What should I do if my child often has a cold? How to help a child with frequent colds

901

Why a child often gets colds: medical and non-medical reasons. Problems in the work of the intestines, low hemoglobin, helminths, improper treatment, psychosomatics - we deal with the reasons.

“I’m afraid to send my child to kindergarten, he is already weak, he often gets sick”, - a common complaint of young mothers. In the hope of finding the cause, parents are ready to spend hours studying forums, listening to the advice of those moms and dads whose children “have never been sick all the time.” However, finding the cause of frequent colds is not easy. Why do some children practically do not know what a cough and runny nose are, while others literally “collect” all diseases, and “find” them even where it would seem impossible to get sick?

The concept of "frequently ill child" is conditional, so you can call children:

• up to a year, if the child falls ill with acute respiratory infections more than 4 times a year;
• from 1 to 3 years, if the baby is more than 6 times a year;
• 3-5 years - 5 or more acute respiratory infections per year;
• older than 5 - 4 acute respiratory infections per year.

Frequently ill children include those babies who get sick longer than others (if the treatment of a cold is delayed for 10-14 days).

The immune system is responsible for protecting the body from infections. If the immune system is weakened, then the body cannot resist an attack from outside. There are a lot of reasons for weakening protection. Everything you need to know about how children's immunity works and how to strengthen it (new!). For convenience, we distinguish between medical and non-medical.

Medical reasons

If the child often and for a long time has colds, it must be shown to the doctor. Attention is needed first draw on gut health, because it is in it that "lives" about 70% of immunity. Substances are absorbed in the intestines, which become the basis for the formation of a healthy immune system. An improperly functioning intestine does not allow the absorption of useful substances and vitamins from food, the body weakens.

For the proper functioning of the intestines, it is necessary to adjust the diet, the child must eat right:

• do not drink carbonated drinks and do not eat fast food;
• eat dairy products;
• eat foods rich in fiber;
• do not eat very fatty, fried, overly salty foods;
• drink enough clean water;
• very moderately sweet and baked goods.

Weakened immunity may be caused by dysbiosis, in this case, it is necessary to take feces for analysis and undergo a course of treatment prescribed by a doctor.

Another common cause of reduced immunity is low hemoglobin. In the language of doctors, this disease is called "iron deficiency anemia." A child can often get sick due to a lack of iron in his body, since it is this element that is responsible for the proper functioning of the immune system. You can find out about the lack of iron using a blood test (hemoglobin level will be lower than 110 g / l, the number of red blood cells is less than 3.8 x 1012 / l). You can guess about the low hemoglobin of a child by external signs:

• pale skin, lips and mucous membranes;
• lethargy;
• poor appetite;
• frequent colds;
• behavior change;
• bowel disorders.

Daily walks in the fresh air and foods rich in iron will help to avoid a decrease in hemoglobin. In the child's menu you need to include:

• vegetables: potatoes, pumpkin;
• fruits: apples, pears;
• cereals: buckwheat;
• legumes: lentils, beans.
• meat: beef (veal).

For better absorption of iron, vegetables can be combined with fish, meat.

If the child is breastfed, the diet should be observed by the nursing mother: meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs are useful. For a while, it is worth giving up sweets.

Low hemoglobin and digestive problems are some of the most common immune-suppressing problems, however, they are not the only ones, the protection of the child's body can be reduced due to:

The named reasons are conditionally allocated to the medical group, since qualified medical assistance is needed to eliminate them, let's move on to non-medical reasons.

Do I need to treat every sneeze

How often have you met young mothers who are ready to treat every manifestation of a cold? The child coughed or sneezed, it is necessary to spray the medicine into the throat, give an antihistamine, an antibiotic and a bunch of other things. The child's body is just beginning to "get involved" in the fight against infection, and "caring" parents and grandmothers are already "rushing to the rescue" with a mountain of miraculous medicines. As a result of such a "drug attack" at an early age, children grow up weak. Parents of such babies often complain that any (even the most insignificant) "sore" has to be treated with antibiotics, then the digestive system requires treatment. It turns out a vicious circle.

Children must be sick

It may sound paradoxical, but it is true. There is a common belief that a child must experience 50 episodes of snot in order to develop immunity.

On diseases, the child's body trains its immune system, helps it to form. And if you take away from the body the opportunity to train in childhood, then protection will not form.

All of the above only says that you need to give the child's body the opportunity to cope with the ailment on their own, and not try to immediately drown out the symptoms that have appeared. Let it be difficult at first, but in the future the child will endure colds much easier.

Do not forget about the principle of reasonableness. Each baby is individual, in some children the cough may go away after frequent ventilation of the room and walks, while in others only after taking antibiotics. Feel free to contact doctors.

From personal experience

After the appointment of hormone therapy at the very beginning of my pregnancy without tests and serious indications, my faith in the literacy and adequacy of doctors was greatly shaken, although before that even such thoughts did not arise. Thank God, everything is in order with the child, he was born healthy, but it was a serious lesson for me. I started reading a lot of literature and medical forums.

