Sick Kids

irishrover99

Has anyone noticed there kids been sicker more than they usually are. I've a 3 year old and 20 month old and both have been sick 3 times now since October.
Both have had meds from the doc already that have cleared up there infections but i don't want to keep running to the doc every time they get a cold.
Its very frustrating now and puzzling at the same time

Karmella

Most likely the combination of it being so mild and wet. Breeding conditions for bugs.

irishrover99

I hope so. Thank you

Sligo1

Since October both my 3yo and 20month old have been on antibiotics for Chest infections, have had hand foot and mouth and are after recovering from a long week stint of norovirus all over Christmas and new year. It's been horrible. One gets sick... Then more likely than not the other will catch it.

It's awful depressing and so horrible for the wee mites. But I've just come to accept that's what happens when you live in Ireland with the climate we have. I grew up in New Zealand and none of us were ever sick growing up. Here it seems to be constant. We only seem to get some relief for the months of June and July.

Neyite

I had a run of it a few years back, felt like I was always in the waiting room of the GP or trying to force antibiotics into the toddler. It might be coincidental but after that I added a pro-biotic to his night-time bottle, and as a toddler gave him an Aptimel pro-biotic drink a day, and his illnesses stopped - I'd say its 18 months since I've had him in the GP. Very likely that it's coincidental, but a pro-biotic after any antibiotics might be no harm for them, and you'll try almost anything!

Stone Deaf 4evr

Sligo1 wrote: »

Since October both my 3yo and 20month old have been on antibiotics for Chest infections, have had hand foot and mouth and are after recovering from a long week stint of norovirus all over Christmas and new year. It's been horrible. One gets sick... Then more likely than not the other will catch it.

It's awful depressing and so horrible for the wee mites. But I've just come to accept that's what happens when you live in Ireland with the climate we have. I grew up in New Zealand and none of us were ever sick growing up. Here it seems to be constant. We only seem to get some relief for the months of June and July.

I've never spent as much time indoors as I have this winter, bound to be a spread of germs when everyone is in such close quarters. One person got a vomiting bug and it went from family member to member of the course of a fortnight. Was kinda happy to be going back to work this morning.

irishrover99

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

I've never spent as much time indoors as I have this winter, bound to be a spread of germs when everyone is in such close quarters. One person got a vomiting bug and it went from family member to member of the course of a fortnight. Was kinda happy to be going back to work this morning.

I know what you mean. Glad the holidays are over and getting back to normal. My mothers been in hospital as well for over a month now as well so i'm probably not helping things by been up there everyday. My wife is starting to think there is something wrong with the kids while i'm saying its just normal for most kids to be sick.

LegacyUser

Our 18 month old had a run of terrible weeks from about early November til late December. Throat infection, vomiting bug and two nasty colds.

Coincided with every flipping weekend and most days being a complete washout. I know it's also the age she is but seriously headwrecking.

I made an interesting discovery - the second bad cold she had, she was indoors most of the weekend until I got fed up and brought her to our local playground the Sunday afternoon. Honestly, it was just about dry but the wind was storm-force and the sky was black and threatening. Yet suddenly - after an hour or so outside, I was wiping her nose half the amount that I had been that morning. It may have been coincidence, but since then she's out at least once every day we're at home unless the rain is torrential, and she's been ok since (touch wood).

Next year we're getting full waterproof suit for her and she's going out in the rain too I'm adopting the Scandinavian philosophy - no matter what the weather, suit up and outdoors for a good two hours every day. The kids need it and we need it too!!

pwurple

I was just thinking (and probably jinxing myself) that we seem to have gotten through the winter without anything at all.

I don't know if I can put it down to anything in particluar, i'm pretty nuts about vitamin d. My 4 yr old gets the vitamin d gummy bears, the baby gets the drops, and we are all on supermilk for the winter. And we do Welly Up, stick on wet gear and all go out for walks in the pissing rain as well. They do love puddles.

