Fitness and healthy lifestyle 

The child often suffers from colds at school. The child often suffers from colds. What to do

Modern parents have heard such a concept as a frequently ill child. But what it means, no one really knows. How many times a year does a baby have to be sick for the doctor to classify him as BWD? This question is of interest to everyone who cares about the health of children.

What babies belong to BWD?

In medicine, frequently ill patients are:

  • babies under the age of 1 year, in whom the incidence of ARVI is 4 or more during their life;
  • children 1 - 3 years old suffering from acute respiratory infections 6 or more times a year;
  • patients 3 - 5 years old who visit a pediatrician with colds 5 or more times in 1 year;
  • children aged 5 years and older - 4 or more cases of acute respiratory infections per year.

It happens that a child does not get sick often, but for a long time - this is if each case of acute respiratory infections has to be fought for more than 14 days. Long-term ill children are also included in the number of BWD.

Common signs of acute respiratory infections are expressed by weakness, runny nose, fever, cough, and throat problems.

In BWD babies, only one symptom can be observed, but it does not go away for a long time. For example, at normal body temperature, a small person can constantly cough or sniffle. If the baby has a fever without symptoms of colds, it can signal the presence of a latent infection in the body.

Causes of frequent morbidity in children

The main reasons that a child is often sick can be different moments:

  1. microclimate;
  2. nutrition;
  3. pathology;
  4. Lifestyle;
  5. ecology;
  6. heredity, etc.

Let's take a closer look at each point.

Microclimate

Microclimate as a factor of increased morbidity is eliminated by creating favorable living conditions. Children under one year old should not be in contact with a large number of people, even if they are relatives. The children's room should be bright, fresh and clean. During the development of the baby, it is important that he does not become a witness to quarrels between parents. If the child is often sick, it is possible that the problem has psychological roots.

Nutrition

When a baby who has not reached the age of one year is constantly sick, this may indicate a difficult perception of artificial feeding. Mother's milk from the very origins of humanity is considered the best antiviral agent, because it is rich in antibodies. Thus, prolonged breastfeeding helps to prevent frequent ARVI. If possible, do not wean your baby until 1.5 years of age.

If the mother's milk disappeared early or the baby does not eat up a small amount of it, or the woman is forced to go to work soon after giving birth, it is necessary to buy high-quality mixtures to feed the baby. During the feeding period, organically introduce cottage cheese, rice, vegetables, buckwheat, meat products, cereals into the children's diet.

Pathology

It is noticed that with colds, those children who have chronically current processes in the ENT organs come to the pediatrician more often. When figuring out why a child is often sick, check his adenoids. It is possible that it is their growth that is the culprit for regular colds.

Lifestyle

If a child is often sick, regardless of age, reconsider his lifestyle. Scientists have proven many times: children who regularly suffer from ARVI move little, eat irrationally, sleep little and are rarely in the fresh air. Lack of hardening, laziness to do exercises and perform hygienic procedures, violation of the daily routine will inevitably lead to the fact that more and more often the mother will turn to the pediatrician with the words “we are sick again”.

Ecology

The unfavorable environmental conditions in which the child lives is another culprit for the fact that the child is often sick. Exhaust gases from vehicles, electromagnetic waves of modern devices, dust, noise, harmful emissions into the air can affect a woman's health and subsequently affect the offspring.

If you can't change your place of residence, although there is no ideal habitat for a person anywhere, to prevent the incidence of sickness in children aged 3 to 7 years, include healthy foods in their diet (fermented milk Acipol and Bifilakt, marmalade for removing lead, honey for protection from radiation).

Of the vitamin complexes, Triovit is recommended for small residents of industrial regions.

Vitamins and minerals expel harmful substances from the body. They are the best prevention of various diseases, including the constantly annoying respirator.

Heredity

Pathologies at the genetic level can also serve as fertile ground for ARVI. If any chronic process takes place in the child's body, then all the forces go to eradicate it. A weakened immune system does not have time to cope with all the problems, and the baby is very often sick.

In ARVI ... the kindergarten is to blame

It is a common and normal situation for children 2 years old to attend kindergarten. But mothers consider the endless diseases of the child associated with the introduction into the team to be abnormal. At home, parents try to protect the baby from any ailments. But in kindergarten, he is immersed in a different atmosphere with his own microbes.

The crumbs of the same age, in the process of adaptation, also constantly get sick and, not having time to really recover, they again become infected from each other.

What can be done in this case? All activities should be aimed at strengthening the immune system. The same fresh air, delicious wholesome food, not fast foods, and permissible physical activity contribute to the health of the body. If the baby has once again been ill with ARVI, do not rush to go to kindergarten. Let him stay at home for an extra 3 to 5 days. In the summertime, organize a trip to the sea.

Strengthening children's immunity without medication

To prevent your child from complaining of discomfort every month, make him a vitamin drink from the following ingredients:

  • black currant berries - 1 tbsp. l .;
  • rose hips - 3 tbsp. l .;
  • chopped nettle leaf - 2 tbsp. l.

Stir the natural raw materials and take 1 tbsp of the mixture. l. Brew the product with 2 cups of boiling water. Insist it in a dark place, then pass it through cheesecloth and give it to the child. If the drink does not taste good to the crumb, sweeten it with a little sugar.

The next collection will reliably protect your child from ARVI. Take St. John's wort (2 parts), hawthorn fruit, and nettle (3 teaspoons each). Rhodiola and zamaniha roots, as well as rose hips, add to them in the amount of 4 parts of each type of raw material. Measure out 2 tbsp. l. collection and pour into a thermos. Pour half a liter of boiling water over the product and let it stand overnight. In the morning, add honey to the infusion at the rate of 1 large spoon for each glass of liquid and let the child drink it twice a day, 1 tbsp. l. Experts recommend doing this remedy to protect the child's body from radiation.

