How often is your toddler ill?

[NichyNoo]

DS is 17 months and goes to nursery 4 days a week. He has gone to nursery since the age of 6 months. Since then he has had 6 ear infections (two of which have resulted in burst ear drum), 2 bouts of bronchiolitis, about 4 chest infections plus numerous colds.

Is this normal?

I am concerned as every cold he gets seems to turn into either a chest infection or ear infection. Long term this can't be good for him and I am wondering if it is normal or if his nursery has a high percentage of illnesses.

He was very ill over Christmas with an ear infection that burst despite antibiotics. After making a full recovery (confirmed by doctor on Monday) he went back to nursery on Tuesday and by Thursday night had a heavy cold, very chesty, temperature of 39 and won't sleep due to being bunged up (and perhaps another ear infection?)

I am researching childminders but they are not common in the country I live in so very unlikely I will find one. Maybe I should change nursery or is this usual?

Thanks for any advice

Sounds like a lot to me for the amount of time he has been at nursery. Not sure changing nursery would help as they all have illnesses going around. Is he getting plenty of healthy food to keep those vitamin levels up

Unfortunately it is normal. my ds1 was exactly like this, i was at my wits end. then magically things seemed to get better. now at 3.5years he's not been ill for past 13months. we did start giving him children's vitamins and this seemed to help but think it was just time. also ds1 had bronchiolitis and this knocked him and he had a bad chest for ages afterwards. two friends children both had it and was the same. i think it creates a weakness that takes a while to recover (this is only my opinion and have no medical evidence or training!) i hope things get better soon.

He takes a daily multivitamin...and yes, it was the first bout of bronchiolitis a week after starting creche that seemed to kick it all off. He hadn't had so much as a snuffle until then but since then it is constant illness

Some children are just more prone to things unfortunatly, and if one thing doesn't fully clear they can pick up another while their immunity is low.

DS is just turned 2 and has had 8 hospital admissions with his chest, I am hoping as he gets older it will grow out of it all.

It's very usual for them to get everything when starting nursery. I'm a nursery manager and we see it all the time. with a childminer they are likely to go to lot's of groups so will still potentially come into contact with lot's of bugs. It's so hard isn't it. ds2 starts nursery in June at 8 months and I'm not looking forward to doing it all again!

I think what makes it more difficult is that we live abroad so have no family support here.....both DH and I are always taking time off work to look after DS and it really doesn't look good to employers. Plus I am worried that all the ear infections will affect his hearing...apparently it is still too early to tell.

Sounds are coming through the baby monitor now...he is crying in bed, can't breathe and has a temp of 39 that is resistant to Nurofen

DS is 15 mo and goes to a CM four days a week. He's a healthy little chap: he's only had about three colds (mostly minor ones) and one fevery/virus thing in his life

I don't know how, because DH and I are always ill - I like to think the fact he's bf has something to do with it, but it's probably just luck. Some kids are just more susceptible than others.

He still doesn't sleep through the night, though

Poor you - sounds really tough :(

All the time. Between my 2 DSs we hardly ever manage more than a week or two with no illness. It is really frustrating, but I just seem to have children who pick up everything going (they are fundamentally healthy, just prone to bugs). I think some children must just be made that way - mine eat well, are given vitamins, get lots of exercise, but nothing seems to stop them picking up things. DS1 goes to nursery and I think that's where most of the bugs we get originate, although they do both seem to be hit quite badly by whatever is doing the rounds (DS2 has had 2 hospital admissions in the last 6 months with viruses). I have cancelled yet another night out tonight because DS2 (still bf, so mummy-dependant) is ill - it seems never ending.

Hope your DS picks up soon. Have you tried nurofen and calpol together? That's my fallback when the boys have really high temps, and usually works quite well.

Mines Ill every other week with something. Got a head cold at mo but has been in hospitalised twice since summer, nothing too serious but scary. Plus the ear Infections and constant colds. Peas told it's due to the mild weather, dunno if there's any truth in that. Mine starts nursery in march so hopefully he will be building some immunity up ready. Hope your lo feels better soon xx

Yes it is normal in my opinion (or my experience should I say!). My DS started nursery at 8 months old and was never ill up until then. From 8 months until 2 years old (when he left the baby room) he was ill what seemed like all the time. He had bronchiolitis (ambulance job), gastroenteritis, three bouts of hand foot and mouth (even though everyone told me he could only get it once), slapped cheek syndrome, numerous non specific temperatures, sickness bugs and viruses and what seemed like hundreds of coughs and colds.