Also, hand hygiene is fairly drilled into them. Wash handies every time we go to someone's house etc.

And, it could be pure fluke.

Sligo1

I'm starting my 2 on UDOs probiotics tomorrow morning. I started taking them when number 1 got the norovirus and I was the only one on the house who didn't get it all over Xmas (touch wood!).

How Strange

**dont want to jinx ourselves** but so far this autumn/winter has been a lot better than 2014/15. Last winter it started in November and we were all sick on and off until July. My son had 5 antibiotics and my daughter wasn't far behind. It was respiratory infections, chest infections, ent infections then vomiting bugs. I had a proper flu, a few viruses, chest infection, sinus infection, tract and throat infection and a few vomiting bugs in between.

It's hard to know if anything keeps the infections away or it's just good/bad luck. Since July I've been giving my kids multivitamin jellies.

Sam Kade

irishrover99 wrote: »

Has anyone noticed there kids been sicker more than they usually are. I've a 3 year old and 20 month old and both have been sick 3 times now since October.
Both have had meds from the doc already that have cleared up there infections but i don't want to keep running to the doc every time they get a cold.
Its very frustrating now and puzzling at the same time

Shouldn't you have taken them to the vet?

jester77

Is it their first winter in a creche? That is pretty normal for kids who have not been too exposed and have a weak immune system. Between Oct-Dec my little guy had norovirus, hand foot and mouth, bronchitis and pharyngitis. He got some antibiotics and steroids to boost his immune system over the xmas. He's back to normal now.

foxy06

I've a guy just started playschool and he has been sick a lot since then. Not needing antibiotics but he has had constant colds and 2 vomiting bugs and another virus. He then spreads it around to the others. House is like a small hospital lately.

irishrover99

Ended up taking my son to the Doc in the end. Sure enough he has a infection so he's back on antibiotics. He was put on them last month(pink one) which i think is the lightest one but now he has he on a white one(klacid) which he says should do the trick. Off on holidays the end of Jan so hopefully some warm weather helps them out.
My Daughter hasn't started creche yet as she just gone 3 and won't start school till she is nearly 5 so we plan on her starting for a few month from March and then doing the whole year next year. I'm sure she will pick up a lot more bugs then.
Hopefully in a few weeks there multi vitamins should start working better

farmchoice

actually she probably wont be too bad, the other one is bringing them home and giving them to her, a lot of them she will be immune to the second time.

its just the way with kids, all the multi-vits supplements and hand washing in the world wont stop them getting these bugs, they are there and they will get them, if not now, later, not that you should stop the hand hygiene.

every family seems to have a ''bad year'' when the kids are small. ours was 2 years ago when the lad was 3 and her highness 6-9 months, they were sick continually for 4 months its was hell but since then nothing out of the ordinary

head down and get through it and don't be afraid to throw plenty of calpol and nurofen at the problem.

xzanti

Probiotics are a godsend imo. Started giving my son Udo's Choice Infant's Blend when he was 2. He was constantly getting sick. Boosted his immune system a treat. Also helps get rid of an existing bug in my experience.

You can get the Udo's one in The Health Shops and some Chemists. It's about €24, but well worth it.

IvyTheTerrible

I think they just have to build up their immune system. Also every child is different, my nephew is on only organic food, lots of probiotics, the house is deep cleaned regularly, obsessive handwashing and he is sick ALL THE TIME.

My son is a lot more, ahem, "relaxed" about dirt and stuff and once he got through his first year of crèche, he's never sick.

eviltwin

How do you decide when to take them to the doctor? My two have never been to one, I treat them at home. May be we are particularly lucky but aside from the odd cold they never get sick.

IvyTheTerrible

eviltwin wrote: »

How do you decide when to take them to the doctor? My two have never been to one, I treat them at home. May be we are particularly lucky but aside from the odd cold they never get sick.