If your baby is currently sick with ARVI, give him inhalation based on essential oils. A product made from wormwood, lemon, mint, basil, sage, anise, or cypress will do. Pour warm water into a bowl and drop 4 drops of ether into it. Let the baby breathe in the steam for 5 to 15 minutes (as long as it can withstand).

For a child constantly suffering from acute respiratory infections, you can limit yourself to one lemon ether. 2 - 3 drops of oil are injected into 200 ml of 40-degree liquid and the patient is seated over the container for 7 minutes.

Prevention of ARVI

According to Dr. Komarovsky, the best prevention of colds in an epidemic is the treatment of the nasal passages with Oxolinic ointment. If you need to go to crowded places, at a potentially dangerous time of the year, the nose is lubricated from the inside with the drug.

Upon returning from a walk, the baby's nose is washed with a solution of sea salt. For a child who can gargle, this saline solution is made to protect the oropharynx from viruses. The ratio of ingredients is 0.5 tsp. sea ​​salt in a glass of warm boiled water.

Often a sick child gives a lot of trouble and worries to parents. In some families, problems begin in the first months of the baby's birth, but more often a whole cascade of respiratory infections hits the baby when he turns 2-3 years old. At this age, most of the children go to preschool, and it is much easier to catch an infection in kindergarten, and later in school. Consider what to do if a child often suffers from colds and how to raise immunity.

Often sick children differ from ordinary ones not in symptoms, but in the duration and severity of the manifestations of the disease. Doctors classify a child in this category for the following reasons:

  1. When infected with ARVI, the baby's temperature rises and lasts for at least a week or has an undulating character.
  2. A sore throat occurs even after a slight hypothermia or a glass of ice cream.
  3. The baby's nose is clogged all the time. You have to breathe through your mouth, which causes snoring and puffing during sleep.
  4. The cough is difficult to treat, and residual coughing is present between episodes of illness.
  5. The kid suffers from headaches, painful sensations in the ears and limbs.

Such children constantly suffer from tonsillitis and bronchitis during the cold season.

There is a medical classification that suggests that a child is often ill:

Why does the child often get colds?


Factors that negatively affect the health of the baby are:

  • Heredity;
  • Infectious diseases transferred by the mother during pregnancy, complicated by purulent-septic processes;
  • Hypoxia during childbirth;
  • Improper nutrition with a deficiency of valuable substances;
  • Bad ecology;
  • Allergic and endocrine diseases in a baby;
  • Dysbacteriosis.

All these reasons lead to a decrease in the child's immunity. When any harmful microorganism enters, the weakened defense system cannot cope, which leads to the development of an infectious disease.

Negatively affects the health and unfavorable microclimate in the family. Because of the bad habits of adults, their neglect of cleanliness, frequent quarrels and scandals, the youngest members of the family suffer the most. It is the parents who are responsible for the fact that their children are often sick. If you initially teach the baby to hygiene, morning exercises, if the family has a stable psychological environment, then the health of the children is getting stronger.

To accurately determine the causes of persistent ailments, it is necessary to undergo diagnostic procedures. These include a general analysis of urine and blood, bacterial culture of secretions from the nose and throat to determine the sensitivity to antibiotics. In difficult cases, it is necessary to conduct an extended immunogram, which determines the weaknesses in the child's defense system.

Based on the results, the doctor will draw up a therapeutic and health-improving course that will strengthen the immune system and reduce the incidence of the baby. If nothing is done, persistent colds will develop into more serious diseases: various otolaryngological pathologies, chronic ailments of the respiratory system, kidneys.

What is the difference between frequently ill children of different ages?

The growth of the baby's defenses goes with each passing year. The body's response to external adverse factors differs in children of different ages.

From birth to two years

At this age, most diseases are due to the fact that children's immunity has not finally formed. Many medicines are contraindicated for such crumbs. What to do if the crumb eats poorly, lags behind in development from peers, and even more so constantly has a fever and coughs. The doctor's help is needed here. Treatment of frequently ill young children is carried out only under medical supervision.

Proper nutrition of the crumbs is important. If possible - breast milk. A one-year-old child is started to be given complementary foods. It is necessary to ensure that there is no allergy to new products.

At 2 years old, the crumb is usually enrolled in a preschool institution. In kindergarten, healthy children begin to get sick more often, and with a weakened, frail baby, the mother will not leave the hospital at all. Therefore, measures to increase immunity - fortification, hardening, establishing the correct daily routine should be started even in the Dosadov period. You can not refuse from the preventive vaccinations prescribed by the calendar.

Three to six years old

Children attending preschool are 15% more likely to suffer from infections than children at home. Why does the child often get sick in kindergarten? The causative agents of respiratory and intestinal infections most often pass from one person to another. It is very easy to catch a virus or acquire pathogenic bacteria in a children's team.

Important! You should not give the baby to the garden until the age of 3 - by the age of three, the protective system will already be sufficiently formed.

It is important to monitor your baby's nutrition. Not all preschool institutions offer a menu rich in valuable trace elements and vitamins. Their deficiency should be filled at home.

Schoolchildren and adolescents

In schoolchildren up to the fifth grade, the high incidence of respiratory infections is associated with the same reasons as in kindergarten. One or two children in the classroom become sources of infection. That is why it is so important for frequently ill children. It not only protects against, but also strengthens the immunity to all acute respiratory viral infections. Such vaccinations are carried out in large quantities in the garden and at school. They can be done only outside the period of exacerbations of ailments. If a preschool child or schoolchild is very often sick, it is worth consulting a doctor about an individual immunization schedule before vaccination.

In adolescents, immunity is already fully formed, and the principles of infection and treatment are the same as in adults. The incidence is decreasing, but preventive measures, especially in the pre-epidemic period, must be observed.

What else do parents need to know whose baby is constantly getting sick?

