Why do my kids get ill so often?

[Lastyearsmodel]

DD1 (4.5) has a bad cough and was up with a mild temp in the night nothing unusual for this time of year, I think. She was in hospital twice last Nov for breathing probs and the second time it was pneumonia, but since starting school this Sept she's shrugged off colds really well and this is her first bout of illness this year - am hoping her immune system is stronger after a year of nursery.

DS (2.7) has had a temp a slight cough but was vomiting from 3am - 7am. He's keeping little sips of water down but brings back bigger gulps. I think it's the same bug/virus as DD1 but they deal with it differently - DD1 is always chesty, whereas DS tends to be sick to get the phlegm up. He's also had a couple of colds already this year too.

So, previous winters have been almost back-to-back colds and flu - is this normal for little ones quite close together in age? My Mum seems to think my kids are ill more than is normal and has just mentioned allergies to me - doesn't sound like allergies, does it?

They have a pretty good diet, were both bf past 1yo, take multivits if diet not so good for whatever reason (DD2 is 7wo so am pretty stretched). What can I do to build them up a bit?

Sorry, have rambled...

Hey congrats on dd2! I am in same boat with my 2. My dd in particular finds it harder to shrug things off whereas ds is better at this. Dd has had an ongoing cold for a few weeks, went to an ear infec last week, so antibiotics. She is quite chesty too and had bronchilitis 3 times last winter. I have no answers I'm afraid but had thought I might try giving them a spoonful of manuka honey each day as this has great antiviral and antibacterial properties. Will be watching for other replies.

I've heard there is a strong genetic component to immune systems, so that might explain the 'why?' partly.

Lots of good healthy nourishing food when they feel up to eating, maybe a multivitamin?

I can only suggest things which are pretty standard - washing hands before eating, as soon as get in from being out and about, getting proper rest, keeping warm when it's cold out, keeping away from poorly people.

Probiotics?

I have always been ill all of the time, I do have allergies, but just have a rubbish immune system I think and not much helps! Some people are just like it.

keep the heating off!

i have found we are rarely ill this way

Hhmmm....I always want to turn the heating up as I spend 6mths of the year freezing and swear it is a major cause of me getting ill - my body is surely working hard to keep me at an ok temp that it doesn't have energy left for the important stuff

well,have 5 dc here who are extremely rarely ill. maybe the bugs die off as there is little heat to incubate them??

i'm never ill either,and if one does catch a cold/tummy bug its usually a one day wonder and siblings never seem to catch it

I think it is quite normal for little children to be ill more or less all the time in the winter.

It is one of those things about parenthood that no-one really tells you and is an enormous shock to the system!

One memorable November I was at home with an ill child (and I only have two) for three weeks solid.

Thank for your replies - I feel reassured that I may not be the terrible mother I worry I am .

Genetics - yes, DP was always the poorly one pre-DCs, and has mild asthma. I never used to catch much, but always think now that he brings things home from work (he works in a university) and they batter away at my immune system until I succumb too.

Neither of the older DCs have been diagnosed with asthma, but things always go to DD1's chest. She has no other asthma symptoms, as I understand them, though - night cough, wheezing on exertion, etc. Her system is a lot stronger this year than last, though, so hopefully DS's system will be boosted after another year of playgroup coughs and then nursery. Thinking about it, at his age he's lost whatever protection he had from my system through bf but hasn't yet built up immunity by being bombarded with the usual bugs.

Central heating - good point. I am a notorious CH miser but get overriden by DP. But have always wondered how true it is that drafts and being cold can cause bad chests too? Clearly hot, dry air isn't good either...

Good food, Manuka, got it. Thanks .

I feel your pain - each year from October through to April my DC rarely manage a full week where both of them are at school, and it seems to be similar with one of my friends.

However my friend who lives in a draughty old house whose DH works on a paediatric ward (so exposed to lots of bugs) their DC are never ill and she puts it down to having a cold house

I used to work in A&E. Now that IS just about the worse environment for bugs ever. Funnily enough I rarely caught anything (one episode of D&V in 9 years - puked over a million times!) If I did catch colds etc it was usually from family! Immunity is a very funny thing. I'm not sure about the theory of exposing toddlers to multiple viruses in nurseries. Is the immune system of a two yo as robust as a 5 yo? My DD went to playgroup once a week as a toddler and school at 4 1/2 and had very few bugs. She had her first antibiotic at 19!