I check his temperature. If he has a fever that keeps coming back after I've given him paracetamol, then he goes to the doctor.
If he has a new sickness that I'm not sure about, then he goes to the doctor.

irishrover99

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I check his temperature. If he has a fever that keeps coming back after I've given him paracetamol, then he goes to the doctor.
If he has a new sickness that I'm not sure about, then he goes to the doctor.

Agree with most of this. My Son had a bad run the last 2 months but after the Docs visit last week he's on the mend.
I decided to bring him to the Doc when he would start crying when i'd pick him up and when i'd put him down he'd cry even more. I consider myself to have good patience when my kids are sick but sometimes you just have to realize you/they need help

mirrorwall14

Unexplainable symptoms or unsure of problem or temp not stabilising he goes to the doc. Our lad got gastro with hand foot and mouth last week. It was not fun. Throwing up through a sore mouth and throat....

Neyite

Well. That's what I get for being smug I guess.

Still, he had a good run of avoiding the doctor. It's only a fever that wont come down so into the doc later with him.

xzanti

Ah hope he's ok Neyite.

My little guy has chickenpox has it since Thursday. He's covered in them.

Akrasia

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I think they just have to build up their immune system. Also every child is different, my nephew is on only organic food, lots of probiotics, the house is deep cleaned regularly, obsessive handwashing and he is sick ALL THE TIME.

My son is a lot more, ahem, "relaxed" about dirt and stuff and once he got through his first year of crèche, he's never sick.

The Hygiene hypothesis in a nutshell

My kids have been getting their hand dirty since birth and have rarely been sick.

This year has been a bit different because there was a bout of scarlet fever going around and when we took them to the doctor, two separate doctors misdiagnosed them as having a virus and they were late to get the correct medication. (this is despite us telling the doctors that kids in their class had been confirmed with Scarlet Fever)

Since then, they've been pretty run down and have picked up a load of bugs

This has NOT been helped by certain parents who insist on visiting us even though they know their kids are sick

FFS. When I know our kids are sick, we never bring them into other people's houses, especially when there are other children or elderly people who are vulnerable to infection.

Neyite

xzanti wrote: »

Ah hope he's ok Neyite.

My little guy has chickenpox has it since Thursday. He's covered in them.

He's grand now Antibiotics did the trick but I want to do a probiotics regime to get him back to before. We'd had a run of about 18 months or more without needing to see a doctor, which was good going I think.

Chickenpox is awful. We got some foam stuff which helped a lot, his worst was in his nappy area, and in his mouth. Also had one near his eye which I was concerned about. But he cleared up great and only has one scar from one he managed to pick at on his tummy. Hope its not too bad a dose for your boy.

bp

I got the chicken pox vaccine as a few family members had terrible doses so wanted to avoid that.

Since the free GP care came in they stopped being sick....typical!!!

sandra06

my little one when she was born had kidney reflux was put on antibotics for 2 yrs ,had op at six months ,,,shes 10 now and because of the antibotic she was on for so long she never really got sick just chest infec when she was getting her baby teeth ,,,now she like a radar for throath infec colds flus anything thats going she gets spoke to doc about her allways been sick and she told me because of the antibotics when she was a baby stoped her getting anything so has no immune system to stop getting them now she older ,,having said all that any temp she gets has to be checked for kidney infection so she in docs nearly every month luckly she was given a medical card because of the reflux but its a pain because when she picks up anything its really bad because of the immune system the amount of school she missed is crasy but hopefully when she older her immune system will be better

LegacyUser

Add a teaspoon of Bragg cider vinegar to a fresh juice, and this will knock the bad bacteria on it's head.

sandra06

Enigma1982 wrote: »

Add a teaspoon of Bragg cider vinegar to a fresh juice, and this will knock the bad bacteria on it's head.

hi probiotics is that the drink you buy and bragg cider vinegar whats that and where do you get it i going to try this anything worth a shot

pwurple

Enigma1982 wrote: »

Add a teaspoon of Bragg cider vinegar to a fresh juice, and this will knock the bad bacteria on it's head.