The first time Maxim fell ill when he was 5 months old (fully breastfeeding). I was sick with high fever, snot, cough and vomiting. There are no words to convey my condition and all the experiences of those weeks, but I knew one thing - any medicine at this age can cause much more harm to a child than this virus. All this time I "meditated" on the symptoms, that is, I tried to catch the moment when it was already dangerous to rely only on the strength of the child's body. And we managed, practically only with chamomile and salt water. The only thing was that they brought down the heat with candles. Of course, I was not alone, I was supported by my husband and an experienced neonatologist whom I trust. But first of all, the mother must take responsibility for herself, be confident in herself and her decisions. A good doctor gives only recommendations.

After that there were several episodes of snot, a severe adenovirus infection at 10 months. We got sick a lot, each time we tried to minimize medications, but sometimes we could not do without them. If earlier every illness was a shock and a mini-war for me, now it is a domestic situation. I used to think how not to harm the child's body, now I am grateful for the opportunity to "pump" his immunity.

If your child is often sick, this does not always mean that there are problems in the body, perhaps he “meets” viruses more often than others, the body begins to fight and the immune system gives a more active protective response (high temperature, snot, etc.), than other children.

From the experience of my close friend:

"My child got sick very often. The desire to help quickly led to the fact that when the first transparent snot appeared, vasoconstrictor drops were instilled into the nose, cough was immediately treated with numerous syrups, a slight increase in temperature with suppositories. As a result, by 2 years, the baby "clung" to any infection, practically every cough turns into tracheitis or bronchitis.

A competent doctor helped, who advised me to take the child to the village for the summer. The child was allowed to do everything that was forbidden at ordinary times: to run through the puddles, to swim for a long time.

The nearest pharmacy was 15 kilometers from the village, so it was not possible to immediately treat the symptoms of a cold. After the summer holidays, the child was unrecognizable: he practically stopped getting sick. Yes, and my approach to the treatment of diseases has changed: drugs were used only when all other means had been tried.

Of course, I will not argue that it is good to be treated without drugs, there are diseases that simply cannot be cured in another way. In any treatment, it is important to comply with the measure. Before starting treatment, you should consult with a specialist you trust.

Is grandma right?

Our wise ancestors had a custom not to show the child to anyone in the first 40 days from the moment of birth. Such behavior was not devoid of common sense. The tiny baby had just come into the new world, he needed to adapt to it, his protective function had to gradually “tune in” to the right job, so no one but the parents was allowed to see the child.

Some modern families consider this approach obsolete, they begin to visit crowded places (shops, clinics) with a small child. Moreover, these visits are not always caused by an urgent need, often parents are simply bored of sitting at home, and fresh air is good for the baby.

The air, of course, is useful, but only clean, which cannot be said about modern shopping centers and hospitals. A newborn baby can easily catch an infection from anyone near the stroller, so in the first few weeks from birth it is better:

• do not visit crowded places with the child;
• take walks in the forest or park area.

Psychosomatics in action

This is one of the most useful discoveries of psychology. The doctrine is based on the assertion that diseases are associated with internal experiences, psychological problems of the child. Children are trying to get through to their parents. So, a frequent cough "talks" about the impossibility of expressing oneself, a runny nose - about an unshed insult, otitis media - about a desire not to hear the cries of parents.

Through illness, children try to “tell” their parents about the problems of adaptation at school, kindergarten, and sometimes a child’s illness is his desire to stay with his parents longer, to feel needed.

It is not a fact that each case of the disease is associated only with parental psychosomatics.

In certain situations, it is important to “turn on your head” and not miss the onset of a serious illness, when serious treatment may really be needed. Check with your doctor.

Today, many mothers are asking questions about why a child often gets sick, what to do to improve his health. All parents try to protect their baby from infections. However, no matter how hard they try, they still get sick. Children are most susceptible to frequent viral infections at preschool age. Why is this happening? Let's figure it out.

Frequently ill child at 1 year

Children under the age of two often get sick, because their immune system has not yet been strengthened as it should be. Any infection in their body gets much more often and faster than to an adult baby. If a small child is often sick, what should I do? 1 year is the age when many drugs are contraindicated.

Immunity is weak and decreases even more if antibiotics are given to the child. To begin with, parents should note what lifestyle their baby leads. Perhaps he lacks fresh air, hardening, proper nutrition. Some parents believe that if the weather is bad outside: snow, frost or drizzle, you should not go out for a walk.

Mom should try to breastfeed her baby for as long as possible. After all, it is not in vain that they say that in this case the child is less susceptible to infections. All year round, the baby will not hurt to brew chamomile, juice and other herbs for drinking, which strengthen the immune system. You can give them instead of compote or tea.

Frequently ill child at 2 years old

Parents of older children also have similar concerns. If a child (2 years old) is often sick, what to do in this case? In theory, his immunity is already stronger. This is an erroneous opinion. A 2-year-old child still requires special attention. But you can already buy medicines that will help in the treatment of the baby. However, it is worth remembering that their excessive use reduces immunity, especially antibiotics.

Antiviral medications that will help to cope with the disease will not interfere with the child. Vitamins, proteins, lean meat in the child's diet should be present daily. Very often, children get sick at the age of 2 during the period when they start attending kindergarten. This is due to the meager dining room menu.

Why do children who attend kindergarten often get sick, and what to do about it?

