Your child always seems to be sick, but should you worry?
Winter viral respiratory season is that time of year where you may wonder if your kids will ever be healthy again. This season usually starts off with a bang each year in the late fall and early winter months. Many children are sick over and over again during these months.
While we have seen it a lot, is there a time that you should start to worry if your child keeps getting the viral crud?
Is getting sick frequently normal for children?
Many children, especially if they attend a childcare program seem to be constantly sick. Parents and children don’t get a break when they are sick with back to back illnesses. Maybe this makes you wonder if your child’s immune system is normal or if other parents are experiencing this as well. Truthfully, most babies start getting back to back viral illnesses once the passive immunity from their mother fades.
Young children usually get between seven and eight colds per year. As they grow to school age, the number decreases to five to six per year. Older children and teenagers will eventually reach the point that most adults do and have about four viral illnesses per year.
Children often suffer from respiratory infections but they also sometimes experience viral infections that affect the gastrointestinal system. Bacterial infections are a less common cause of diarrhea than viral infections and most children will have at least one of these types of infection each year. Often these illnesses are accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting as well.
Additionally, young children can have symptoms of fever with their frequent infections. A sore throat is also a common symptom of a respiratory tract infection. Normally, the common cold is short lived in children with normal immune systems. However, it can last longer for children with different health conditions that can affect their immune systems.
What causes my child to have so many illnesses?
The main reason your kid is getting so many colds and flu is because they are constantly being exposed to new viruses. Viruses are everywhere, even if you excel at cleaning and disinfecting. There are many hundreds of different viruses that cause illness like the common cold. In addition to the sheer number of viruses that we face, they are also constantly changing and mutating in order to get around our immune defenses. We see that every year with the flu virus and we watched the COVID virus do this as well.
Over time, your child’s body will recognize these invading viruses quicker and they will have fewer cold symptoms as their body learns to fight them more readily. It takes many years to build up immunity to these common childhood illnesses. Children who attend daycare or school have more direct contact with these viruses from frequent contact with other kids. Additionally, your daycare attending child becomes a vector of respiratory illnesses for your younger children at home. Frequent hand washing or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer will decrease some of the transmission to your younger children.
If you have a large family, you know that common childhood illnesses can be passed back and forth between family members. Additionally, the rate of colds and flu transmission greatly increases in the cold winter months due to increased social contact in indoor settings. Direct contact with sick people in low ventilated air in the drier winter months increases the likelihood of respiratory illnesses. Additionally, if your child is exposed to cigarettes or vaping smoke at home, their risk for respiratory infections increases.Chronic stress can also decrease a child’s immune response to common infections.
How can I tell if it is a cold or just allergies?
I have a saying that I tell my parents in my practice. Everyone is allergic to Texas, but it just depends on the person as to which season their symptoms appear. The difference between cold symptoms and allergy symptoms can be subtle. Both allergies and viruses can cause sore throat, congestion and cough. Often a difference can be whether or not your child is itching.
With seasonal allergies, children will rub their noses and eyes. They can get dark circles under their eyes that we call “allergic shiners.” Additionally, they can have a line across the front part of their nose from rubbing it and pushing up on the end of their nose. Often an immune response to an allergen will involve sneezing in order to get rid of the allergen from the body. A trial of over the counter non-sedating antihistamine can be in order if your child is experiencing any of the symptoms of sneezing, itchy or watery eyes and cough or congestion that is not accompanied by fever.
Do vitamins help my child to not always be sick?
Frequently, parents are concerned that their child is sick often because they are deficient in vitamins or they play outside in the cold without a coat on. Very rarely, cold symptoms can be worse because of these things, but they are not the cause. Viruses and bacteria are the cause of illness.
AdditiBad weather, wet feet or wet hair do not cause sickness in children. Risk of infection is an inevitable part of childhood. The only way to build up immunity to viruses is to be exposed to them through vaccination or through illness. An immune response to a common infection can lead to future immunity.
While many parents worry that their children may have an immune system problem if they get back to back infections, this is often not the case. If your child is getting a series of mild infections, it is most likely normal. This is especially true if their physical health is normal between infections. Children who have frequent severe infections such as pneumonia infection or other bacterial infections such as strep throat that lead to hospitalization, a work up that includes an exam of their immune system may be warranted. Your child’s health care provider can help you distinguish between common normal colds and something more serious.
When do I send my child back to school?
While it is not necessarily based on good scientific evidence, sending your child back to school after an illness can generally occur after they are fever free for at least 24 hours. In addition, your child should feel better and be able to participate in their regular school schedule before you send them back.
The first 3-5 days of a cold is generally when the worst of the symptoms occur. A child’s cough can last for 2-3 weeks after they have recovered from the virus itself. There is no need to continue to exclude your child from school or other activities as long as they are continuing to improve and are free of fever. Be sure to teach them how to cover their coughs and wash their hands before they return to school.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for the common cold or for other viral respiratory illnesses such as the flu. Antibiotics will not help your child unless they have a secondary infection like a sinus infections or an ear infection. Even then, observation and symptomatic treatment is the first line.
How can 127 Pediatrics help?
Are you tired of waiting rooms? Never getting a hold of your child’s pediatrician? Needing to go to urgent care instead of seeing your child’s pediatrician? Well, you are in luck. At 127 Pediatrics, we offer convenient and evidence based pediatric medical care to kids in the comfort of their own homes. No waiting rooms. Direct access to the pediatrician. Available sick visits for members. Send us a message today and find out how an at-home pediatrician can make your life better.
© 127 Pediatrics; January 2023, updated January 2024
Please note that this article is purely for informational purposes and should not be interpreted as medical advice.
Dr. Andrea Wadley owns and operates 127 Pediatrics, a pediatric and lactation practice in Colleyville, TX. She specializes in pediatrics, breastfeeding medicine and offers house calls only. Additionally, Dr. Wadley is the owner of the 127 Pediatrics Online Breastfeeding Medicine and Education Center. We have many free resources for breastfeeding mothers. Subscribe to our YouTube channel or download a free breastfeeding checklist.