Often sick children require special attention from their relatives. There are certain points that dads and moms need to take into account in order for a child to become healthy and strong:

  1. Decreased immunity can occur due to infection with helminths. If the baby coughs for no reason, grinds his teeth at night, sweats often and pulls his fingers into his mouth, it is probably from him. You need to see a doctor - he will prescribe tests and appropriate treatment.
  2. Certain medications can increase the sensitivity of the baby to respiratory diseases. There are no safe pharmaceuticals; any medication can be given only as directed by a pediatrician.
  3. An allergic reaction and a corresponding decrease in immunity can be caused by products with a pungent odor - from paints to shampoos and deodorants. Also, insufficient wet cleaning and the accumulation of dust in the child's room lead to allergies.
  4. Vitamins for frequently ill children should be recommended by a doctor. Uncontrolled intake of vitamin and mineral complexes can also lead to allergies.
  5. Dry air, especially during the heating season, irritates the baby's weakened airways. It is worth buying a humidifier or at least putting bowls of water under hot radiators.
  6. Dress your baby for the weather. You should not unnecessarily wrap up the child, because an ailment can provoke not only hypothermia, but also sweating.

Toys with strong odors or paint that stain your hands should not be purchased. You should also wash your teddy bears and hares more often. Dust accumulates on soft toys, pathogenic microorganisms are introduced into them, causing allergic reactions.

What does medical rehabilitation for frequently ill children include?

Children who are often ill need certain medical procedures. They include:

  • Rehabilitation of foci of chronic ailments (curing caries, adenoids, etc.);
  • Physiotherapy (UFO, speleotherapy, magnetic laser therapy, balneotherapy, inductothermy, other procedures);
  • Welcome.

The suitable adaptogens are selected by the doctor. It can be echinacea tincture, preparations with ginseng, bee products (honey, propolis, royal jelly). It is important to ensure that natural immune stimulants do not cause allergies in a weakened child. Pharmaceuticals of this spectrum suitable for young children include Bronchoimmunal and Anaferon.

If the child often suffers from colds, the pediatrician can give recommendations for remedial gymnastics or referrals to classes at the wellness center. For such children, special sets of exercises have been developed. This includes breathing exercises for frequently ill children, which helps to fight respiratory failure through the nose, restore blood circulation in the lungs and prevent adhesions. And general training will increase the tone of a weakened child, harden his muscles and improve the neuropsychic sphere. Such exercises are carried out strictly dosed and only under the supervision of a specialist.

How to improve immunity at home?

Moms and dads often ask a pediatrician a question: "Why do children get sick all the time?" Having received an answer about reduced immunity, they begin to panic. But here we are not talking about a serious illness - congenital immunodeficiency, but about pain due to the influence of negative factors that weaken the baby's defense system. To strengthen it, you need to streamline the life regime of the crumbs and the whole family.

The main point to pay attention to is nutrition. For a baby, the best option is breast milk. Older kids' menu should certainly include dairy products, lean meat, fish, cereals, vegetables and fruits. Fast food, lemonades, smoked meats and marinades will have to be abandoned. Replace cakes and sweets with natural sweets - marshmallow, marmalade, jam.

Ideally, it would be to contact a nutritionist who will make an individual nutritional plan for your baby in accordance with age and chronic ailments.

Hardening

The second important point is hardening procedures. How to temper a frequently ill child? Do not wrap up the baby, do not overheat his room. The ideal temperature is 18 to 22 degrees. Be outdoors more often. Light rain and snow should not be an obstacle for walking. Rainy weather is a kind of adaptation to the environment.

Hardening commonly ill children also includes:

  • Water procedures. These are regular douches, rubdowns (for the little ones) and bathing. During the first procedures, the water should not be colder than 32 degrees. Gradually, it can be made cooler, brought to room temperature, decreasing one degree every week.
  • Walking barefoot on uneven surfaces. Over the sand, over the pebbles, over the grass. In winter, you can purchase a special orthopedic mat for your baby.
  • Air baths. From birth, the baby needs to be left without clothes for a couple of minutes in a ventilated room at a temperature of at least 20 degrees. Gradually, the time increases - up to a quarter of an hour by the age of one. The ambient temperature can be gradually reduced to 17 degrees. It is great if it is possible to carry out such baths in the fresh air.
  • Rinse with cool herbal decoctions. This is especially useful if the baby suffers from tonsillitis, tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

Before hardening your baby, consult your pediatrician.

The third important method of boosting immunity is exercise. They stimulate the immune system to fight infection. Mom or dad will help babies to do exercises. This can be gentle pulling of the arms and legs, bending them. After doing such exercises, massage the baby's back and stomach in a clockwise circular motion.

With older children, arrange fun games in nature or at home. Set up a mini exercise corner in your room and get the whole family out and about.

Children who are often sick can strengthen their immune system with the help of natural gifts. Herbal teas with mint, cranberries, lingonberries, rowan, sea buckthorn, viburnum, chamomile and rose hips will saturate the body with essential vitamins, in particular, ascorbic acid. It helps fight off pathogenic microbes and increases resistance to infections.

What if the baby gets sick again?

According to doctors, pharmaceuticals, especially antibiotics, should not be abused. So, the famous pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky recommends that the child spend the first five days of the illness in bed. So he will save energy for recovery and will not infect the people around him.

Antipyretic crumbs should be given only if the temperature has exceeded 38 degrees. Before that, an abundant fortified drink will help - best of all, natural berry fruit drinks and herbal teas.

Frequent airing of the room where the young patient is located is mandatory. And when the temperature drops, you can go for a walk. Fresh air will eliminate the remnants of infection and give you a boost of vigor.

A recently ill baby should rest a little at home and communicate less with the people around him so that a new infection does not enter the weakened body. You should not go with him to the rides or to the cinema, take him shopping or visit.

After an illness, the child must gradually enter the normal regime. Therefore, the restriction in contacts should not lead to sleep until noon and hours of computer games. Adequate sleep, getting up early, eating right and walking will help you quickly return to normal life.

Do not forget about the family psychological climate. In an atmosphere of love, warmth and trust, the sickliest baby becomes healthier. And adult family members will feel better. Happiness really inspires and heals!