Children who go to preschool institutions get sick more often by 10-15% than those at home. Why is it so? At home, parents protect their babies from any infection. During quarantine, they try not to take children to crowded places, avoid contact with the sick. When the baby begins to go to kindergarten, he receives a different infection from his peers. It is very often observed that parents bring children with viral infections to the team, and they infect healthy ones.

The child often gets sick in the kindergarten, what should I do? This question worries many parents. Of course, it will not be possible to completely avoid diseases, since the body must fight, but it is possible to minimize them.

To begin with, the child needs to ensure a healthy lifestyle. His bedroom, where he sleeps, must be clean, well ventilated daily. On the street or at home, he should be dressed in the same way as his parents. It is desirable to accustom the child to sports as early as possible. It is better to give him non-carbonated water, compotes, juices, herbal teas to drink. All this will help to strengthen the immune system.

In the summer, the child should spend as much time as possible outdoors. River, sea, warm sand - all this increases immunity. After an illness, there is no need to rush to kindergarten, let him stay at home for 5-7 days to strengthen the body.

If the baby brings the infection next time, it may take much longer to recover. Important! With the baby it is necessary to undergo a full course of treatment, if it is interrupted, complications are possible.

Frequent illnesses in kindergarten are normal. According to doctors, the ideal age for a child to visit public places is 3-3.5 years. By this age, the immune system is ready to fight viral infections.

Frequently ill children at 5 years of age

Even after the child has undergone a full adaptation in kindergarten, he continues to get sick often. Why does this happen and what to do in this case? This is usually due to the fact that the child's immunity is still weakened, since the child has taken certain medications for a long period or has suffered a serious illness.

The child often gets sick, what should I do? 5 years is the age when the baby can be explained that hands must be washed with soap and water after a walk. Also, before the quarantine time has come, it is advisable to get vaccinated against infectious diseases. It is very good during this period to take various immunomodulators that will support the body in a difficult period. Of course, we must not forget about hardening. If you follow all the rules, children will not stop getting sick at all, but some infections can be avoided.

Angina and its treatment

Angina is an infection of the tonsils. It is accompanied by high fever and sore throat. If a child often has a sore throat, what should I do in this case? First you need to understand the reason.

To do this, you need to pass all the tests as prescribed by the doctor and turn to Laura. Frequent angina is possible if one of the parents has a chronic disease of the upper respiratory tract.

Often sick child: what to do? Visiting a children's team or crowded places can provoke a sore throat. If the child is very small, then it is better to put sparing compresses from cabbage leaves or cottage cheese, spray the throat, be sure to give warm milk to drink with a piece of butter. The main thing is that you need to treat in a complex.

A child from 3 years old can gargle. Therefore, you need to dilute it in a glass of warm boiled water 0.5 tsp. soda. It is impossible to warm up the throat with various folk remedies in the form of lamps and salt! The disease will only get worse. Frequent drinking will help the child reduce the temperature. It is undesirable to shoot it down to the mark of 38.5.

With frequent tonsillitis, many doctors recommend an operation to remove the tonsils. This is an unpleasant procedure. The throat hurts after the operation for another month. Therefore, it is better to try to avoid this unpleasant surgical intervention. So that the sore throat does not become chronic, it is better to gradually harden the child with a contrast shower, strengthen his immune system with vitamins, vegetables, fruits, and in the summer it is advisable to take him to the sea (at least for 14 days). Then the baby will be less sick.

What to do with frequent ARVI diseases

If children often get sick with viral infections, this means one thing - reduced immunity. In this case, you cannot leave your kids without the supervision of a doctor. Complications may arise, and then parents will not understand what caused this.

SARS is a disease that is transmitted by airborne droplets. In order to understand what kind of infection the child has, all the necessary tests prescribed by the doctor are taken. ARVI is treated at home, but under the supervision of a doctor. In this case, there is a change in temperature, respiratory tract and nasopharynx. If a child is often sick with ARVI, what should be done in this case to avoid relapses? A comprehensive treatment approach should be carried out. The diet must include fruits and vegetables.

It is better to offer a drink to a baby in the form of juices, fruit drinks, milk with honey or compotes. If the child does not have a temperature, then you can put mustard plasters. The medicine must be given according to the doctor's prescription. Only complex treatment will help the child to cure for a long time. After an illness, it is better to try not to visit places where there are a lot of people, the body needs to get stronger. The most important thing is to protect the child from all kinds of drafts. This is the first friend of the disease.

What to do with frequent bronchitis?

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi. The first symptom of this disease is a cough of any form (wet or dry). Bronchitis is treated exclusively under medical supervision. If it is not treated properly or self-medicated, this will lead to pneumonia, etc.

Many parents are afraid of such consequences and ask the question: “The child often gets sick with bronchitis: what should I do?”. First of all, you need to carry out daily inhalations with the baby, give warm milk with honey to drink, and medicines as prescribed by the doctor. If a child has bronchitis more than four times a year, they are diagnosed with chronic bronchitis. If this disease is mild, then you can take the drugs orally, with a severe form, only injections are prescribed.

The child often suffers from bronchitis: what to do? Any doctor will advise him to temper and walk more in the fresh air, and make the child's lifestyle as comfortable as possible. With frequent bronchitis in the baby's room, daily wet cleaning should be carried out, so it will be easier for him to breathe. It is advisable to remove the entire dust container (in the form of soft toys, carpets, etc.).