Then all of a sudden he just stopped being ill. It coincided with him leaving the baby room at nursery. He's 3.5 now and other than the odd cough of cold he's had nothing (touches wood) since then.

Sounds very hard, so sorry for you and your boy.

My DS is 17 months, only had one chest infection and 2 colds in his life. Doesn't go to nursery though, so that probably has a lot to do with it

I think going to nursery is a big factor. Those that don't will probably get everything under the sun when they start school.

Peas? Pmsl, bloody iPhone I've been
Told it should say :)

DD had barely a sniffle until I gave up bfing and she started preschool at the same time. She was 3. In the 7 months at preschool she had countless coughs and colds, chicken pox, slapped cheek, tonsillitis, 6 ear infections and a couple of non specific viruses. She was rarely well.

The GP was fabulous and said she was just getting her immune system started after years of it not being challenged. He was right. She's 4.8 now and her last ear infection was 5 months ago when a year ago they were monthly and accompanied every cold. She's in reception class at school so is encountering a whole new set of germs. She's had a handful of colds and sailed through them. They grow out of ear infections in a lot of cases apparently and it's because of the way the ear is while still growing, prone to infection. We found that warm olive oil was brilliant.

My dcs pretty much had constant colds for the first 2 years at nursery. Luckily the colds were relatively minor and rarely turned into anything more serious. However Dd has not had one day off (touch wood) school since she started 2.5 years ago!

Thanks for the advice/experience! It makes me feel a bit better

He still has a high temp today and a very croaky voice but seems a bit happier in himself. Just praying the cold doesn't cause another ear infection....

ShowofHands... you mention warm olive oil. Pls could you explain what you do.

DS never had any probs with ears, but I suffered as a child, so would like to have a remedy up my sleeve if he does. Thanks and sorry to hijak

What is 'normal'? Both mine have hardly ever been ill - DS perhaps 15 times in his 5 years; DD no more than 4 times in her 2. Each child responds differently and may pick up or avoid bugs for a myriad of reasons.

DD had two very minor sniffles and one 24-hour squit bug in the first 17 months of her life. Then she got cold after cold after cold, with the last four having no gaps between them at all.

What changed? We moved to a different country (UK) and became a lot more sociable, attending loads of toddler groups.

She's currently cold-free for the first time in weeks, probably because we had a break from toddler groups over the Christmas holiday. I suspect the respite is unlikely to last for very long.....

I hope your DS gets better ASAP. It's horrible when they're poorly, isn't it?

bbface, warm olive oil, child lying on its side and syringe into the ear. I had lots of ear infections as a child and remember the relief. Used to be enough to get dd to sleep and not writhing in pain. GP/HV still recommend it btw, not just a relic of my childhood. Just mind the temp, warm not hot.

Olive oil is amazing stuff, isn't it? It's quite good at protecting against nappy rash too. Makes your baby smell a bit like salad dressing, though...!

Oooo...I like the olive oil suggestion. Must remember not to mention it to old fashioned Belgian paediatrician though along with fact that we give DS cow's milk and not follow-on formula, that he actually ate dairy from 6 months instead of the recommended 12 months and that I throw away the pysiotherapist prescriptions for each chest infection as that treatment was abandoned in the UK in the 1950s.

My dds are rarely ill.The smaller one (4) only started school in September though,she didn't go to nursery,so I can't comment on that.I do think though that it can become a horrible chain,they catch one thing,get run down and tired,so are more prone to catching the next thing.Lots of small children seem like this. I myself had every known disease before two,and I was at home with my Mum.Only rubella (age about 6) and Chicken pox (at 12) were left to get post-two.
My Godson had endless bouts of tonsillitis,and was about to have them out,when as a last ditch attempt his Mother took him to a homoeopath.No more tonsillitis.So maybe worth a try?