Toddler Seems to Be Sick All the Time!

Unfortunately, anyone who has to take their children to a place where other children are present, will most likely have a constantly ill child. Fortunately, this is building their immune systems up and they should be fairly healthy as they get older.

grrr I feel you. my 19 mo old is always sick! we just had either Roseola or Hand Foot and Mouth last week!!! AND I STILL NURSE HER! My dr said it is perfectly normal that kids get from 12 or so colds a year with virus too bc they are everywhere, but it still sucks! Oh and I am a stay at home mom that again still nurses. It drives me nuts!

Our kids were both in daycare as toddlers, and they also were chronically sick. It seemed like just when they would recover, something else would start up. I remember one winter my older son was sick 9 times!

But now my older son is going into 2nd grade, and in the past school year he was only sick 1 time. Even when the rest of us got sick, he didn't. His brother is only 4, so he still gets sick sometimes, but my older son had a great immunity!

I would caution one thing though. If she is sick a lot with ear infections, make sure you have annual hearing exams done by an audiologist. Our son had 7 ear infections as a toddler, and when he was sick we found out he had "glue ear" which actually created a mild hearing loss. It was correctable, but we never would have known unless we took him to the audiologist.

We thought that having our boys at home with a nanny would help keep them from getting sick while they were young- BOY were we WRONG!!!!! Turns out they probabaly had more exposures- they were at music class, church nursery, train play station, mall playarea and countless playgrounds, library storytime- etc etc etc. Anyhow- you cannot put them in a bubble (if you could I would) after going through a horrible hospitalization with my baby after he caught a common bug I can tell you that the doctors all told me that the average toddler is sick from 30-50% of the year. You are in good (albeit sad) company. Hang in there. I am suffering after 9 days off from the baby in the hospital I have No more sick or vacation time left and worry what will happen with the next weekday fever.

totally normal. my two year old was sick every other week this past winter and now that it's summer it's gotten better but he does have a mild cold right now. my pediatrician told me its either now or when he gets to kindergarten. it drives me insane because my neighbor always rags on me about my kid being sick all the time and her's never is....well her kid never leaves the house (seriously, they NEVER leave the house) so of course they're never sick over there! it will get better as she gets older but in the meantime try giving her a probiotic and fish oil like other suggested and eliminating sugar from her diet.

When my sister and I were growing up, we stayed home till kindergarten, and then we seemed to come down with just about everything till almost 2nd grade. (I have quite a few memories of being sent to the nurses office and throwing up down the hall for most of the way.) But about mid 2nd grade, we seemed to settle down and we weren't so sick anymore.
My son started daycare when he was 3 months old, and he seemed to come down with everything for about 2 years, and then he settled down and wasn't so sick anymore.
It's just my personal theory, but I think whenever they begin to be exposed to the public in general, it takes awhile for the immune system to build up and shift into gear. And once it takes hold, getting sick slows down to maybe once or twice a year.

Hi J.,

You can start building her immune system as soon as she is born. You don't have to wait. Kids today do get sick a lot, it is common but it is not supposed to be that way.

Nutrition is key. Foods that do not contain chemicals are to be eaten. Processed and fast foods are full of preservatives, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics that alter our digestive system and break down our immunities. Synthetic chemicals in our homes that are inhaled and absorbed through our skin do the same thing. I detoxed my house years ago and saw an immediate improvement. My kids don't get sick. Neither do I or my husband.

I recommend regular chiropractic care to keep the neurological system healthy. when the brain knows what it is doing it can manage the other parts of the body easily without effort. I don't give my kids pharmaceuticals or over the counter meds unless a natural remedy doesn't work. Pharmaceuticals like everything else I mentioned contraindicate in the body and we don't have a clue what's going on. There is no way to track the numerous chemicals and what they do.

This may sound a little overboard but like I said, no one gets sick. Detoxing is simple and can be inexpensive and when you feel good, life is simply more fun! If you'd like me to walk you through what I did, I'll be glad to.

Regards,

M.

PS This is not a genetic thing with my kids. I was in and out of hospitals all my life until I figured this out. I was even told I was too sick to ever have kids. I have two lovely daughters....

Unfortunately, it's just part of life, especially when your child is in a setting with other children. Eventually she'll build an immunity; we all do. I was a teacher. I was always sick during my first 3 years. Now I hardly ever get sick. My oldest son was in daycare and was sick often. He's 17 now and throughout his school years, he rarely ever gotsick or missed a day of school. My youngest stayed home with me & she is my child who has had more illnesses during her school years....probably from lack of exposure as a toddler. Hang in there. It truly is frustrating, especially when you have to miss work, but it does pass. Perhaps taking turns with a spouse or grandparent (if that's an option) when she's sick will help when it comes to missing work

Probiotics will boost her immune system. So will yogurt, with live cultures. You can get probiotics from any health food store. They are usually refrigerated.

My son's doctor told us that my son would be sick more when he was one year old than any other time in his life. It is the mixture of his still weak immune system and not being sheltered like a newborn anymore. So, normal.

My son gets sick really easily too, but hasn't since we had him in to an allergist. He had a chronic cough and also gets lots of ear infections, which is what led up to getting him tested.. Turns out he's allergic to a lot of stuff and has asthma. Both contribute to him getting sick more easily, and then when he does get sick, his asthma makes it worse. (A simple cold turns into bronchitis, where his twin sister just gets the cold.) Maybe talk to your dr. about allergy testing if this sounds like your daughter...