Causes of common childhood illnesses

Very often the child gets sick if the environment is unfavorable for him. It can be low-quality products, the wrong daily routine, polluted air. Because of all these unpleasant factors, the child's immunity decreases, as a result of which he increasingly begins to get sick. As a rule, after contact with children, a baby can get new infections, with which it will be increasingly difficult for his body to cope.

Sometimes it is impossible to do without drugs, but only in acute and advanced forms. Often the child is sick, what to do in this case? At the initial stage of the disease, the child can be given tablets or syrups to maintain immunity, vitamins C and D. Also shown is a warm drink, mustard plasters, honey. When coughing, compresses made from cottage cheese or potato cakes effectively help.

With a runny nose, it is advisable to do mustard baths, but only if there is no temperature. If the child is breastfeeding, the most effective remedy will be washing and instillation of the nose with mother's milk. With sore throat, gargle every half an hour. For children, you need to make a weak solution. Do not take antibiotics or other medicines right away. From them, the immune system weakens, which leads to frequent colds.

What Komarovsky says about frequently ill children

According to Dr. Komarovsky, it is quite normal for a child who attends a children's group to get sick 6-10 times a year. He says that if in childhood they often struggle with various colds and overcome them, then these children very rarely take infections on their bodies when they become adults.

The child often gets sick, what should I do? Komarovsky advises bed rest for the first 5 days, since the virus in the human body can no longer live only if it is not treated at all. During illness, you don’t need to move much, as there is a risk of a long recovery and infection of those around you. When the temperature rises, it is necessary to give an antipyretic, but tablets, especially immunomodulators, are not necessary.

The child often gets sick, what should I do? Komarovsky believes that it is quite possible to cure a baby with the help of natural vitamins and drinking plenty of water. Often getting sick with ARVI is completely normal and, according to the doctor, is not scary. The main task of parents is to cure the child without antibiotics and drugs.

In the fresh air, viruses are transmitted less frequently than indoors, so you can even go outside with a sick baby, just avoid places where there are people. Daily airing of the room is necessary even when the baby is sleeping, leave the window open for 2-3 hours, and cover him himself.

Prevention, according to Dr. Komarovsky, is indicated for the entire period of the disease and 2 weeks after it, you can not communicate with people. A weakened body can take on another infection, which can be a complication with a sharp recurrence of the disease. As doctor Komarovsky advises mothers, it is necessary to learn to be treated without pharmacies, they must be protected in case of emergency. With viral infections, the first thing that is given to the child is liquid (milk, compote, herbs).

How to strengthen the immunity of the child so that he gets sick less often?

To strengthen the immune system, it is not necessary to rush to give the medicine. First you need to create a comfortable lifestyle for the baby. Let him learn to observe hygiene, wash his hands not only after the street, but also after the toilet. Mom can offer the whole family to wash toys in soapy water every day. During quarantine, try not to go shopping with the baby, do not ride in transport. If it is possible not to attend kindergarten, then it is better to stay at home during the spread of viruses.

The presence of fish, meat, cereals, dairy products is mandatory in the child's menu. Try to give sweets as little as possible (buns, sweets, sugar, etc.). Gradually, you can accustom the child to hardening. A contrast shower is very useful to use daily. If you create all the conditions, then the child will get sick less often.

In order for the child to get sick as little as possible, it is necessary to take care of him before his birth. Parents should live in an ecologically clean area and be tested for all possible diseases. The main thing is that they are not transmitted to the child. Mom during pregnancy must be limited from stress and from communicating with a sick person.

When a baby is born, he needs to be breastfed for as long as possible. It is not necessary to take a child under three years old to the kindergarten, since the body is still weakened. He gets stronger closer to four years, then communication in the team will not hurt him. If the child began to get sick often, and this is 10 times a year or more, then you need to be examined by such doctors: an endocrinologist, an immunologist, an allergist and a pediatrician. Pass all relevant tests prescribed by doctors. After the doctor has written a prescription, the baby must be treated in a complex and in no case should it be interrupted so that there are no unpleasant consequences. There is no need to self-medicate, as you can harm him even more.

Conclusion

Help your baby be healthy. This is a lot of work for parents. Nothing is impossible, and it is quite possible to do without antibiotics and injections. Create comfortable living conditions for your child, temper him. You will be surprised that your child will start to get sick less, while without medication.