Remember that only a doctor can make the correct diagnosis, do not self-medicate without consulting and diagnosing a qualified doctor. Be healthy!

A frequently ill child - what to do? To begin with, understand that this is not a diagnosis at all. This is a dispensary observation group. It includes children who often suffer from respiratory infections, and this is not associated with obvious congenital and hereditary pathologies. Formally, the "frequently ill" group is defined as follows:

    if a child is between the ages of 3 and 4, he gets sick more often 6 times a year;

    if a child is between 4 and 5 years old - gets sick more often 5 times a year; - if the child is over 5 years old - gets sick more often 4 times a year.

    When this happens, parents often blame the "bad doctors" and begin to torment their children with new and new drugs on their own - which can only exacerbate the problem. If a child is often sick, this means that he is constantly faced with sources of infection. They can be found inside the body itself or in the external environment - for example, with a large number of contacts with people. It is no coincidence that many parents associate the surge in diseases with the beginning of a child's visit to kindergarten. But the reasons can be at home, in the family.

External factors

  • lack of sanitary culture in the family, defects in care, for example, inappropriate nutrition, do not walk with the child, do not engage in physical education;

    • material distress, poor sanitary and living conditions, and in quite prosperous families, on the contrary, overprotection of the child;

    uncontrolled use of antibiotics, antipyretics, which disrupt the work of the protective factors of the child's body;

    the presence of chronic diseases of ENT organs in parents and other family members who live with the child; sharing utensils, etc .;

    vaccinations before starting a visit to a child care facility. Many parents often postpone vaccination until they enter kindergarten, and vaccines weaken the immune system - as a result, the child becomes ill a few days after the start of adaptation to the conditions of the child care institution;

    parents did not take preventive measures before starting a visit to kindergarten, as a result, the child's body cannot cope with overwork and overexcitation of the nervous system;

    the beginning of the child's attendance at kindergarten (especially at the age of 3 years). At this age, children are very susceptible to respiratory diseases.

    a large number of contacts in places with a massive presence of people: transport, supermarkets, etc.

Svetlana Danilova, an ENT doctor for my two children, usually categorically declares to parents whose children suffer from sinusitis, otitis media, adenoiditis - they urgently need to take their children home from the institution for at least a couple of months. “If I had my will, I would close all the kindergartens,” Svetlana Vladimirovna categorically declares.

But parents often do not have the opportunity to leave the child at home: either there is no one with whom, or the financial situation does not allow only dad or mom to work.

Internal factors frequent morbidity of the child:

  • Pre- and postnatal unfavorable scenarios for the development of the child, for example, malnutrition, rickets, anemia, prematurity, hypoxia during childbirth, encephalopathy;

    • early artificial feeding affects the maturation of the immune system;

    allergies, especially those that are inherited;

    the child has foci of chronic infection in the oropharynx and nasopharynx;

    viruses and pathogenic flora may be on the mucous membrane of the child's nasopharynx;

    the "local" immunity of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract does not work well;

    the child has impaired thermoregulation and thermal adaptation processes;

    violation of the composition of the intestinal microflora.

    Comments Ivan Leskov, otolaryngologist:

“The real problem begins when a child has to be sent to a kindergarten, where there are 20-25 people in a group. Of these, three or four are always in the prodromal period of infection, or come to kindergarten after sick leave - not treated. And although a 3-4-year-old child can already develop antibodies to infection, the main link of immunity - the T-system - is not yet working (it is formed by the age of 5-6). And this means that from 3 to 6 years old there is a danger of the formation of chronic bacterial foci of infection (tonsillitis, adenoiditis) in a child, or persistent (lat. "Constantly residing") chronic viruses, which, in particular, include the Epstein-Barr virus, adenovirus and cytamegalovirus. If a child is often sick, simple stimulation of his immunity will not give the desired results. "

What to do?

Break the vicious circle in three smart steps:
1. To identify and sanitize chronic foci of infection;

    Get tested for antibodies to viruses;

    After completing the first two points - start rehabilitation of the child's immune system

    It is necessary to show the child not only to the pediatrician, but also to the otolaryngologist. It is the ENT doctor who can assess the condition of the tonsils, adenoids, paranasal cavities and ear drum. It is diseases of the ENT organs that are the cause of frequent illnesses in children.

    The ENT doctor should give a referral for analysis - culture from the mucous membrane of the pharynx and nose to assess the microbial state. In the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx of frequently ill children, fungi of the genus Candida, staphylococci, Haemophilus influenzae (by the way, since last year, children from the risk group began to be vaccinated against Haemophilus influenza free of charge), enterobacteria live peacefully. They are the source of the inflammatory process.

As a result of the evaluation of the analyzes, adequate treatment is prescribed. And only after the child has fully recovered, you can begin to rehabilitate the immune system.

How to rehabilitate a child's immune system?

Today, pediatricians very often use in their practice herbal preparations and homeopathic remedies. Most of us are familiar with adaptagenic plants. To stimulate immunity, Eleutherococcus, Echinacea, Zamaniha, Levkoy, Schizandra Chinese, Rhodiola rosea, Manchurian Aralia are used. In pharmacies, extracts and tinctures of these plants are sold. In practice, the following dosage is usually used: 1 drop of tincture per 1 year of life. During the epidemic period, immunomodulators are given to the child for a week - excluding weekends - for a month.

Connoisseurs bee products claim that immunity can be raised with royal jelly, royal jelly, propolis.

If a child is constantly suffering from runny nose, otitis media, it is necessary to stimulate local immunity. It is necessary to use drugs (according to the recommendation of an ENT doctor and after passing tests), which normalize immunity in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. These medicines contain bacterial lysates. They help prevent infections in the nasopharynx. Known ribosomal immunomodulators, bacterial lysates and membrane fractions and their synthetic analogs. I do not specifically name the drugs themselves, only a doctor should prescribe them, preferably good immunologist.

