Diseases Your Child Can Get In Day Care Centers
It is normal that when children start attending day care they have a cold, bronchitis, otitis or laryngitis. Rest assured, this is not a cause for concern. It is a natural process for the child’s body to develop its immune system.
The child’s immune system is activated in the face of stimuli from infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses. This makes your defenses become stronger. If later the body happens to have contact with the same pathogen, the immunological “memory” is awakened.
So, although it is very normal for a child to get sicker in day care, it will make their body perform better against viruses and bacteria in the future. If the child first has a cold and then a laryngitis, it means that their immune system is functioning as it should.
There are several types of illnesses that children can catch in day care centers. Therefore, we must inform ourselves about each one of them and be very attentive to the symptoms.
6 illnesses children can catch in day care centers
Roseola or sixth disease
Discovered after the five rash diseases (measles, scarlet fever, rubella, chickenpox and infectious eitema), roseola or sudden rash is also known as “the sixth disease” . This illness starts with a very high fever, around 40.5°C. The fever phase is followed by a rash that appears on the child’s trunk and then expands to the extremities.
These small pink spots are non-itchy and remain on the skin for 3 to 7 days while the fever gradually subsides. These symptoms are accompanied by nasal mucus, sore throat and redness of the eyes. This infection usually ends without complications.
ear infections
Among the diseases that spread in day care centers, otitis stands out. Otitis is inflammation of the middle ear. It is usually caused due to the accumulation of mucus caused by a previous respiratory infection. It is natural that children are more vulnerable to ear infections compared to adults because their Eustachian tubes are shorter, horizontal and wider.
If a child has this infection they will make noises in their throat and will have a cough, earache and a runny nose. Sometimes the child may also have a fever.
Gastroenteritis
It mainly occurs in young children and the types caused by rotavirus are the most common . The main symptoms are: diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever and, in some cases, the presence of blood and phlegm.
This inflammation can be easily spread by changing a diaper or when children clean themselves. That’s why it’s very important that hygiene is impeccable. Good hydration and an astringent diet can significantly improve your health. Antibiotics are only recommended if children do not improve naturally. But remember: always under the supervision of a doctor.
Herpangina and the “hand-foot-mouth” disease
These two diseases are very common in babies . Herpangina presents as red dots on the back of the mouth that look like small canker sores. In turn, the “hand-foot-mouth” disease manifests itself in the same way, but with redness in the hands and feet as well.
Among the main symptoms are fever, sore throat and general malaise that can appear even before the onset of ulcers. Ulcers disappear on their own after 10 days . The contagion of this disease can happen either by contact or by air. Maintaining good hydration and hygiene will reduce the risk of infection.
Conjunctivitis
This is one of the fastest spreading diseases in day care centers. It occurs due to inflammation of the conjunctiva, that is, the membrane that surrounds the eye and lines the inner area of the eyelid and extends to the back of the eyeball.
Conjunctivitis is quite common in children and can be caused by irritation, allergy or infection. The eye starts to redden from irritation and produces more tears. The tears in turn become infected, producing more blemishes, increasing the sensation of grains of sand in the eye and itchy pain.
Cold and pharyngitis
Among the most common symptoms of these disorders are fever, phlegm and nasal congestion. These are not serious illnesses, but they increase the feeling of difficulty breathing in the child and, therefore, can cause a lot of discomfort. It can also cause loss of appetite and vomiting.
Pharyngitis is often accompanied by a sore throat and coughing up phlegm or phlegm. These illnesses usually go away naturally after a few days, but antipyretics can be used to control fever and reduce discomfort. Mucolytics and expectorants are not recommended in these cases unless recommended by a physician.
Viruses immunize up to 6 years of age
Infants who attend day care have more infections than children who stay at home. This is because they are closer to other children, as we mentioned.
A recent study found that children between 3 and 6 years of age are protected from these germs due to early exposure to the virus.
The author of this study, Marieke de Hoog, explained that “ the day care center anticipates the time when the child suffers from gastroenteritis (before the age of two), but does not increase its incidence as it immunizes it in the preschool stage, before compulsory education”. In addition, she states that “it is possible that the protective effect lasts beyond 6 years, although more studies are needed to support this hypothesis”.
This survey, published by the journal Prediatrics, was conducted with more than 2,200 children under the age of 6 years. In this study, it was observed that 83% of children had attended day care centers before the first year of life and that there is a 13% higher rate of cases of acute gastroenteritis or intestinal flu in children who attended day care centers in the first two years of age.
Many of the illnesses that can be contracted in day care centers are very difficult to prevent, especially when there are many children. However, it is possible to try to avoid them with good hygiene and monitoring. Remember to keep yourself informed and take your child to the doctor if he has any of the symptoms mentioned in this article.
