Parents sending their children to nursery for the first time can expect a challenging year of illness, but new research offers a reassuring perspective: this early exposure builds crucial resilience for school. A collaborative study by experts from UCL, the University of Cambridge, Cornell University and North Middlesex University Hospital indicates that toddlers and pre-schoolers are likely to encounter 15 illnesses in their initial year of formal childcare.
The research, which analysed immunology, infectious disease genomics and epidemiology data, suggests that during this period children can anticipate an average of 12 respiratory illnesses, such as coughs and colds, two episodes of diarrhoea or vomiting, and at least one illness presenting with a rash.
Dr Arindam Das, a consultant paediatrician, confirms that frequent illness is a normal part of early childhood development. “It’s very normal, especially in the first year of nursery, for children to be unwell pretty frequently,” he says. “When young children pick up these minor infections, their immune system is learning how to fight infections, so catching these bugs is a normal part of childhood.”
Dr Das highlights six common ailments children frequently pick up in nursery settings. The most prevalent are coughs, colds and fever, he says. “Good hand hygiene is the most effective measure to prevent lot of these infections because they spread via droplets and touch.” Tummy bugs, presenting with vomiting followed by diarrhoea, are also common. Most can be managed at home with adequate hydration.
Other common conditions include conjunctivitis, which can be viral, bacterial or allergic; hand, foot and mouth disease, with characteristic rashes and fever; and scarlet fever, which requires antibiotic treatment. Dr Das advises parents to look at the whole picture with fever: it is usually a sign the child is fighting a bug and can be managed at home, but medical help should be sought if symptoms persist or the child appears dehydrated.