Do you have to drink it, or rub it on something?

Would be fairly unpleasant to do either I'd say.

Akrasia

pwurple wrote: »

Do you have to drink it, or rub it on something?

Would be fairly unpleasant to do either I'd say.

And I fail to see how cider vinegar can tell the difference between the 'bad bacteria' and the benign (essential) microbiome that make up the majority of our biomass (they outnumber our own human genetic material by 100 to 1)

Neyite

Akrasia wrote: »

And I fail to see how cider vinegar can tell the difference between the 'bad bacteria' and the benign (essential) microbiome that make up the majority of our biomass (they outnumber our own human genetic material by 100 to 1)

Cider vinegar is a common old country remedy I think.

But I'm still trying to figure out how you'd give it to a kid or baby. My child hates anything vinegary or tangy so I'd probably be wearing whatever I tried to administer as it'd be spat back at me instantly.

pwurple

Akrasia wrote: »

And I fail to see how cider vinegar can tell the difference between the 'bad bacteria' and the benign (essential) microbiome that make up the majority of our biomass (they outnumber our own human genetic material by 100 to 1)

Wait, you mean we need to 'alkalise' our bodies instead. :pac:

Akrasia

pwurple wrote: »

Wait, you mean we need to 'alkalise' our bodies instead. :pac:

Anything we do has to get rid of them pesky free radicals

Ms2011

Thought we had escaped this year but alas we seem to have fallen at the last hurdle
3.5 yr old woke early last Monday morning getting sick with a temp of 38.5 which Nueofen was barely taking down. Temp came down a little Tuesday but stopped eating & couldn't keep any fluids down so ended up in hospital on a drip on Wednesday for dehydration after a GPS referral.
The hospital said he had a viral respiratory infection.
Slightly better on Thursday after the fluids, still not eating great, a horrible cough & having periods of being very tired but he's drinking more & keeping it down.
Horrible bug whatever it is, recovery is very slow

mirrorwall14

Never mind the baby I've never had as many colds as this year! We're both sick again. This is my fourth this year. I am a teacher and asthmatic so I do tend to get them but its usually one or two a year not 4 within half a year!

elaney

This has been the worst winter for my son so far. Viral coughs , flu three weeks
ago now he is battling chest infection and pnuemonia. I cannot wait for the spring. I feel so sorry for him .

How Strange

Second child has chicken pox now and she's having s tough time with it. Until my first got chicken pox 2 weeks ago we've been very fortunate to avoid all this bugs and viruses. The two previous winters were a disaster though. Constantly out of work/crèche with every virus going.

pwurple

How Strange wrote: »

Second child has chicken pox now and she's having s tough time with it. Until my first got chicken pox 2 weeks ago we've been very fortunate to avoid all this bugs and viruses. The two previous winters were a disaster though. Constantly out of work/crèche with every virus going.

The chicken pox vaccine and the meningitis b vaccine are on my doorstep list for politicians. We paid for them privately, but it's ridiculous that common diseases which are preventable and which cost people a fortune in lost work are not in public the vaccine schedule.

lazygal

Chicken pox vaccine is a no brainer. Ours have come through I don't know how many breakouts safely. I don't know why more gps don't recommend it or see it as something that's a rite of passage.

How Strange

We are using the anti viral medicine for her and I think she would be a lot more sick without it. Her temp has been 38-40 since Friday but she's in reasonably good form. My gp didn't recommend the vaccine and I really never got around to doing it else where. We are finished with it now thankfully. I just heard about that men b vaccine recently so want to ask the gp about it. That's something we definitely have to look into.

farmchoice

lazygal wrote: »

Chicken pox vaccine is a no brainer. Ours have come through I don't know how many breakouts safely. I don't know why more gps don't recommend it or see it as something that's a rite of passage.

i think its a matter of cost, to be honest i didn't even know it existed until after our first 2 had the bloody thing. number 3 is definitely getting it. our 2 got it really bad and were in a terrible way for a week.