Help! My 16month old daughter is just constantly ill.

[Lucyeleven]

I have a 16 month old daughter who has been constantly ill since the end of October. We have probably seen the doctor 10 times, been through 5 rounds of amoxicillin, two chest infections, conjunctivitis, two ear infections and now a perforated ear drum and lots of discharge. She also vomits on a regular basis, for example 6 out of the last 9 days. I last saw a doctor a yesterday who said she will just get over it and to give her time. This all coincides with her starting nursery but she doesn't seem to building any immunity. I am now starting to think that this might be something more than just picking everything up at nursery. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? I'd love to hear from you. Thanks

Yes and mine is 4 now and we have had chest infection, bronchitis and ear infection since Christmas. We laugh through floods of tears about how we have two weeks then the next illness pops along.
Our dd now has steroid inhalers and ventolin which helps a lot. We also know exactly which day the illness turns into a more sinister chest infection, or pneumonia which she had this time last year.

I am afraid I can't say they get over it quickly, as mine hasn't, but I am sure one day she will! Also, look forward to may, that is when my dd starts to not get ill every two weeks. (Except last year when she broke her leg and was in a full leg cast for 9 weeks).

All I do is keep her at home when she starts getting a cold now, sounds silly but it always turns into a chest infection if we don't and often if we do. It is a nightmare with work but can sometimes help to stop it in its tracks.

Is the vomit down to the snot? That might make me a bit worried if there was nothing else that could be causing it? Although having said that my dd is lactose intolerant (as well!!!!) so mi be something like that? Have you tried the lacto free stuff to see if it makes any diff?

Hi op, my ds has been trough exactly the same thing.
I worry that someone will look at his medical records and think I'm a fruit loop it not looking after him properly.
It also coincided with him being at nursery.
I provide him with a good diet but considered vitamins at one point to try to boost his immunity.
Ds has just turned 2 and he's had chest infection x1, tonsilitis x2, numerous eye infections, constipation, d and v x 2 and had to have physio for late waking.
It's awful being so anxious but I know exactly how you feel.
It's hard to know what to do for best and I imagine you feel you just get over one thing and something else starts?
I try to think that his little body is still learning how to fight infections and hopefully his immunity will be much better soon.
All you can do is provide a good diet, lots of drink, keep him clean and warm and have good hygiene in place. I do all of this and it's still inevitable that he will catch things.
My ds is currently fighting off conjunctivitis and has a hacking cough, it's the time of year I think too.
Try not to worry, at one point I was gonna insist he underwent tests etc but I think it comes with the territory!

We had 3 months of illness hell when starting nursery. Dd then got the most amazing immunity.

Hang in there. It's hellish whilst it lasts. It probably worse due to winter. It may well improve as spring arrives.

My DC1 also had it all when she started nursery. Now she hardly catches anything, it's amazing! Half her class at school at the moment is out, pretty much, but she keeps going...

You do have my sympathy, am going through it a bit with DC2 (18mo) at the moment and it's doing my head in.

Dd is 2 and doesn't go to nursery but has got a germ magnet big brother.

Since sept time we've had 2 tummy bugs, croup x2, 2x chest infections and one ear infection and god only knows how many colds / fevers etc. she also vomits pretty regularly but always has due to reflux - since having noro a month ago she also has diorrhea every few days,

I'm taking her to GP tomorrow for a check because her temps been up today and her chest in rattly a bit but yep I honestly think its normal and absolutely and utterly depressing and exhausting!

She probably is building up immunity it's just she keeps catching new things iykwim?

I remember DD being like this at around age two. She was constantly on antibiotics. One time we went and seen another doctor who wasn't happy with the amount of time she was having reoccurring illness. She sent us up to Alder Hey and asked for further tests.

What they concluded was that her white blood cells that fight infection were low due to being battered with one thing after another so her defences were lower.

Thanks everyone, this is very reassuring! I was starting to think that it was more than just normal illnesses (albeit constant!!). I have reduced her dairy intake over the last two days (no cheese, or yogurt) and diluted her milk and she hasn't been sick since Monday which is definitely an improvement. I had heard that dairy can increase mucus production?! Her ear is my biggest concern, the nursery manager said it was the worst she had ever seen, or actually said she hadn't seen anything like it. It has been running for 3 weeks, one round of antibiotics but I have had it tested twice and found to be normal discharge so told to wait and see if it heals naturally. I have started putting vitamins in her milk too. Thanks

And so it continues - just back from out of hours with dd. it's so exhausting isn't it?!

My ds, 20 months, is the same, my 4 yr old dd brings it all home from school but it doesnt bother her half as much as ds. Yes it is exhausting but they do turn a corner at some point. If she doesn't go through it now at nursery, she will go through later at preschool or reception. My dd went through the same when she started preschool as she hadnt been to nursery but now she's in reception, she handles illnesses much better.