Comments Fyodor Lapiy, infectious disease immunologist:

“Before prescribing a drug, it is necessary to assess the state of health of the child. To begin with, a general blood test looks - is the content of lymphocyte cells normal. Their number indicates whether the child has a gross violation of the immune system (the norm for children aged 4 years and above is 6.1 - 11.4x109 / l). It is found out whether the child suffered from pneumonia, purulent otitis media, meningitis and other serious illnesses. After this, other studies may be required - immunograms. They are different. Sometimes, in order to correctly assess what is happening to the child and prescribe an adequate, effective treatment, an immunologist can prescribe a very narrowly targeted test. In this case, the immunogram itself will show the norm. But this will not mean that the problem has been removed. "

Good to conduct interferon prophylaxis... Even for newborns, pediatricians prescribe native leukocyte alpha-interferon (in ampoules) during the period of seasonal morbidity. There are recombinant types of interferon - influenza and viferon (suppositories), anaferon and aflubin. The inducer of interferon is arbidol, in addition to this, it is also an antiviral drug. Do not forget oxolinic ointment. In the morning and in the evening, after clearing the child's nose of mucus and simply from crusts, gently lubricate the mucous membrane with a cotton swab with ointment applied to it.

There are also physical therapy options to restore immunity. Many pulmonary departments and children's health centers have so-called galaxies, they simulate the basic parameters of the salt caves. It is highly recommended for children with bronchopulmonary diseases, allergy sufferers, and simply often ill children. Being in the halochamber activates T-cells, increases the synthesis of endogenous interferon and the level of immunoglobulins. Usually two courses are held per year. For example, in autumn and spring.

Aromatherapy- physiotherapy procedure using volatile biologically active substances. Depending on the use of the essential oil of a particular plant, there will be a corresponding effect. The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of pine, lavender, laurel, fennel and basil oils are widely known. In aromatherapy, a strictly individual selection of essential oils is mandatory.

Slightly forgotten UFO - ultraviolet irradiation... Physiotherapy rooms of children's polyclinics are usually equipped with these devices. As a result of exposure to ultraviolet rays, not only does the bactericidal activity of the blood increase, the phagocytic activity also increases, and antimicrobial antibodies grow.

In this case, one must not forget to carry out other "non-drug" health improvement measures. Everyone knows about them, or at least heard about them, but the implementation of these absolutely competent instructions requires pedantic constancy from adults. Rules should become the norm.

    Organize correctly child's day regimen. He must go for a walk, play, and go to bed on time.

    Avoid stress. Put out all conflict situations in the family. As psychologists correctly note: very often the child gets sick in those families where there are unresolved situations between the parents. The kid thus attracts the attention of the warring parties to himself. In another variant, the child's immunity falls due to constant stress in connection with the situation in the family.

    Make it a rule several times a day rinse the nose a solution of sodium chloride (0.9%) or saline (it costs a penny). Many parents buy sprays such as Aqua-Maris. To save money - after the solution in the purchased preparation runs out, you can carefully remove the lid with pliers and pour the saline solution into the bottle. Cheap and cheerful. Other spray systems do not allow for reuse.

    They will help the child restore immunity.

    - Provide access to clean air. Ventilate more often, at least before going to bed, do a wet cleaning of the floor in the child's room. If possible, remove dust-collecting carpets. Or clean them often and very thoroughly.

    • A very good tradition - at least once a year take the child out to sea, preferably for two weeks (at least). If this is not possible - go to the village, open now also a fashionable summer season. The child should be given the opportunity to clear the bronchi from city air, apartment allergens. Summer for the beginning of hardening procedures is the most favorable time. What could be better - pour cold water on the baby's legs on the grass or run with him along the river bank, and then swim with sun splashes ...

    - Draw up a schedule for visiting specialists. Such pedantry is very important for a frequently ill child. The main ones are pediatrician, otolaryngologist, dentist, physiotherapist. For additional indications: exercise therapy doctor, allergist, immunologist, neuropathologist.

Children are often considered ill if they have acute respiratory infections (ARI) 4 times a year or more.

Sometimes a child gets sick not only often, but also for a long time (more than 10-14 days one acute respiratory disease). Long-term ill children can also be categorized as frequently ill.

Outwardly, acute respiratory infections can be manifested by a runny nose, cough, reddening of the throat, general weakness, and a rise in temperature. Frequently ill children may have one but long-term symptom, such as persistent coughing or coughing, persistent nasal discharge, and the temperature may be normal. If the child has a fever all the time, but there are no symptoms of acute respiratory infections, this is often a sign of a chronic infection and requires a detailed medical examination.

List of reasons

If a child is often or for a long time sick, this means that his immunity is weakened. Consider the main factors leading to a weakening of the immune system.

The functions of the immune system begin to form in utero, therefore, intrauterine infection, prematurity or morphofunctional immaturity of the baby can lead to the fact that he subsequently becomes often ill.

Another important factor for the formation of immunity is mother's milk, therefore, breastfed babies rarely get sick with acute respiratory infections, and vice versa, an early transition to artificial formula can lead to the fact that already in the first year of life, the child will begin to suffer from colds.

In the first year of life or at an older age, the baby, as a result of various adverse factors, may develop background conditions that weaken the immune system (intestinal dysbiosis, hypovitaminosis, rickets).

A pronounced weakening of immunity often occurs after serious illness or surgery. If a child has had dysentery, salmonellosis, pneumonia, sore throat, his immunity is weakened. Viruses greatly weaken the functions of the immune system. After suffering from influenza, measles, and other viral diseases, the child has an increased sensitivity to infections and may become frequently ill.

Long-term use of certain medications weakens the immune system, including, for example, immunosuppressants, some anticancer drugs, oral steroid hormones, most antibiotics.

In the event that the use of these drugs is necessary, it is advisable to take preventive measures to maintain the normal functioning of the immune system.