Most often, young children get sick (6 times or more). Over the age of 3 years, children who have a cold more often than five are often considered ill, and over 5 years - more than 4 times a year. In some of these children, the intervals between diseases do not exceed 1-2 weeks. These children get sick throughout the year regardless of the season. Usually these are children with reduced resistance, the reasons for which are different for each child.
Genetic predisposition matters. Remember, didn’t you, parents, have equally frequent diseases in childhood? If they were, then this explains a lot, but should not discourage you. If this has passed with age, it does not mean that your child will end just as well. Predisposition can be expressed in the form of diathesis: allergic, lymphatic. Chronic eating disorders, chronic diseases of the liver, kidneys, digestive tract, endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, obesity), diseases of the nervous system matter.
Hereditary predisposition is realized in frequent diseases under the influence of adverse environmental influences. The cause of frequent morbidity may be a decrease in resistance against the background of a deficiency in the body of vitamins, against the background of anemia. Long-term exposure to adverse environmental factors, long-term intake of products containing xenobiotics and dyes matter. A decrease in resistance to infections can be induced by long-term use of certain drugs: antibiotics, hormonal, anticoagulants. Decreased immunity to infections is often due to psycho-emotional and physical overload, as well as stress. Unfavorable social and living conditions, passive smoking, premature start of the child's visit to a preschool institution can be the reason for frequent illnesses in a child.
As you can see, in all cases, the child's frequent illnesses are associated with his low anti-infective resistance, but the reasons for this may be different. Therefore, the success of treatment depends not so much on how deeply you can study your child's immunity (this, of course, is also necessary), but on identifying and eliminating these causes.

How to increase resistance to infections in a frequently ill child?

Treatment of frequently ill children should be strictly differentiated and, as has just been noted, primarily aimed at eliminating external causes of reduced resistance to infections. Numerous studies have shown that stimulating therapy, which we will talk about now, can reduce the incidence of diseases by 6-12 months. But if the child continues to live in an ecologically unfavorable area, if he constantly breathes polluted air, if he is overloaded at school, or if he does not develop relationships with classmates (etc.), he will begin to get sick often again.
Of great importance are the rational regime of the day and a varied diet. With frequent diseases in the child's body, the consumption of vitamins and minerals increases, which is not compensated by their content in food. Therefore, a mandatory component of the recovery of frequently ill children is vitamin therapy, during which it is advisable to use multivitamin complexes enriched with microelements (revit, undevit, glutamevit, centrum, vitacitrol, multi-sanostol, bevigsheks, betotal, biovital, etc.).
The nonspecific resistance of a child can be increased by repeated courses of biostimulating agents: ginseng, eleutherococcus, Chinese or Far Eastern magnolia vine, leuzea, echinacea, immunal, apilactose (royal jelly of bees), apidiquirite (royal jelly with licorice), propolis (bee glue), linetol (preparation from linseed oil), pantocrine (deer antler extract).
With a general strengthening and vitaminizing purpose, herbal preparations can be used. For example, viburnum fruits - 10 g, mint leaves - 10 g, sage grass - 10 g, lemon balm grass - 5 g or nettle leaves - 10 g, rose hips - 5 g, elecampane root - 3 g. To prepare a decoction, 10 g of this collection pour 200 ml of cold water, boil on low heat for 10 minutes, insist on a water bath for 1 hour and take 100 ml 1 time per day after meals. Treatment with decoctions is carried out 2 times a year for 2-3 weeks.
Vaccination is a specific method for preventing recurrent respiratory diseases. Currently, polyvalent vaccine preparations are being produced that provide the formation of a child's protection against a large number of pathogens of respiratory infections. These drugs include bronchomunal, IRS-19 (nasal drops), as well as combining the properties of vaccines and immunocorrector ribomunil (tablets or sachets with granules). These drugs are used for long (up to 6 months) intermittent courses. To achieve the desired effect, you need patience and diligence.
Specific vaccines have been developed to prevent some of the more severe colds. These diseases primarily include influenza, the virus of which is very variable. The emergence and spread of a new variant of the virus every few years causes severe epidemics. Modern medicine quickly responds to the epidemiological situation by creating anti-influenza vaccines. In anticipation of the outbreak of the epidemic, mass vaccination of the population against influenza is carried out, which is not included in the mandatory vaccination schedule and which parents often refuse. However, it should be understood that the risk of complications after modern influenza vaccines is very small, and the likelihood of a severe course of influenza that can cause dangerous complications is very high.
The next direction in the treatment of frequently ill children may be the use of immunomodulators - agents that directly affect individual parts of the immune system. These agents include levamisole (decaris), prodigiosan, sodium nucleic acid, polyoxidonium, licopid, immunorix. For the same purpose, drugs derived from the thymus gland, one of the central organs of the immune system (taktavin, thymalin, thymogen) are used. Homeopathic remedies are also used to prevent colds. For example, recently the drug oscillococcinum has been popular.
In some cases, prolonged circulation of the virus in the child's body is possible. In this case, the doctor may prescribe your child a course of antiviral interferon drugs (alfaferon, lokferon, viferon, roferon, reaferon) or agents that stimulate their formation in the body (cycloferon, amixin, ridostin, poludon).

Interference with the immune system requires caution. The choice of the drug that is optimal for your child, stimulating a specific weakened link in the immune system, the choice of treatment regimen, doses and duration of therapy courses should be made by the doctor. Your task is to be sympathetic to the need for strict implementation of his recommendations.
Given the mechanism for the development of colds, conducting stimulating therapy, one should not forget about the need to harden the child.

A child who often gets sick with colds, in the opinion of any parent, is a good reason for concern, a thorough medical examination and long-term treatment. And for any grandmother, this is also an indisputable basis for enhanced nutrition of this child, as well as for a categorical taboo on open windows in the whole house. In a word, FCI (often ill child) is a serious problem for the whole family. Is it really? And what really should be done if the child is often sick? Finally, "often" is how much?

