this, I think sometimes they get really tired and run down so pick everything up. Does she have vitamin tablets?

Your DD is at an age where they can pick up loads of bugs. It depends on her immune system as to how well she fights these off and if she's able to fight them off if she picks them up again.

Are you concerned that she may have an underlying autoimmune disease?

I think when they start school they do pick up lots , some more than others , but it does improve . Ds went to day nursery before he started school and he got lots between the ages of 0 and 4 and then not much since !! He just carries on . Dd also gets on with it when she can , but went to nursery less as a young child and got everything - especially stomach bugs for a few years - this has got better now . Fingers crossed things will improve but see your go if you are worried .

Oh and dd has missed 2 of her own birthday parties because of stomach bugs - both had to be rearranged ( including re buying west end theatre tickets - ) so I know how upset and dissapppinted your dd must feel

It's wrotten and rubbish but it's normal that a new school starter is catching a few bugs. She's being exposed to a wider variety of people. Her immune system will build up.

When kids go back to school in sept each year they're likely to pick up at least a cold.

I do have an autoimmune disease. I was diagnosed with it at age 9. At the time I was diagnosed I had German measles - the third time I had had it since reception (first time was worse, got better with each one).

When my DC started school I had 3 different stomach bugs in 6 months.

I certainly get less bugs now I'm older though I can get floored occasionally. I also had to have a second course of hep b vaccine as I didn't make enough antibodies with the first course.

It does sound unusual what you describe. The best person to speak to would be your doctor.

What I tried to say in my last post is look for anything unusual.

my little boy started in September aswell he has had a ear infection , lots of colds , fluid in his ear and a pretty much constant cough that the doctor wants us to try a inhaler for. I give him vitamins but his iron stores are a bit low so he's having a liquid iron medicine. He eats a good diet and is happy but I think it's so tiring for them plus they cough , sneeze on each other , dint waah hands that well ect so everything jist spreads. im really hoping he avoids the tummy bug. I would take her to the doctors to be checked out just to rule anything out and I have also found we have to have at least one weekend day at home resting and we do nothing after school to allow him to rest.

Sometimes it's not your immune system but other parents sending their sick kids to school. Tummy bugs are the worst because children can seem much better but still be excreting the virus so infecting the other kids. That's why the 48 hour rule is so important.

Kids lick and suck pencils, they don't always wash their hands properly after the loo and the loos themselves can be quite mucky.

I'd get some kids vitamins and teach her not to put anything in her mouth at school and tomalways wash her hands with soap at school and see if it improves.

Horrid for her

Honestly, the only thing she's not had yet is chicken pox and I'm actually considering paying to vaccinate her because I'm be worried it might knock her for six!

I give her vitamins daily. She's also always been a very clean child which could be part of the issue. She hated getting muddy or messy in any way when she was younger, she's getting passes that now. My younger daughter was the complete opposite, I even caught her eating mud out the plant pot on numerous occasions 🤢 and her immune system has so far been amazing. Doesn't seem to catch anything off her older sister.

I really hope this is something she grows out of 🙏🏼

I honestly think there's a large amount of luck in this. I have 2 DSs both of whom were at nursery 3 days from 9 months. DS1 is now in year one. Neither of them has ever had a stomach bug of any kind, or any infectious illness other than colds (and a mild case of croup once). DS1's class has been dropping like flies with a stomach bug the last few weeks. He's been fine.

I can't claim any credit- I don't feed them vitamins and they are as unhygienic as the average small child. They just both seem to both have very robust immune systems. DH and I are similar though- never ill except colds (and DH is a medical practitioner so gets lots of exposure). So I do wonder if there's a genetic component? I suspect one day our luck will run out and they'll be permanently ill for a year!