The presence of chronic diseases in a child also contributes to the weakening of defense mechanisms and can cause frequent illnesses. Such diseases can be chronic sinusitis, tonsillitis, adenoids, sluggish and atypical infections caused by pathogens such as mycoplasma, pneumocystis, chlamydia, yersinia, Trichomonas. Often, the cause of a weakened immune system is worms and lamblia, which are quite difficult to diagnose by feces.

There are congenital immunodeficiency states, including isolated immunodeficiencies, when a child's immune system is impaired. Children with such immunodeficiencies can often get sick with any recurrent, that is, recurring diseases. If a child constantly suffers from the same type of diseases, he must be examined for the existence of congenital immunopathology.

Finally, a proper balanced diet and regimen are of great importance for the normal functioning of the immune system. A child can often and for a long time get sick if his diet lacks vitamins or, for example, there are no animal products or food contains a lot of carbohydrates, but few proteins and fats. If a child is rarely outdoors, leads a sedentary lifestyle, inhales tobacco smoke from adults who smoke, this can lead to a weakening of his immunity.

Break the circle

Frequently ill children are a social and medical problem. These children, as a rule, have a violation of the preventive vaccination schedule, they cannot attend preschool institutions, and at school age they are forced to miss lessons. Parents have to periodically stay at home with a sick child, and this damages their work.

A frequently ill child develops a vicious circle: against the background of a weakened immune system, he falls ill with acute respiratory infections, which in turn further weaken the immune system. As a result of increased sensitivity of the body to various infectious agents and a decrease in defense mechanisms, there is a high probability of developing chronic, sluggish infectious and non-infectious diseases (gastritis and gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, bronchial asthma, chronic sinusitis, frontal sinusitis ...). The presence of chronic infections can lead to a delay in physical development, allergization.

Frequently ill children may develop various psychological problems and complexes. First of all, it is an inferiority complex, a feeling of self-doubt.

Algorithm of actions

If a child is often sick, it is necessary to begin general strengthening preventive measures: vitamin therapy, balanced nutrition ... It is important to cure chronic diseases, especially the pathology of lororgan: chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis (sinusitis, frontal sinusitis), adenoids.

Parents of children with frequent illnesses should consult a doctor (pediatrician, gastroenterologist, immunologist). Previously, you can pass tests that will help establish the cause of weakened immunity: feces for dysbiosis, blood for immune and interferon status. Depending on the clinical picture of frequently recurring acute respiratory infections, special tests can be passed: studies to detect pulmonary forms of chlamydia, mycoplasma and pneumocystis with persistent cough, throat swab for chronic tonsillitis ...

For the treatment of frequently ill children, non-specific medications can be used (vitamins, adaptogens, biogenic stimulants ...), as well as therapy with specific drugs aimed at certain parts of the immune system - immunocorrection (immunoglobulins, interferons, thymus preparations).

The question of why a child is often sick worries all parents without exception, since this complicates the adaptation of the baby and slows down his mental and physical development. The excitement is not in vain. If a child often has more colds, viral and bacterial infections, then his level of immune protection is significantly reduced and he becomes more vulnerable to other types of clogging. We invite you to find out why a child often has colds and what criteria for inclusion in a special health group exist. Information is also provided in the form of advice and recommendations for parents of children with frequent illnesses. Thanks to the information received, it is possible to adapt them and increase immunity.

Currently, the problem of frequently ill children is relevant for many families.

Life becomes especially difficult during the cold season, when the mother is forced to take long sick leave for care, and the child misses classes in school and kindergarten.

If the child is very often sick with ARVI and colds

To determine that a child is very often sick, only a district doctor, a pediatrician, who keeps a dispensary record of all children in his area, can. Parents on their own cannot make such a diagnosis, since their assessment is not objective. The term "frequently ill children" (CHBD) appeared in the domestic medical literature in the first half of the 80s of the XX century. The domestic pediatric service considered it expedient to single out in a special category children prone to increased incidence of acute respiratory infections, and designate it as a group of frequently ill children with the aim of rational organization of rehabilitation measures. At the same time, pediatricians abroad do not use it, there is no such term in the International Classification of Diseases - for the simple reason that it is not a diagnosis in the medical sense of the word.

It was noted that if a child often suffers from ARVI, then this contributes to a decrease in immunoresistance (immune resistance), disruption of compensatory-adaptive mechanisms, disorders of the functional state of the body (especially of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, autonomic nervous system) and the early development of chronic pathology ... If a child often suffers from colds clogging, then he is many times more likely to find chronic diseases of the respiratory tract (mouth and nasopharynx, bronchi), more often develop. Such children are more likely to suffer from severe, allergic rhinitis, glomerulonephritis (inflammatory kidney disease). It was found that often in adolescence such children are prone to chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, vascular dystonia, they develop neurotic reactions more easily, they get tired faster, are less physically developed and study worse.

A group of long-term and frequently ill children

Consequently, a group of frequently ill children is a reason for dispensary observation, includes children with frequent respiratory infections arising from transient (intermittent, transient) deviations in the body's defense systems that can be corrected, and without persistent organic (irreversible) disorders in them. When forming groups that include often long-term ill children, it should be taken into account that the determination of the body's resistance in children newly admitted to a children's institution is carried out without taking into account diseases in the first 3 months of stay in a children's collective, i.e. during the adaptation period.

The increased susceptibility to respiratory infections in BWD is not associated with persistent congenital and hereditary pathological conditions.

In 1986, Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences A. Baranov and Professor V. Yu. Albitskiy proposed to classify children under 1 year of age as BWD if they had acute respiratory diseases (ARI) 4 or more times a year, children from 1 to 3 years old, if they suffered from acute respiratory infections 6 or more times a year, children from 3 to 5 years old with acute respiratory infections 5 or more times a year and children over 5 years old with 4 or more acute respiratory infections a year.

Some doctors include in the same group children in whom the disease lasts for a long time - more than 14 days.

