Is this the usual course of toddler illness ?

[gagababy]

My DD (2 in January ) started nursery last week and got sick right away.

Everyone says it's just how it is.. And to expect more of it and basically, it's constant when they're at nursery and unavoidable.

She's a lockdown baby and has barely mixed with other children and people. She's not been sick that often. A few times, but it only lasted a few days. She's had a couple of stints in hospital when she was a small baby, for random high temperatures I couldn't manage at home.

Now she's been sick for a week and it just keeps getting worse. It started mildly but has ended up being croup and now an ear infection.

We've been in hospital and to the GP. She's on antibiotics now. Today she had a raging temp of 39-40 all day. Calpol and Neurofen barely touched the sides. The docs said it's fine, just keep her as cool as possible etc and that she'll be fine.

Is THIS what all her illnesses are going to be like from now on ?? Is this what I am in for ? Or is this one quite extreme ?

Unfortunately it sounds normal at this age, although mine was never hospitalised she had very very high fevers. She will be 3 in Jan and I can honestly say has not stopped being ill since the summer. Goes to nursery 3 days a week.

Normal but also on the extreme end. My DD (just turned 1) started nursery in august. She’s had a new cold every week, hand foot and mouth, and conjunctivitis. On top of all the teething. She’s probably spiked a mild temperature at least once every 10 days but she’s not been properly or scarily ill. I’ve caught all her bugs and also been unwell for 4 months.
I’m sorry you lo has had a particularly hard start.

What an absolute nightmare. How does one get any rest. It's exhausting when they're ill.

I know. I’m shattered. I talked to the nursery worker this morning and it’s just really bad this year. Apparently we should feel better in March once the winter starts fading.

Some children get peaks of fever (DD occasionally shot up to 40 or more with an ear infection) and the first winter at nursery is brutal for illnesses (DD must have been ill 1/3 the time - once with three separate back-to-back ear infections).

BUT if your child's fever isn't responding to Calpol/Neurofen then I'd always seek more medical advice. I wouldn't necessarily expect her temp to go down to normal, but I'd expect it to go under 38'

One GP told me that she 'judges the child in front of her' not necessarily her symptoms... So if DD is hot but has energy, is drinking, and peeing... I'm less concerned.

Either way, if you're worried, and analgesics aren't bringing her temp down to a reasonable level....I'd get a second opinion.

If it's any reassurance , DD is now 5 and has the constitution of an ox...

Literally been relentless since September.... Sickness bugs, colds, mingingness... It's even better when they're shared with the younger brother just for added effect.

Fairly normal, unfortunately! DC between them had tonsillitis pretty much monthly when they started nursery. Hand foot and mouth, constant colds, conjunctivitis, coughs. It was relentless! And tiring. But if does give their immune system a good work out.

@SmallProvincial

Some children get peaks of fever (DD occasionally shot up to 40 or more with an ear infection) and the first winter at nursery is brutal for illnesses (DD must have been ill 1/3 the time - once with three separate back-to-back ear infections).

BUT if your child's fever isn't responding to Calpol/Neurofen then I'd always seek more medical advice. I wouldn't necessarily expect her temp to go down to normal, but I'd expect it to go under 38'

One GP told me that she 'judges the child in front of her' not necessarily her symptoms... So if DD is hot but has energy, is drinking, and peeing... I'm less concerned.

Either way, if you're worried, and analgesics aren't bringing her temp down to a reasonable level....I'd get a second opinion.

If it's any reassurance , DD is now 5 and has the constitution of an ox...

Thank you. Ear infections are brutal.

I've been very worried today. Sometimes the temperature seemed to go down a bit. Other times, not as much as I had hoped.

She slept a lot and during that time, it was high. Then she woke up and I dosed her up again, she ate and ran around. It's been an up and down day.

If it really doesn't come down at all, I'll definitely seek advice.

We had six months of this after starting nursery. Prone to chest infections here too so multiple gp trips and out of hours appointments

Wishing you luck op

I'm really in awe of you all for handling it. I'm literally breaking and just want to cry.

No, that’s not what all illnesses will be like hopefully! Most won’t involve hospital, antibiotics or even the GP. Hopefully she wont be as unwell as this all the time.

