Is one child more sick than average or one less?

[Ozgirl75]

I have two children, aged 11 and 13. My second child, since birth, has had:
tonsillitis once
impetigo
two chest infections
peri orbital eye infection

all of these requiring antibiotics.

My 13 year old has had antibiotics once in his life, aged about 3, for an infected tick bite.

They’ve both had a similar amount of colds etc - 0-2 per year.

So would you say that the amount of antibiotics my younger one has had is unusually high? It just made me wonder as at the moment they’ve both got a cough and the older one got rid of it in 10 days while it’s turned into a chest infection in the younger one needing antibiotics again.

I don't think that is necessarily unusual, no. I know people whose dc is on antibiotics several times a year (that I think is unusually high).

Any chance the younger one is asthmatic? Have they ever been assessed for asthma?

I am asthmatic, but wasn't diagnosed until I was in my 20s. As a child, and actually even now, the main way it manifested was in chest infections that were difficult to shift. Day to day, I do not have 'asthma attacks' and actually can probably count on 2 hands how many I've ever had in my 40+ years. But I do get lots of chest infections and have had severe pneumonia leading to hospitalisation twice. When tested, my peak flow isn't great, but it rarely bothers me the way it does lots of people with asthma, which is why I went undiagnosed for so long.

Well interestingly it’s the older one who was diagnosed as asthmatic a few years ago after a rather horrible virus. But he’s only ever had to use the preventer inhaler a couple of times when he’s had a cold with a cough.

Maybe I should get the younger one checked too - asthma runs in our family quite strongly. He shifts the infections easily enough once he has antibiotics and he’s had the infections in random places like skin, eye, tonsils and chest. Eg when I get a cold it often turns into a sinus infection but I’ve never had any other infections in other places.

In contrast I have a 2 and 5 year old who have never had antibiotics in their lives! All kids are different, I don't think either of yours sound unusual. I'd probably not give it another thought.

I have two children (25 and 17).

The eldest was prescribed antibiotics a few times pre starting school but I personally felt they were unnecessary. They seemed to take the view that I had probably gone in there looking for ABs and it was the quickest way of getting rid of me. On at least one occasion, I took their other advice but didn't start the ABs and he was fine within 24 - 48 hours.

The eldest had ABs once for a skin rash that became infected when she was a toddler.

Neither have had them since.

I also know people whose children seemed to he on ABs several.times a year (according to fb) and would go to the Dr's demanding them for all manner of ailments (and then complain about it on fb when they were refused 😉).

I wouldn't think either of your children would fall outside of normal parameters, no.

My mum always says how I never needed antibiotics and I’m like “yeah do you remember those winters of having sinus pain for weeks? That clears up now…….with antibiotics….”
I know my youngest has definitely needed them, there’s no over prescribing, it just feels a lot compared to the other one who never seems to need them.

There can be huge variance between kids and them still be in the normal range.

But if you think one of them is ill a lot, it is ok chat to the GP in case there's something underneath - although almost always there won't be (except asthma is worth checking given the family history).

Both of your children sound in the range of normal, but it wouldn’t hurt to give them something like probiotic supplements or fermented foods (if you can persuade them). Can’t promise it’ll work miracles but it definitely won’t hurt. It doesn’t sound like they’re catastrophically ill though. Also if it helps, my younger sister had a rare but self-resolving autoimmune condition which saw her in the hospital about fortnightly with ear infections and such. She’s as healthy as a horse now - ironically I’m the one seeing my local hospital regularly nowadays after a severe bout of pneumonia aged one and lots of self-inflicted damage on top of that. You’re being a good mother but it doesn’t sound like you need to worry too much about your two. Make sure they’re eating well and finish their courses of antibiotics because they can damage gut microflora but millions of people have courses of antibiotics and it does them no harm whatsoever.