2.4 Year Old Coming Down With One Thing After Another

amother

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 7:57 pm

Since my son turned 18 months old this January (=he's now 2.4 years) and I started sending him out of the house to a babysitter (=I'm working) he keeps coming down with one thing after another. Until he was 18 months I had a private babysitter in my house. For various reasons I started sending him out when he turned 18 months. At first he kept having fever every month accompanied by either an ear infection, strept, red throat, virus, etc. Then it turned into fever every 3 weeks accompanied by s/t. Now it's every week/two that he gets fever with either an ear infection, strept, red throat, virus, etc. (He has been in playgroup since September.)

I started giving him Kyolic drops 3 weeks ago (since I heard from pp. it's really good for kids' ears and immune system). He's also on a liquid multivitamin (that his doctor recommended) for a while already. My doctor has taken bloodwork in the past and it's always been fine. She claims some kids just keep getting sick once they're out/among other kids. But this? It's out of control! (When I mean fever every week or two, I mean fever every week or two.) Beside for stopping to work so that I can keep him sheltered at home, is there any steps I can do to build up his immune system?

TIA.

rydys

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 10:58 pm

This IS building his immune system!

The immune system works by fighting off infection. When exposed to an infectious agent, it fights it off and develops immunity to anything similar to that agent. Until it has created enough immunity, the child will continue to get sick over and over. After a while, there is broad enough immunity to fight off viruses/bacteria without the child actually getting sick.

Most children go through a year or two like this. Keeping them home and isolating them from other kids only pushes off when they will go through it. Personally, I prefer my kids to go through this in preschool, before they get to first grade and school really counts.

If you look around the world, the people living in squalor do not get regular colds and flus as much as we do. That is because they are exposed since birth. I don't advocate that, but it does not sound like there is anything wrong with your child. His immune system is working just fine, building itself up so when he gets to first grade he won't be sick so much.

ra_mom

Sun, Nov 29 2009, 12:26 am

rydys wrote:

Right on target!

louche

Mon, Nov 30 2009, 1:54 pm

ra_mom wrote:

rydys wrote:

Right on target!

100%. Would you rather he miss half of first grade? BTDT and it's a wonder they promoted me to second.