Toddlers and pre-schoolers attending nursery will experience an average of 15 illnesses in their first year, resulting in approximately 13 days away from childcare, according to a new study. Researchers at University College London and the University of Cambridge analysed data and concluded that the initial year of formal childcare typically includes around 12 respiratory infections, two episodes of diarrhoea or vomiting, and at least one rash-related illness.
Despite the high frequency of illness, experts describe this period as an 'immune system boot camp' that ultimately builds resilience. The study highlights that while nursery children face more infections between the ages of one and five, this pattern reverses when they start school, with children who did not attend formal childcare falling ill more frequently during early school years due to a lack of prior exposure.
Dr Lucy van Dorp, an infectious disease genomics researcher at the UCL Genetics Institute and co-author of the study, said the research was prompted by her own children's frequent illnesses after starting nursery. 'As parents, we were all struck by how often our collective nine children became ill after starting nursery,' she said. 'So we came together to do the first review of how often a child starting nursery will get sick in their first year of attendance and what can be done about it.'
The researchers are calling for greater understanding from employers regarding sickness absences for parents and children. 'Employers need realistic expectations about the likelihood and frequency of both child and parental/caregiver sickness absence following the end of parental leave,' the authors wrote in the journal Clinical Microbiology Reviews.
Vaccination is highlighted as a key protective measure. Dr Leo Swadling from the UCL Institute of Infection, Immunity and Transplantation said: 'Vaccines are a key way to protect children from serious infections in childcare, so we encourage parents to keep their children up to date with all available vaccines.' Dr Charlotte Houldcroft, a virologist at Cambridge and the study's corresponding author, emphasised the importance of following guidelines to prevent the spread of infections, including keeping children home while unwell and for a period after recovery.