If a child often suffers from colds - is it really that bad? And should parents panic about this? Let's tell!

Who and how falls into the category of "frequently ill children"?

The term "frequently ill children" (which parents usually affectionately abbreviate to FIC in conversations with each other) was coined by pediatricians from Soviet polyclinics in order to track the general situation of morbidity in the region and find out the reasons why certain children of different ages get sick much more often than others . Under diseases, first of all, all kinds of acute respiratory infections are meant.

And today, the abbreviation CHBD often "flaunts" on children's medical records. How do babies fall into this category? In this regard, domestic pediatrics has a clear "passing" framework:

I must say - practice shows that most of our children have acute respiratory infections (and in particular -) much more often than indicated in the table, and therefore, almost all of our children, according to domestic doctors, automatically belong to the category of "frequently ill children" - literally all CBD except .

The frequency of so-called colds in a child increases dramatically at the moment when he begins to actively communicate with other children - he begins to attend a kindergarten or school, communicates daily on the playground, etc.

But foreign doctors are of the opinion that for a child who actively attends children's institutions and groups (in other words, for those kids who go to kindergarten or school, and also walk on the playground, go to children's matinees and to the cinema, etc. .) getting sick with viral infections from 6 to 10 times a year is absolutely normal and even useful in a certain sense. After all, every time, coping with another infection, the child's immunity becomes stronger and stronger. In fact, this is how it is formed.

So, it is quite possible that your anxieties called “my child is often sick” from the point of view of Western doctors do not have any grounds for concern and panic at all.

The frequency of episodes of the incidence of viral infections directly depends on how intensively you and your children are in contact with other people and other babies. After all, every human body is a carrier of a gigantic amount of viruses and bacteria that we constantly exchange during communication. Living in a metropolis, leading an active lifestyle and not getting sick often is almost impossible. It is important to simply change the very attitude towards this circumstance: getting sick often for children 1-10 years old is not scary, it is normal in the conditions of modern urban realities.

As the child grows older, the immunity of the baby will get stronger and the often ill child will turn into a rarely ill teenager on its own.

What matters is not how often the child gets sick, but how quickly he recovers.

So, let us recall: if a child is often sick, this does not indicate any anomaly in his immune system, and there is no threat to his health in this. The child continues to be perfectly normal even after the doctors have written "CHBD" on his medical record.

The main thing in this whole situation is not how often the child gets sick, but at what cost the baby recovers. If each viral infection (ARVI) in a child proceeds within the limits of the permissible, without complications, and passes without a trace in a period of about 7-8 days, then the parents simply have no cause for concern. Even if the baby picks up such viral infections with a frequency of once a month.

And what does it mean - "to get sick within the limits of the permissible"? Normally, any standard ARVI in a child should go away on its own when certain conditions are created approximately 6-7 days after infection. Certain conditions mean:

• during SARS, the child should receive plenty of fluids;
• a child with a viral infection should eat only if he himself asked(if the child has no appetite, it is absolutely impossible to feed him!);
• a child with SARS should be in a room with an air temperature of no more than 19 ° C(at the same time, the baby must, of course, be warmly dressed) and with a humidity of about 55-65%;

If these simple conditions are met, then, as a rule, the baby does not need any drug treatment (with the exception of the use of antipyretics in cases where the body temperature has exceeded 38 ° C).

After 5 days from the moment of infection, the child's body will independently produce such an amount of interferons (cell defenders) that they themselves will defeat the disease, regardless of whether you give the child additional ones or not. That is why many pediatricians insist that during the course of SARS without complications, one should not rush with drug therapy for a child, but it is quite possible to stop at drinking plenty of water and favorite cartoons.

Individual symptoms, such as or even a frequently ill ARVI, are also quite effectively treated without medication - we have already written about this in detail.

If, under these conditions, your baby gets sick easily and recovers quickly, then no matter how often he gets sick with viral infections, this should not cause any feelings of anxiety, much less a desire to “finally give him some more effective medicine.”

Can a frequently ill child end up as a rarely ill adolescent and adult?

And those kids who get sick only 1-2 times a year, and those who manage to "catch" a dozen SARS in 6 months - both of them, growing up, equally develop stronger and more stable immunity. Accordingly, the older children become, the less often they get sick.

Frequently ill children (FIC) continue to get sick often into adulthood, usually only when they grow up (and endlessly “heal”) surrounded by hypochondriac relatives. And with adequate parents (who try not to “overfeed” the child with all kinds of syrups and pills with “every sneeze”, do not soar his feet in boiling water every evening, etc.), children, even if they are often ill, always grow up into rarely ill teenagers.

Often a sick child brings a lot of trouble and worries to parents. In some families, problems begin from the first months of the baby's birth, but more often a whole cascade of respiratory infections hits the baby when he turns 2-3 years old. At this age, most of the children go to preschool institutions, and it is much easier to catch an infection in kindergarten, and later at school. Consider what to do if a child often has colds and how to boost immunity.

