You read that headline right! According to a new study, toddlers entering daycare for the first time can experience up to 19 illnesses within their first year at daycare.
Researchers from UCL, the University of Cambridge, Cornell University and North Middlesex University Hospital were struck by how often their own children became sick after starting daycare, prompting them to investigate further.
So, just what did the authors of this new research study find?
Well, first, they found that a typical one-year-old child will experience, in the first year alone:
- around 12-15 respiratory infections
- two gastrointestinal illnesses (diarrhea and vomiting)
- one or two rash-causing infections
Co-author Dr Leo Swadling, from UCL’s Institute of Infection, Immunity and Transplantation, explained in an interview with Huffington Post UK that, “Newborns have some protection against infection thanks to antibodies passed from the mother, but this wanes in their first year, leaving infants – especially those starting childcare – more vulnerable to infections.”
“It’s normal for children to get sick a lot because their immune systems have never seen these bugs before – but then nursery serves as a ‘boot camp’ for their immune systems, building up resilience for the years ahead.”
Children who attend daycare tend to catch more infections between ages one to five than those who do not. However, once both groups start school, children who attended daycare often have immune systems that are better prepared to handle germs, whereas the others may experience higher absentee rates.
The researchers say vaccination remains important in helping children manage illnesses, even at this stage.
“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. Swadling stated.
Another downside for parents when children get sick is the stress of having to miss work to take care of a sick child. The researchers are hoping that with this study, employees will have some compassion for parents.
Co-author Dr Lucy van Dorp, an infectious disease genomics researcher in the UCL Genetics Institute, told the outlet that employers need to recognise that it’s normal for parents of young children to regularly need to take time off work to care for their children, and parents will also be more prone to getting sick themselves – but this will improve as the child ages.”