Is it just nursery or is it more serious ?

[HJWT]

My DD is 3, her first year of nursery she did get ill but wasn't to bad! This year however she is ill every week! She so far since beginning of Dec has has colds, coughs, ear infection, tonsillitis, conjunctivitis and now she has S&D!! She only goes twice a week (tue & thurs) and now is going Tuesday and she ends up ill that night or day after so misses Thursday 🤦🏻‍♀️

She also has started napping again and I'm not sure if she is starting to look more pale or whether she is just taking after me (I was always told I looked ill as a child from being so pale)

Surely her immune system can't be this crap? AIBU to go to the GP and ask for blood tests?

I wouldn't go to the GP and ask for blood tests but I'd definitely go to the GP and express your concerns and see if they suggest any kind of tests. A trip to the GP really can't hurt so I'd just go for it - make sure she's 48 hr clear of any S&D first

It might be worth going to put your mind at rest. I wouldn’t say the frequent illness is that unusual though. My DS is quite similar although this year (age 2) he has been a bit better compared to last winter. Or at least he fights the illness off more quickly (he’s frequently just as unwell just doesn’t hit him so hard.) The napping could be part of her getting over the illness.

No harm in discussing things with your GP but both of mine were constantly ill the first two winters of nursery.

Winter and Nursery for little ones isnt great really! When I was a NN there would be routinely at least 2 or 3 children off ,with others coughing feeling under the weather and so on .Maybe some childrens vitamins may help? Haliborange or some chewy ones ,taste nice and just may help a little to ward off germs .Also some tonics especially for LO can help to build her back up after illness .Hope she feels better soon !

My 3 year old also does just Tuesday and Thursday. Shes had 4 weeks off in 8! Unwell 1 week so off. Goes back in the next week and is off the week after. Repeat. Seems the same hi temp virus and cough. It’s her 1st winter in childcare so was expecting lots of bugs, her brother was the same. She managed the 1st 2 weeks after Xmas and is now off this week again. So 5th week off. Hoping it will get better with the warmer weather

Obviously there's no connection between one could and another but my experience of nursery with my DC was nothing like that and tbh it would worry me. I'd say go to your GP and ask for their opinion.

This mirrors our experience. Dd, 2, seems to be permanently sniffling and coughing since she started preschool.

I've spoken to other mums, nursery workers and childminders about it, and the general feeling is that there are a lot more bugs going around child settings such as nurseries and primary schools these days than there used to be. Some suspect it's the milder winters; others think it's that more children are in professional childcare settings at younger ages due to maternity leave policies changing; one or two have said they think it's a hygiene issue.

But it's definitely a recognised phenomenon these days.

I remember when my DS started the local school nursery when he was 3. His first year he was off for 16 weeks ill in total. Thank god I was on maternity leave with DD at the time as no work would have let us away with that.

Now DD is 3 she started the same nursery in September. Already we have had ear infections, flu and norovirus not counting the various colds and coughs. It is a nightmare having kids in nursery.

See the GP if it will make you feel better but nursery is just full of illness and it takes them some time to build themselves up to it.

I work in a nursery and there are some children who get more illnesses than others. unfortunately many parents don't adhere to the 48 hrs clear rules and give Calpol before sending in unwell children so they appear fine but go downhill 2-3 hours later. most children aren't great at nose wiping or washing their own hands. and whilst we guide them we can't ensure every time they sneeze or go to the toilet they are washing their hands properly.

also I believe our overuse of antibacterial sprays/gels and the reluctance to let children get dirty/play outside has some impact. my dds rarely get ill and in 4 years I've not had a day off yet!

We had a bad run before Christmas, for all of us. I think sometimes when you catch the next dose before you're over the previous one it's hard to get fully better and it's a bit of a vicious cycle. Get her checked out though to put your mind at ease.

Sending your kids to nursery is like dunking them headfirst in Petri dishes. No offence to nurseries - I sent all three of mine! But as @nocutsnobuttsnococonuts says, despite best encouragement to wash hands and toilet properly, it isn’t especially working out. And so many parents are returning children to nursery who are still sick (I assume because work is laying on the pressure) so the others fall like dominos.

Mine were sick for pretty much the whole winter when they first started nursery. The bonus was that once they got to school they had pretty much everything and haven't had a day off apart from for Chicken Pox. They're in Y4 now.

Once they get a bit run down with one cold they are then susceptible to all the rest of the bugs doing the rounds. Any chance of having a holiday from nursery for her to recover? By all means go to the GP if you are concerned. A bit of a break and some sunshine might be the cure though. Good luck.

Do you know any of the other mums, are there kids so often sick?
Id be inclined to wonder about the cleanliness of the nursery rather than the immunity of your child if sick literally ever week and shes already settled in.

When my ds started nursery at 15 months, he was forever ill! It was about 6 months of coughs, colds, snot and I think I blocked the worst of it out! He was ill, I was ill then we were both ill, it was a snotty merry go round and my bosses had the right hump for all my sick days. It was horrible but that said, at 6yo now, he's rarely ill now!

I had the exact same issue with my LO, who is now 19m, went to GP and he said that the problem is that although it’s often viral and nothing they can do, when it becomes constant their immune system takes a battering and isnt getting any respite so instead of building immunity it leaves them susceptible to bacterial infections and sometimes worth a dosage of antibiotics to aid their immune system in getting a break. As it turned out with my LO he had a dbl ear infection by time we went to GP so he needed antibiotics anyway. But after that he was back on track and well rested he’s actually been a lot better since! Fewer illnesses and would seem that he is now getting stronger and more resilient

Same here. DS started nursery in September last year at 2yrs old. He's sick every sodding week.

I'm totally at my wits end with it as I get every bloody bug off him too and end up missing work, uni work or other commitments, which is bloody daft because my immune system was always pretty damn good!

Have had flu, several bad colds, some really bloody nasty unknown virus where we both ended up in hospital, just got over noro, then got a nasty virus, then recently got another nasty virus, then conjunctivitis, then V&D and now again another nasty hardcore cold and now we have tonsilitis and sinus infections.

I'm seriously considering asking my GP to check my spleen function 😳

We went to softplays, babygroups, playgroups, playdates, all of it before on a similar schedule. So not sure why nursery is so much more of a hotbed for it - I wonder if it's like hospital where because of the cleaning solutions used it makes things 10x worse??

It’s because people have to still pay when their children are off sick so this is why so many parents dose up with calpol and send in regardless. It’s a bloody nightmare but I completely get why some parents do it!

Bugs do seem to have risen, I blame the excessive use of anti bac items as it stops kids coming into contact with mild bugs to build up immunity - well thats my personal theory with no basis in science at all!

It does tend to get less as they get used to the same kids.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers Yes my nephew actually goes 3-5 days a week! He always has a runny nose and maybe a cough now and again but thats about it, he did catch the ear infection before Christmas to though!!

She already takes a vitamin everyday and I give her a bath when we get home! Just so sick of her being sick 😂

I would say that it's quite normal when a DC starts nursery.

Sorry OP just checking, I thought your DC wasnt new to nursery? When did she start?

DS2 started napping again and didn't stop until yr2! All this social interaction's tiring!

@OnlyFoolsnMothers this is her second year she started a bit earlier than I wanted her to as she had a speech delay! Im a SAHM so wasn't going to send her till 3 but paediatrician recommended she went at 2, she will be 4 this Sept but wont go to actual school till next year...

I think if she had been the same last year I wouldn't be worried but last year is was just runny nose and coughs!

i think its a bit strange then to be ill every week, yes fair enough if just started but seems lot. Id prob keep a slight eye on the nursery cleanliness and see what happens when spring comes round.