Often ill children differ from ordinary ones not in symptoms, but in the duration and severity of the manifestations of the disease. Doctors classify a child in this category on the following grounds:

1. When infected with SARS, the baby's temperature rises and lasts for at least a week or has a wave-like character.
2. Sore throat occurs even after a little hypothermia or a glass of ice cream.
3. The baby's nose is stuffed all the time. You have to breathe through your mouth, which causes snoring and sniffing in your sleep.
4. Cough is difficult to treat, residual effects in the form of coughing are also present between episodes of diseases.
5. The kid suffers from headaches, painful sensations in the ears and limbs.

Such children constantly suffer from tonsillitis and bronchitis during the cold season.

There is a medical classification that suggests that the child is often ill:

Why does a child often get colds?

Factors that negatively affect the health of the baby are:

• Heredity;
• Infectious diseases transferred by the mother during pregnancy, complicated by purulent-septic processes;
• Hypoxia during childbirth;
• Improper nutrition with a deficiency of valuable substances;
• Bad ecology;
• Allergic and endocrine diseases in a baby;
• Dysbacteriosis.

All these reasons lead to a decrease in the immunity of the child. When any harmful microorganism enters, the weakened defense system cannot cope, which leads to the development of an infectious disease.

Negatively affects health and unfavorable microclimate in the family. Because of the bad habits of adults, their neglect of cleanliness, frequent quarrels and scandals, the youngest members of the family suffer the most. It is the parents who are responsible for the fact that their children often get sick. If you initially accustom the baby to hygiene, morning exercises, if the family has a stable psychological situation, then the health of the children is getting stronger.

To accurately determine the causes of persistent ailments, it is necessary to undergo diagnostic procedures. These include a general analysis of urine and blood, culture of discharge from the nose and throat to determine sensitivity to antibiotics. In difficult cases, it is necessary to conduct an extended immunogram, which determines the weaknesses in the child's defense system.

Based on the results, the doctor will draw up a therapeutic and wellness course that will strengthen the immune system and reduce the incidence of the baby. If nothing is done, constant colds will develop into more serious diseases: a variety of otolaryngological pathologies, chronic diseases of the respiratory system, kidneys.

What is the difference between frequently ill children of different ages?

The growth of the protective forces of the baby goes with every passing year. The reaction of the body to external adverse factors varies in children of different ages.

From birth to two years

At this age, most diseases are due to the fact that children's immunity has not fully formed. Many medicines are contraindicated for such crumbs. What to do if the baby does not eat well, lags behind in development from peers, and even more so constantly has a fever and coughs. Here you need a doctor's help. Treatment of frequently ill young children is carried out only under medical supervision.

Proper nutrition for your baby is important. If possible, breast milk. A one-year-old child begins to give complementary foods. You need to make sure that there is no allergy to new products.

At 2 years old, the crumbs are usually recorded by a preschool institution. In kindergarten, healthy children begin to get sick more often, and with a weakened, frail baby, the mother will not leave the hospital at all. Therefore, measures to increase immunity - fortification, hardening, establishing the correct daily routine should be started even in the pre-sad period. You can not refuse from the preventive vaccinations prescribed by the calendar.

Three to six years

Children attending preschool institutions suffer from infections 15% more often than children at home. Why does a child often get sick in kindergarten? The causative agents of respiratory and intestinal infections most often pass from one person to another. It is very easy to catch a virus or acquire pathogenic bacteria in a children's team.

Important! You should not give the crumbs to the garden until the age of 3 - by the age of three, the protective system will already be sufficiently formed.

It is important to monitor the nutrition of the baby. Far from all preschool institutions offer a menu rich in valuable trace elements and vitamins. Their deficiency should be replenished at home.

Schoolchildren and teenagers

In schoolchildren up to the fifth grade, a high incidence of respiratory infections is associated with the same reasons as in kindergarten. One or two children in the class become sources of infection. That is why it is so important for frequently ill children. It will not only protect against, but also strengthen immunity to all SARS. Such vaccinations are carried out en masse in the garden and at school. They can be done only outside the period of exacerbations of ailments. If a preschooler or schoolchild is very often sick, it is worth consulting with a doctor before vaccination about an individual immunization schedule.

In adolescents, immunity is already fully formed, and the principles of infection and treatment are the same as in adults. The incidence is decreasing, but preventive measures, especially in the pre-epidemic period, must be observed.

What else do parents need to know whose baby is constantly getting sick?

Often sick children require special attention from relatives. There are certain points that fathers and mothers need to take into account so that the child becomes healthy and strong:

1. Reduced immunity may occur due to infection with helminths. If the baby coughs for no reason, grinds his teeth at night, often sweats and puts his fingers in his mouth, he probably has. You need to see a doctor - he will prescribe tests and appropriate treatment.
2. Certain medications can increase the sensitivity of the crumbs to respiratory diseases. There are no safe pharmaceuticals; any medications can only be given as directed by a pediatrician.
3. An allergic reaction and a corresponding decrease in immunity can be caused by products with a pungent odor - from paints to shampoos and deodorants. Insufficient wet cleaning and accumulation of dust in the child's room also lead to allergies.
4. Vitamins for frequently ill children should be recommended by a doctor. Uncontrolled intake of vitamin and mineral complexes can also lead to allergies.
5. Dry air, especially during the heating period, irritates the baby's weakened airways. It is worth buying a humidifier or at least putting bowls of water under hot radiators.
6. Dress your little one for the weather. Do not unnecessarily wrap the child, because the disease can provoke not only hypothermia, but also sweating.

