Child often gets sick: Doctor explains when this is considered normal
Photo: How many times a year may a child get sick (freepik.com)
Many parents with young children may feel that frequent colds will never end, and they wonder how many times per year are considered normal. Ukrainian Pediatrician Dmytro Mushtyn answers the questions on Instagram.
Why children often get sick
According to the doctor, the main reason why your child gets infections is because they are constantly exposed to new viruses. There are at least 200 different viruses that can cause similar symptoms.
Most toddlers and preschoolers can have up to 12 colds a year and the symptoms can last up to 14 days.
The doctor also said that sometimes a cough can last up to six weeks. This means that children can be sick for most of the year, and none of this means that the child has a weak immune system.
“If a child grows and develops well despite these diseases, it's normal,” said Dmytro.
When parents should sound the alarm
- The child is often sick, grows poorly, and does not gain weight
- Frequent bacterial infections that are severe and require multiple hospitalizations and/or multiple rounds of antibiotics.
- No healthy intervals between illnesses
- Frequent and recurrent thrush
- Your family has a history of immune disorders.
Disease prevention
- Practice proper handwashing. Teach children to wash their hands properly after using the toilet. As they get older, encourage them to wash their hands after blowing their nose or touching their nose. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Vaccination according to the immunization schedule and additional vaccinations (against pneumococcus, influenza, meningococcus, etc.)
- Balanced healthy diet
- Sleep
- Physical activity / Walking
Remember that multivitamins, dietary supplements, homeopathy, and 3-6 month-“miracle schemes” with “miracle drugs” will never boost the child's immune system!
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