At the same time, in the practice of foreign pediatricians (Great Britain, USA), it is generally accepted that usually healthy children aged 1 to 3 years suffer from 5 to 8 episodes of acute respiratory diseases per year. If the frequency of a respiratory infection is 8 or more, then it is customary to talk about repeated respiratory infections. In the United States, it is believed that healthy children aged 1 to 3 years usually suffer up to 8 acute respiratory infections per year. Among domestic pediatricians, there is an opinion that the number of acute respiratory infection (ARI) itself up to 8 times a year is not a pathology when it comes to uncomplicated infections in young children, especially during the period of adaptation to the children's team.

Consequently, the assessment of the frequency of common morbidity in children in different countries does not differ significantly.

An additional criterion for inclusion in the BWD group for children over 3 years old is the infectious index (II), determined by the formula:

  • AI = sum of all ARI cases per year / child's age (years).

In infrequently ill children, AI has a value of 0.2 -0.3; in children from the BWD group - 1.1 - 3.5.

It was found that in all countries the highest incidence of respiratory infection in childhood occurs in the 2nd and 3rd years of life and ranges from 4 to 6 diseases per year. Consequently, this age period can be called critical for the incidence of acute respiratory infections, when the child, due to the characteristics of the body and anti-infectious protection, with the simultaneous expansion of contacts, will be most susceptible to viral and bacterial infections that cause respiratory diseases.

A child attending a kindergarten can suffer from acute respiratory infections on average 8 times in the first year of attendance, 5 - 6 times - in the second, 3 - 4 times - in the third year.

Among schoolchildren, the incidence decreases to 2 - 5 cases per year, and among adolescents it does not exceed 2 - 4 diseases throughout the year.

Does the child often get sick, the reasons

The most important question is whether a child is often sick from the point of view of modern pediatrics. For parents, it may seem that it follows a cold, but from the point of view of a doctor, all parameters will fit into the physiological norm. This is a general pattern, due to the peculiarities of local and general protection at the age of 2-6 years, is observed in children in all countries of the world, regardless of the economic level of their development. It is believed that acute respiratory infections carried in early childhood not only stimulate the formation of antiviral immunity, but also contribute to the functional maturation of the child's anti-infectious immunity. However, with the number of ARIs more than 6 - 8 times a year, adequate restoration of the functional characteristics of the immune system does not occur.

Often a sick child and the causes of this condition, scientists associate with various infections and suppression of immunity. Re-infections are often caused by the bacteria Haemophilus influenzae (most commonly type b), Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis; viruses (mainly rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza viruses, parainfluenza, adenoviruses); pathogens of the Chlamydia and Mycoplasma families, especially Ch. pneumoniae and M. pneumoniae. A virological study of nasopharyngeal lavages revealed a pronounced infection of BWD with respiratory viruses and herpes viruses. A direct relationship was established between the intensity of persistence of viruses and the frequency of occurrence of acute respiratory infections: long-term and massive persistence of various viruses in the child's body determines the level of ARI 6-8 or more times during the year.

The incidence rate among frequently ill children is several times higher than among their peers. Consequently, the allocation of the dispensary group of ChBD is currently relevant. A child can be classified as a BWD group if the increased incidence of viral and bacterial respiratory infections is not associated with persistent congenital, hereditary or acquired pathological conditions (primary immunodeficiency, malformations of the ENT organs, bronchopulmonary system, cystic fibrosis, etc.). Therefore, in each specific case, in order to clarify the reasons for the high susceptibility to RI, it is necessary to conduct a thorough analysis of the family history, the history of the child's development, the clinical features of the transferred diseases, the data of laboratory and instrumental examination.

Dispensary observation of such children who have repeated cases of respiratory infections due to persistent changes in immunity, congenital or hereditary diseases, must be carried out in strict accordance with the underlying disease. Treatment of a respiratory infection in CWD is based on the basic principles of ARI therapy. There is a misconception that ARI can be left untreated - the disease "will pass" on its own. However, respiratory infections without adequate treatment often take a protracted or complicated course, a mild runny nose can result in severe pneumonia or sinusitis (sinusitis). In this regard, the treatment of acute respiratory infections should be comprehensive and individual in each case.

Many parents are concerned that often sick children develop acute respiratory diseases, as a rule, every month, and often attribute this condition to a weak immune system.

Signs of a weakened immune system in young children:

  • viral disease at least five times a year, in particular in spring and autumn;
  • recovery from illness takes too long;
  • there are fungal infections, the treatment of which is ineffective and takes a long time;
  • allergy to a variety of foods and medicines, which indicates an excessively high level of sensitivity of the immune system;
  • great fatigue, the child is often capricious, he is drawn to sleep all the time; while sleep is difficult, he often wakes up;
  • poor bowel function, frequent diarrhea or constipation.

Signs of decreased immunity in schoolchildren:

  • the child is lethargic, irritable;
  • gets tired quickly and does not get enough sleep;
  • barely lasts until the weekend, and on Saturday and Sunday tries to sleep off the whole week;
  • suffers from acute respiratory infections more often 3-4 times a year.

We propose to consider the main causes of long-term and frequent colds in a child:

Medical factor in the formation of frequent diseases. This factor is important in 8-15% of all cases of frequent ARVI.

If, in the event of a child's illness, the adults around him (parents and doctors) give him the opportunity to “get sick to his heart,” or if they don’t send him to kindergarten or school ahead of time, he will slowly study the virus and store information about it in his memory. This will be a guarantee that the next time he meets this infection, the baby will recover in two to three days. However, if an incompletely recovered child returns to the children's team and meets the same virus again, then it is highly likely that in a week he will again remain at home with symptoms of an acute respiratory infection. And if he picks up a new one, then at least a double load will fall on his body. Every 10th child cannot withstand such a load, which can lead to many allergic reactions. This is what is called the medical factor.

The social factor is almost three times more important - 40 - 45%. If a child receives good nutrition from an early age, develops harmoniously, is observed by qualified doctors, then the risk of developing repeated diseases in him is minimized.

