Why do kids get sick at school?

Why do kids get sick at school?

At school or daycare, young kids may spread germs more easily because they don’t know how to cough or sneeze while covering their mouths. In addition, the upper airways of young children aren’t fully developed until they are of school age, which puts them at risk for more frequent viral and bacterial infections. Young children have immature immune systems and have not yet developed immunity to a wide variety of common germs. On top of that, babies, toddlers and young children are extremely physically engaged in their environment. Parents often send sick kids to school because they don’t want them to miss out on even more in-person instruction. Plus, they’re trying to juggle work and home responsibilities. A: It varies a lot among kids. But most babies, toddlers and preschoolers can have as many as 12 colds a year and still be normal. On average, you’ll probably see between seven and eight infections a year. This number may be higher for children who are in child care or when they start school.

Is it normal for kids to get sick at school?

Back to school means a lot of things: new backpacks, new subjects to learn…and new germs. Frequent illness is a normal part of childhood – in fact, it’s perfectly normal for your child to come down with respiratory and/or stomach bugs six to eight times each year! It’s fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or common cold. But if they have a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes. Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues and to wash their hands regularly. Children before six months can still get sick, however over 6 months is more common because of their desire to put their hands (and thus germs as well) into their mouth. Pediatricians see a peak in illnesses in children from October through April. Even mild symptoms like sore throat, cough, or a headache can be signs of a COVID-19 infection that can spread to teachers or other kids. During the pandemic and after it’s over, kids should stay home when they have symptoms like a fever over 100.4°F, diarrhea, vomiting, or trouble breathing.