My DD is 2.5 and has been in nursery since they reopened in June last year and gets very frequent colds, but we’ve only had one bout of vomiting in the entire time she’s been there, and luckily have avoided chicken pox, hand foot and mouth, or anything like that.
Her colds do drag on though, horrible blocked nose that barely seems to go away before the next one appears! And she gets a bad cough at the end of all of them which also lingers.

My DTs started full time nursery in September. DS has been pretty much ill/under the weather every other week and has been hospitalised, DD has barely had anything. DS gets better by giving whatever bug it is to me, so I’m ill every other week too. I currently live in fear of both of them getting sick at the same time - it’s so much easier to have one poorly at home than double poorly!

On average children get 8-10 infections per year. So if you consider each to last one to two weeks you're looking at about 4 to 5 months of the year unwell. If you then think about the fact that most will be over Christmas, new year, chicken pox type bugs often march-may, then summer you often have a bit of an easier 6 months but in general yeah it's a nightmare, sorry.

Have a search and you'll see if done a thread about this today! My daughter is 4 currently suffering with a virus (not covid) which includes an ear ache etc too. A week ago she had a urine infection. Before that diarrhoea. It's never ending its starting to get me down.

*I've not if

Unfortunately, it’s normal. They do become more resilient with age.

If it is any consolation, my DS was constantly
ill When he started nursery, and as I got
More run down I caught almost everything too. BUT it was all for a good cause, and since starting school he has barely been ill at all

My pfbs were actually my 3rd/4th kids and I still hear you

I feel your pain. DT2 has a sickness bug. She last had a sickness bug at the start of Nov and had 2 week cold in between. Seems like they are ill allll the time at the moment!

Totally normal. It's what I call - one week in, one week off.........the first year our little one went to nursery, we barely used it to the point that they started offering us free additional days. Plus, one of us usually picks up whatever it is. It is brutal and very scary at times. I spent ten hours in a&e this week with my one trying to figure out whether the latest bout was a concussion from a fall two days ago or a brand new virus. The docs decided it was a virus. Still had to be at home for the week. It's also hard just before Christmas, we cant plan anything as the chances are they'll be ill with something or other. Brutal. Lots of crying and lots of wine ( less of the wine, cant afford the hangover ;-) )

With DD1 it was like this for the first autumn/winter time as she had just started nursery. The summer and following winter we’re far easier.

DD2 is 19 months now, despite being a ‘lockdown baby’ she’s much easier, having caught bugs off DD1 when she returned to nursery last September.

I think it’s worst with the first as they don’t really catch many bugs before they start nursery but younger siblings catch things much earlier. DS is 5 weeks and already had his first cold, it’s impossible to stop him catching anything his sisters have. I think he’s going to end up with a brilliant immune system by the time he starts nursery.

Obviously watching out for spiking temps is so important, which you are on top off so that's good but it does feel like it's never ending sometimes.

Echoing PP's, I feel your pain! Youngest is 2.5 and I feel like she's had a constant snotty nose since she was 3 months old.

Just when you get over one thing, something else starts... and don't even get me started on worms

Unfortunately it's completely normal, we're going through it with DD (2) just now too after starting nursery a few weeks ago. We've just last week got over a nasty chest infection and she's just started with another cold and cough today. I'm from a nursery background so I kind of knew what to expect but I definitely think being stuck in lockdowns for the majority of their lives has made all these illnesses a lot worse than usual.

And the tummy bugs.. at least one per month those first 6 months at nursery. Agree with PP where it's like one week on one week off! Shattering! But it does improve!

I think it depends on the child really. DD has been in nursery for 15 months and she's only had one episode of sickness whilst there, when she caught a vomiting bug which the whole class went down with after a child projectile vomited in the room. She didn't have a fever with it and actually hasn't had a fever since she was a year old (she's 3.5 now). Never felt the need to go to hospital or GP for anything, no eye or ear infections. Maybe it runs in the family as I never get ill either (my last cold was seven years ago).
But she had tons of social interaction before she started nursery at 2, as we went to one or two toddler groups every day, so had lots of sniffles back in pre-Covid days, and back then there was lots more babies turning up with coughs and swapping dribbly toys.