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Immune system and starting school

5 replies

Mumof21989 · 08/08/2019 15:23

Hi all. We had the worst winter this year. My dd is 4 and has been at nursery for 1.5 years. She racked up 17 viruses in ten months, mostly colds and temps. A couple of horrible stomach bugs too. Her brother caught 2 out of every 3 of her viruses and then he ended up in hospital for 4 days. She had that much time off nursery i dropped her down to just one day a week. A week by the coast and the start of spring seemed to kick all the bugs away. Weve had just 3 colds in 4 months. Its a miracle. At one point we never could go out or make plans. Our lives revolved around illness. We go out again now and its great!!! I will also add me and her dad ended up with a couple of lingering horrible viruses too which is not like us.

Anyhow in 4 weeks my daughter goes to school. Im dreading the mingling causing another horrible winter. I dont want her attendance to be really low. I really want her to be healthy bar the odd sniffle. Ive started her on some probiotic chocolate balls and some gummy vitamins. She has always played in the garden/fields etc. She gets mucky. Baths every 2 days. She goes swimming. She eats apples and raw carrots daily. She drinks water/squash etc. Her sleep is not perfect but we are working on her. She also walks everywhere and can walk 2 miles to town and back happily.

Did people find their kids were much healthier in reception than nursery? Thanks.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Nogodsnomasters · 08/08/2019 22:51

I feel your pain. My ds did two years in nursery due to where his birthday falls, his 1st year was absolutely horrendous for illness, I couldn't even tell you how many times we were at the gp with ear infections, tonsillitis, chest infections, non descript viral infections etc from mid Sept right through to May! In the summer he was healthy as an ox.

He's just completed 2nd year of nursery and I'm gonna say it was about 30-40% better winter just passed, he didn't get sick until Oct this time around and each illness he did get seemed slightly less severe than the year before and they stopped in April this year. He's about to go into reception in Sept and I'm keeping everything crossed that there will be further improvements this winter coming.

I also have my son on vitamins but his diet is poor due to asd he has sensory issues with food.

Mumof21989 · 11/08/2019 07:03

Thank you for your reply! My daughter started her nursery in may 2018 so we have only done one winter so far. Hopefully 2 winters in will help your little one be strong for school. I hope schools are slightly better anyway. I guess nurseries are bound to be more unhygenic as you have 0-4 year olds with low immune systems and no hygiene skills. At my daughters nursery they are quite relaxed with illness. I phoned them once when she had tonsiltis and they said she can go back after 24 hours on the antibiotics. I was like no shes far too poorly she cant eat and is sleeping sat up. Ive also seen children there with streaming eyes and horrible coughs. I am guessing schools would send children home that run down. My dd has not had chicken pox or hand foot and mouth yet either. Just feel she could end up having alot of time off 😖 i dread the stomach bugs too. X

OP posts:
Bobbiepin · 11/08/2019 07:07

The more bugs she is exposed to the stronger her resistance will be in the future. School will be less awful than nursery but there will be children who haven't had the nursery exposure and may bring in cold and such. Doesn't mean your DD will catch them all. Sounds like you're doing all you can, it's an unfortunate reality that kids get poorly.

Mrscog · 11/08/2019 07:12

My experience is that the first winter in nursery is basically a write off, then they improve year on year. Reception is a new melting pot of bugs so mine after 2 bug free winters (both mine were in nursery from
9 months), there was a little blip but nothing like the first winter in childcare.

Nogodsnomasters · 11/08/2019 09:14

Op my ds has had chicken pox and HFM twice, but I'm dread the stomach bugs like you (I'm emetophobic) and I also hate anything respiratory because we've ended up at A&E previously with breathing difficulties and it frightens the damn life out of me.

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