my daughter always seems to be ill....am i doing something wrong please give advice

Nancy - posted on 12/01/2010

My daughter was constantly sick as well when she was little. Throughout the years of testing different types of foods I have learned that a lot of her cold "symptoms"" are actually due to food allergies. Sounds silly but keep a journey of what your baby is eating and also how your baby is feeling, (times she is more congested and tired and when she is more energetic ) You may be able to figure out what her body doesn't like and avoid them. Hope it helps :0)

Stifler's - posted on 12/01/2010

Is it winter? Or just teething. Coz my kid was sick all winter with a runny nose AND teething and couldn't even tell what it was. Most babies get ear infections and all sorts of other crap.

Dawn - posted on 11/30/2010

does anyone smoke around here that can cause kids to get sick often

Michelle - posted on 11/30/2010

My sons two he start nursary in jan 11 months later he still ill every week. Amitted to hosptail twice. Doctor just say its normal.Joshua is lucky to have three days well, before a cold starts then ear infection or chest infection develops .

Laura - posted on 11/30/2010

Just because your baby gets sick a lot does not mean you are doing something wrong! As several of the post have already pointed out: Infants and toddlers have under-developed immune systems that are "learning" what germs to fight. Each time a child gets over an illness, the information about that germ (usually a virus) is stored in the body through the immune system. This can be lengthy proccess because there are a LOT of germs in the world. So, "yes", young kids DO tend to get sick alot, especially if they are in a social or public group like a daycare.

If you are still concerned about your child's health, consult with your doctor about possible food allergies. Jessie is right--food allergy symptoms can be similar to cold/flu symptoms, especially if those symptoms don't seem to ever go away. Your doctor may refer you to an allergist for testing. Milk, eggs, shellfish, peanuts and wheat/gluten are common food allergens. Dietary changes often improve the symptoms dramatically!

With that said, regular cold/flu symptoms can be soothed by avoiding dairy products for a few days. Milk is notorious for stimulating mucus production! Use rice, almond or soy milk as a substitute for a few days. If the child is over a year old, equal amounts of honey and lemon work wonders for soothing sore throats and coughs. Fresh ginger, grated and steeped in boiling water, makes an excellent tea for upset tummies. And don't forget--chicken soup! Chicken soup (homemade is the best but canned works too) can cure just about anything-- at least it seems like it does anyway! With plenty of fluids, little bodies will get over yucky stuff pretty quickly.
Hope this helps and good luck!

Dora - posted on 11/30/2010

My cousin felt the same way about her little one. He always had a runny nose and a cough. the doctors told her it was just a coold or virus each time. Then she took matters into her owns hands and sought a 2nd opinion. She found out that he had allergies to dust mites. So she went out and bought him a new mattress and pillow (the kind that dust mites can't penetrate). Ever since then he has been doing great.

Jessie - posted on 11/30/2010

It could be food allergies or food intolerance to something. My son was like this and we found out at 13 months that he is dairy intolerant (midly) we didnt figure it out for so long because he was breastfed. when we introduced cows milk in a cup things went downhill. then at 15 months his doctor referred him to an allergist because something was still not right. he was still having diarhea and had excema on his face and arms. we found out he is intolerant and allergic to wheat. he is much better and healthier now that he is on a dairy and wheat free diet. I also had to go on the diet until he weaned from breastfeeding. it was tough but he is so much better now. no more nagging cough (caused by the milk) or rashes (wheat allergy) or diarhea (both).
We are very lucky to have such a supportive doctor to listen to my concerns. No one, and I mean no one believed me when I thought cows milk was causing a problem. Kept telling me he would be puking if he couldnt handle it- not true! My son has very rarely EVER spit up or puked in his whole life. It was the digestive problems, diaper issues, and being 'off' his food that made me think it and the doctor actually listened to my conerns and did the blood work to find out. the doctor and the allergist both told me his problems would have been much worse if I hadn't breastfed him. as it was he had the nagging little cough and some other symptoms that we just didnt associate with the dairy in my diet until he was over a year old. I wish we had known sooner!

JuLeah - posted on 11/30/2010

Actually write it down, exact dates and symptoms (fever, cough, vomit, fussy) and make sure her doc sees this. Write what she eats (everything she eats) and track that for a couple of weeks.
"at the moment it feels like she is ill all the time" but she might not be. If she is, her doc needs to see the pattren. No one ought to be sick as often you are talking about.
If your doc doesn't listen to you, get one who will. Remember, your doctor works for you and a good one will trust a mothers' gut feelings and observations. You know your child best.

Elke - posted on 11/30/2010

There is this produce that is like a cough surup, all natural immunity booster called sambucal or sambucus. I give it to him every day now that the weather has turned.

Elke - posted on 11/30/2010

I have been giving my son vitamins since he was a baby, i get the liquid kind i can slip in his juice. I also happen to have this juice that is cincengrated vit C that i always give a little splash in in his apple juice. Its important not to give too much sweets, sugar weakens the immune system and will make a cold worse. Unfortunately sugar is in everything, jogurt, apple sauce, etc. Making sure they get plenty of sleep is imprtant too, naps important! I never skipped them and made sure not to even if it inconvenienced me.

Jackie - posted on 11/30/2010

I agree with the other moms. considering her age, her immune system isn't very strong yet and so every time she gets a little cold or something, her body is building immunity. Allison went though about 3 months last year that as soon as something went away, she got something else.

Kimberly - posted on 11/30/2010

My daughter seems like she stays sick and sometimes even in the summer. When I asked her doctor about it and series of tests, all they would say is she has a viral infection (and we all know thats code for idk) and that it could vary on how long she'll have it...They also said that its normal with age and weather considering their immune systems havent quite built up all the way. I know I hate it for her cuz she gets so down but usually after a full day of sleeping she's feeling a little better the next morning. I've often recalled asking myself the same question, "Am I doing something wrong?" There's just not much I can really do except be there for her when it happens again. I hope this gives you a little peace of mind...Good luck with you and your little one.

Debbie - posted on 11/30/2010

Is she in daycare or a mothers-day-out group or sunday school (any place on a regular basis where she is with 10 or more kids)? Because that will do it. I worked and my daughter was in daycare. Her first year, I took her to the doctor 26 times (yes - I counted them, and that averages to about a visit every two weeks). Our doctor said that for kids in daycare or large groups, they'll get sick a lot their first year, but then develop immunities. He was right, she's barely been sick ever since.

Karen - posted on 11/30/2010

last year my son was sick all the time! he'd get a bad cold, clear it up for only a week (two if i was lucky) then we'd start all over again. so far this year he's been doing well though (he was 1 in sept) we haven't had so much as a sniffel yet. this time last year he was on his second bad cold. gl and hang in there...it's no fun

Candice - posted on 11/30/2010

in the winter, my daughter gets sick ALL the time. Her first two winters, she was sick about every 2 weeks. It seemed like she'd just get over something and something else would start. During the summer she's fine, barely gets sick. It happens.