To think 4 year olds immune system is not ready for school

[cookieswirls]

Since my dd started school she has picked up every vomiting bug, cold or illness going round and I think it's because her immune system is not mature enough she has a daily multi vitamin and eats a very balanced healthy diet so not sure what else I can do. She loves school and is learning loads but I can't help but think 5 would be a better age to start. I'm sick of a new illness coming into the house.

Did she go to nursery? Whenever they start a new childcare envrionment, they will pick up bugs. Doesnt matter whether they are age 2,3,4,5 etc. They have to start school sometime.

If she started at 5 she would still get every bug going.

It would be the same at any age.

Teachers often succumb to everything going when starting a new job, same for students starting uni, toddlers at nursery, people on gap years, care home workers..

It's the way the immune system works.

Same happened when she went to nursery. I think the extra year would make a difference

She's being exposed to a range of germs in a big way for the first time, it would happen at 5 as well! She needs the exposure to build the immune system.

Perfectly natural. Schools are full of other people's bugs to which no one initially has immunity, but take heart, her immune system will develop better resistance. And incidentally, the same thing happens to adults on exposure to the germ factory that is a primary school, especially in a reception class where the little germ carriers are generous with their grubby fingers and drippy noses! Most new teachers find themselves laid low by new bugs in their first couple of terms.

It would be the same at whatever age she started school - as PP said, it's being exposed to new bugs, it will also probably happen when she starts secondary school.

Ds1 got a load of new coughs, colds and bugs when he started at secondary in September. I think it's Just One Of Those Things.

I'm sure it's actually good for their immune systems to be exposed to lots of new germs.

So you want to take her out of school now, when she's already started learning and making friends, and re-apply next year? Have you checked with the school about that?

The same as all the university students getting sick the first month. All bringing their localised bugs and sharing lovingly during freshers.

you would worry if a baby didn't get a runny nose, a toddler starting nursery/child starting school did not get sick. Getting sick is their immune system working like it should.

Parents get sick too when their kids start nursery etc

Wait 'til she gets nits.......

DS is summer born and started in reception in September. Touch wood, fingers crossed he's been fine so far. I think it's because he has been in childcare 1-3 days since age 1 and was at school nursery with mostly the same children.
The first winter in childcare was horrendous - we were all ill constantly!
You have my sympathies but I think it's more to do with a new setting than age.

I think it would happen whatever age they start school...I think there are issues about children starting school at 4 but the bugs isn't one.

It's not just schools. Young people starting university are a veritable breeding ground for disease too. It happens any time you come into contact with loads of new people and their new viruses.

There are many sensible arguments for a later school start but this isn't one of them.

Have you heard of freshers flu? It's the same thing, you go to a new environment, you pick up bacteria you're not used to. Basically, age is irrelevant.

As PP's have said - it has nothing to do with age! The immune system doesn't get stronger with age, it gets stronger the more bugs it has to deal with.
Students entering uni are the same. Teachers starting new schools. Healthcare workers entering a new hospital or other setting. Anywhere there's an unfamiliar set of germs - the new person will catch them all!
I do agree 4 is too young to start formalised education, but not for physical health reasons!

They NEED exposure and to catch things to build up their immune system. Don't you know how they work? its little to do with healthy eating and vitamin pills.

It wouldn't make a difference. Their immune systems will respond to germs they haven't been exposed to before, however old they are.

Also they do start school at 5 - aren't you sending her at 4 for your convenience?

This is the small print of parenthood. You'll get it all as well. Sorry.

I wouldn't bother with the vitamin pills if she is eating a healthy balanced diet.

I lived overseas for a couple of years. When I got back, I had colds back to back for 2-3 months, presumably because I hadn't encountered the latest bugs. I was a reasonably healthy adult in my 20's, so I don't think it's age that does it.

Ds started school in September and is also still 4. Luckily the worst he has picked up so far is a runny nose and bit of a cough. Nothing bad enough to stay at home for. He did go to nursery for 2 years and did catch everything from there, I think he was ill for the first year and had sickness, coughs, chest infection, even scarlet fever. It is worrying when your child always seems to be ill but it just makes their immune system grow stronger.

So no I don't thing 4 is too young to go to school due to their immune system.

Mine were in nursery from 6 months and caught loads of bugs there, but even they had an increase in sniffles when they started primary. In secondary not so much - same town, same kids so not many new bugs. It's a normal phase in the development of the immune system and keeping them home only postpones the inevitable.