Heredity. However, the main responsibility (at least 50%) for frequent colds lies with genetics. Each of us has a different type of immune response: either strong, mixed, or weak. And this feature of personal immunity is the same invariable property as a blood group.

Modern immunology has established the "culprit" of the infectious problems of BWD. The fact is that these children have a congenital feature - a delayed formation of immune memory.

The infectious process in the human body ends only when the immune memory of the biological properties of the infectious agent is formed. This takes 18 to 40 days. If during this time the required information is fixed in the memory of the immune system, then the next meeting with this pathogen, the immune system will very quickly produce the necessary antibodies and the infectious process will be eliminated at the very beginning.

Some infections (for example) immediately create lifelong immunity, adrutia () - only for a few months (up to 6 months). This is how immune memory is formed under normal conditions. If the rate of formation of the immune response is slowed down, then it takes much longer to build up the immune memory. And if at the same time the attention of the immune system is diverted by another infection, then it will not have time to fix in memory the information about what it has just dealt with, and the repeated encounter of the organism with the already familiar virus will be perceived as the initial one. Therefore, in children with a properly functioning immune system, a full-scale response occurs once. Whereas BWD, instead of strongly and vividly getting infected with the infection once, they fight it repeatedly.

Problems, development and adaptation of frequently ill children: advice and recommendations

The other side of comfort. From year to year, advances in science and technology make people's lives more convenient and comfortable. The development of frequently ill children, as a rule, is slow, since any mother seeks to provide her child with the maximum of this comfort, protecting it from the effects of the cold, feeding tasty, but not always healthy food, providing new gadgets, which contributes to a sedentary life.

Excessive care and comfort leads to the fact that the child turns into a greenhouse plant, unable to withstand natural hazards in the form of infections, viruses and common colds.

There is no adaptation of frequently ill children to negative environmental factors, since they are less likely to walk in the yards, instead they spend day and night indoors. Instead of the natural elements around children, comfort, fresh air mainly from the window and while walking on the way to kindergarten or school and back. Parents generally do not carry out disease prevention, there is not enough time, and it is troublesome. No hardening, no independent disease control! And in case of illness, the parents follow the simpler (in their opinion) path - they give potent drugs, often antibiotics. So a comfortable life becomes one of the first reasons for a child's low resistance. The problems of frequently ill children in the future affect all areas of their lives.

An additional blow to immunity was the computer. Having become in many cases a blessing, the computer, unfortunately, has become evil at the same time. Computer games that allow the child to feel like in another world, have fun, the freedom to do what you want, not to adapt to anyone and not to yield to anyone, reliably tied children to a cozy room, a sedentary lifestyle, the formation of a closed life, excluded from the surrounding world.

All this deprives children of the main thing that allows them to maintain human health - the ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Children are very sensitive to the psychological conditions in which they live. It is vitally important for a child to be loved, he needs to feel his importance and security, to be proud of good family relations.

Often, a baby's illness is a kind of way to solve problems in a family. When a child, worrying about quarrels between parents and fearing that they will part, falls ill, it leads to a temporary lull, during which the parents' thoughts and feelings are focused on his recovery. In this case, the illusion of family well-being arises. This process takes place at the subconscious level, therefore it is not always obvious, but it should not be neglected.

Often, the child's internal contradictions seem insoluble to him, especially when the child cannot find support and receive advice. In this case, the disease becomes a temporary way out of the impasse, a kind of self-defense. Doctors always begin their advice to frequently ill children with a recommendation to establish internal, psychological comfort, to eliminate all contradictions and conflicts.

Here are just some of the possible childhood problems that can trigger the disease:

  • feeling of guilt, because did not do homework;
  • fear of test or independent work;
  • lack of desire to learn and learning difficulties;
  • conflict situations with teachers or students;
  • a state of fatigue with excessive training loads, a desire to rest, sleep;
  • and, of course, decreased immunity.

Recommendations for children with frequent illnesses are based on activities aimed at increasing the level of natural defenses, but you should not engage in increasing immunity "out of hand". It is necessary that you are allies with children in this matter, an example for them. And this is possible only if increased immunity becomes the basis of a lifestyle, both for the child and for you.

The child's health must be taken care of not when he is already ill, but when he is still healthy. If the child does get sick, do not limit yourself to treatment, as this is a signal to others that something needs to be changed in him and your life.

Frequently ill children are a social and medical problem. In these children, as a rule:

  • the calendar of preventive vaccinations is violated;
  • they cannot attend preschool institutions;
  • at school age are forced to miss school.

Parents have to periodically stay at home with a sick child.

A frequently ill child develops a "vicious circle": against the background of a weakened immunity, he falls ill with acute respiratory infections, which, in turn, further weaken the immune system, which is accompanied by a higher (than in peers) risk of development:

  • bacterial complications;
  • acute sinusitis;
  • acute otitis media;
  • chronic tonsillitis;
  • chronic sinusitis;
  • chronic adenoiditis;
  • bronchial asthma;
  • chronic lung disease;
  • glomerulonephritis.

BWD can develop various psychological problems, "complexes". First of all, it is an "inferiority complex", a feeling of self-doubt. The inability, due to frequent illnesses, to live a full life for one's age can lead to social maladjustment (a child can avoid peers, be withdrawn, rude, irritable).

If you do not help a child, it will take more than one year before his immune system "gets used" to the "collective" microflora and a series of diseases will stop.

No matter how trite it may sound, but in a family where there is a frequently ill child, the question of a healthy lifestyle should be at the forefront: a balanced diet with a sufficient content of vitamins and microelements, walks in the fresh air with active games outside the city and in forest parks, hardening, inadmissibility of contact with smokers in the environment of the child.

Here are the most effective "medicines" for strengthening his immune system. An equally important role is played by the timely treatment of the pathology of the ENT organs (chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis, adenoiditis).

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