Having An Easy Time Getting Sick During Childhood

Could it have been easy to get sick while growing up? How often do children get sick on average in a year?

These are some of the most common questions parents ask their pediatricians. This is especially true for school-age children.

When parents add up the days that the child has had to be home from school, the speech can be worrying.

From the time the baby is born until it is around 7, it is common for them to get sick often. This is because their immune system is in a period of adjustment.

Instead of keeping track of how many times your child becomes ill, you should pay attention to what it reveals about your child’s overall health.

To have an easy time getting sick while growing up

It is true that children get sick quite often. If you add up all the days your child has been ill during the year, you may think that something serious is going on. You may also think that your children get sick more easily than other children.

However, you should not draw hasty conclusions. Instead, you should evaluate several factors that have to do with the inherent characteristics of children. First of all  , children get sick on average 9 times a year with a virus in the respiratory tract.

If your child is already in school, your child may get sick around 12 to 13 times a year. The same applies if there is a smoker in the home.

As you can see, it is easy to get sick during childhood. But all this is considered normal even for healthy children.

How to recognize a serious illness

As we mentioned earlier, a healthy child between 1 and 7 can get sick around 9 times a year. This is because their immune system is developing and exposed to new pathogens.

So how can parents know if their child is suffering from something more serious?

If your child presents with any of the following symptoms in addition to the childhood illness, you should talk to a pediatrician.

• Constant  diarrhea
• Constant skin fungus
• Growth problems

These symptoms may be an indication that your child has inadequate defenses.

The same applies if your child has flu-like symptoms that get worse and develop into pneumonia or meningitis. If antibiotics are not working in your child’s case, you may be facing a serious health problem and should discuss it with a specialist.

To determine if your child’s frequent illnesses are related to an immune deficiency, there are certain things you should know.

It is important for you to know that your child’s body is really incapable of fighting viruses. The same symptoms can be caused by allergies so it is important to know the difference.

Food that helps you strengthen your child’s defenses

A complete and balanced diet will have a positive effect on your children’s overall health. it will defend them against viral diseases or at least make them go over much faster.

If your child suffers from allergies, you need to be extra careful about any dietary restrictions or other necessary care. This will help reduce recurring virus outbreaks.

Nutritionists recommend   a daily intake of fruits and vegetables. You should focus especially on citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and tangerines.

Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, which is important for our immune system.

You should also include nuts, muesli and legumes at least twice a week. Your child should also eat yogurt, honey and plenty of fluids to maintain sugar levels. An excessive amount of sugar can be harmful so it is important that your child’s diet includes a healthy amount.

So  is your child strong and energetic? Does he or she have a good appetite? Is he or she growing properly?

If the answer to these questions is yes and there are no alarming changes in the child’s health, then there is no need to worry. Remember that recurrent illness is normal in children during this developmental phase.