Toys with a strong smell or paint that stains hands should not be bought. You also need to wash teddy bears and hares more often. Dust accumulates on soft toys, pathogenic microorganisms start in them, causing allergic reactions.

What does medical rehabilitation of frequently ill children include?

Often sick children need certain medical procedures. They include:

• Sanitation of foci of chronic ailments (cure of caries, adenoids, etc.);
• Physiotherapy (UVR, speleotherapy, magneto-laser therapy, balneotherapy, inductothermy, other procedures);
• Reception.

Suitable adaptogens are selected by the doctor. It can be echinacea tincture, preparations with ginseng, beekeeping products (honey, propolis, royal jelly). It is important to ensure that natural immune stimulants do not cause allergies in a weakened child. Pharmaceutical preparations of this spectrum, suitable for young children, include Bronchoimmunal and Anaferon.

If the child is often sick with colds, the pediatrician can give recommendations on therapeutic exercises or referral to classes at the health center. For such children, special sets of exercises have been developed. This includes respiratory exercises for frequently ill children, which help to combat nasal insufficiency, restore blood circulation in the lungs and prevent adhesive processes. A general training will increase the tone of a weakened child, harden his muscles and improve the neuropsychic sphere. Such exercises are carried out strictly dosed and only under the supervision of a specialist.

How to increase immunity at home?

Moms and dads often ask a pediatrician: “Why do children get sick all the time?” Having received an answer about reduced immunity, they begin to panic. But here we are not talking about a serious illness - congenital immunodeficiency, but about pain due to the influence of negative factors that weaken the baby's defense system. To strengthen it, you need to streamline the life regime of the crumbs and the whole family.

The main thing to pay attention to is nutrition. For babies, breast milk is the best option. The menu of older children should certainly include dairy products, lean meats, fish, cereals, vegetables and fruits. Fast food, lemonades, smoked meats and marinades will have to be abandoned. Replace cakes and sweets with natural sweets - marshmallow, marmalade, jam.

It would be ideal to contact a nutritionist who will draw up an individual nutrition plan for the baby in accordance with age and chronic ailments.

hardening

The second important point is hardening procedures. How to temper a frequently ill child? Do not wrap up the baby, do not overheat his room. The ideal temperature is between 18 and 22 degrees. Be outdoors more often. A little rain and snow should not become an obstacle for walking. Inclement weather is a kind of adaptation to the environment.

Tempering sickly children also includes:

• water procedures. These are regular douches, rubdowns (for the smallest) and bathing in the bath. During the first procedures, the water should not be colder than 32 degrees. Gradually, it can be made cooler, brought to room temperature, decreasing one degree every week.
• Barefoot walking on uneven ground. On sand, on pebbles, on grass. In winter, you can purchase a special orthopedic rug for your baby.
• Air baths. From birth, the baby should be left without clothes for a couple of minutes in a ventilated room at a temperature of at least 20 degrees. Gradually, the time increases - up to a quarter of an hour by the age of one year. The ambient temperature can be gradually reduced to 17 degrees. It is great if it is possible to carry out such baths in the fresh air.
• Rinse with cool herbal decoctions. This is especially useful if the baby suffers from tonsillitis, tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

Before you harden your baby, consult a pediatrician.

The third important method of raising immunity is exercise. They stimulate the immune system to fight infection. Mom or dad will help babies do exercises. This can be a gentle sipping of the arms and legs, their bending. After doing these exercises, massage the crumbs in a clockwise circular motion back and stomach.

With older children, arrange fun games in nature or at home. Set up a mini-corner for physical education in the room and go out for exercises with the whole family.

Often ill children can strengthen immunity with the help of natural gifts. Herbal teas with mint, cranberries, lingonberries, mountain ash, sea buckthorn, viburnum, chamomile and rose hips will saturate the body with essential vitamins, in particular, ascorbic acid. It helps fight pathogenic microbes and increases resistance to infections.

What to do if the baby gets sick again?

According to doctors, it is impossible to abuse pharmaceutical preparations, especially antibiotics. So, the famous pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky recommends that the child spend the first five days of illness in bed. So he will save strength for recovery and will not infect the people around him.

An antipyretic crumb should be given only if the temperature has exceeded 38 degrees. Before that, a plentiful fortified drink will help - best of all, natural berry fruit drinks and herbal teas.

Frequent ventilation of the room where the young patient is located is mandatory. And when the temperature drops, you can go for a walk. Fresh air will eliminate the remnants of the infection and give a charge of vivacity.

A recently ill baby should rest a bit at home and communicate less with people around him so that a new infection does not penetrate into a weakened body. You should not go with him to the rides or to the movies, drive him to shops or visit.

After an illness, the child should gradually enter the normal mode. Therefore, the restriction in contacts should not lead to sleep before noon and many hours of computer games. Good sleep, early rise, proper nutrition and walks will help you quickly return to normal life.

Do not forget about the family psychological climate. In an atmosphere of love, warmth and trust, the most frail baby becomes healthier. Yes, and adult family members will feel better. Happiness really inspires and heals!

Remember that only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis, do not self-medicate without consultation and diagnosis by a qualified doctor. Be healthy!