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Is there a reason for recurring illnesses in children?

It is not uncommon for little children to take ill once they start schooling, but there are ways to minimise the frequency and discomfort

Published: Thu 15 Feb 2024, 3:23 AM

Updated: Wed 21 Feb 2024, 12:59 PM

  • By
  • Dr Talal Farha

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The seasons are changing and there is a sniff and a cough everywhere. It's a time when parents especially get concerned about their little ones and wonder what measures could be taken to prevent them from frequently falling ill. Some of the questions I get asked as a paediatrician on a daily basis in the clinic are the following -

"I feel I am here every week. Is there any reason why my child keeps falling sick?"

"Can I do something to improve my child’s immunity?"

"What are we doing or not doing that contribute to my child getting many illnesses since he/she started nursery?"

However, there is one question at the heart of it all: Is there a reason for recurring illnesses in children? We will discuss this along with symptoms and problems that are perceived as same illnesses and what can be done to minimise recurrence and improve general health.

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Common illnesses that circulate every year in most countries and the UAE are viruses, bacterias, parasites and other fungal infections.

The following are the commonest ones I see in patients coming to the clinic, which is likely to reflect the the community.

  • Viral infections - Not treated with Antibiotics- like Flu, RSV (respiratory syncytial Virus), hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and Covid which is now much less severe than it used to be.
  • Bacterias - Treated with antibiotics - like Streptococcus (strep throat), and recently Mycoplasma infection and Staph infections.
  • Parasites such as worms and head lice are fairly common.
  • Other infections like fungus infections such as Ringworms of the skin are common too.

We have a unique set of conditions that increases the risk of infections in general and other set of circumstances that help reduce infections. Conditions that contribute to more infections can be listed as follows:

  • The increase in travel, as most people in the UAE travel to various parts of the world and bring back various infections that are shared in nurseries and schools and crowded places.
  • A season of summer heat which forces indoor living.
  • The excessive need to use air conditioning and artificial ventilations.
  • Less rain to clean the air.

On the other hand, the following factors help reduce risk of infections:

  • Great weather for most of the year which encourages the outdoors and beach living.
  • Relatively young population
  • Excellent levels of hygiene and sanitation in the country
  • The ease of access and availability of healthcare that helps reduce the complications related to these infections.

It is widely accepted that children and infants will have many mild viral infections and sometimes more serious infections in the first six months of joining schools or nurseries. On average one infection every four to six weeks for the first three to six months after joining nurseries is to be expected.

Each infection is normally followed by wet cough to clear the chest, which is involved in many viral infections. This clearing of the chest could take up to six weeks with mild cough which will fde gradually.

For parents, it feels that the child is coughing forever, which is a reason for many doctor visits and changing medications. It is important to avoid cough syrups in children; most of the times, using honey (for children over one year), as well as lemon and fresh oranges are good alternatives.

Other tips to improve general health and reduce illnesses are healthy living, exposure to outdoors, no screen time for the under two years of age and the maximum screen time for older children to not exceed half an hour a day.

The best tip I would like to give all parents is to introduce sporting activities in your child’s life as early as possible, and I always recommend a self-defence sport, a team sport and swimming to be part of every child’s life.

Dr Talal Farha is a Paediatric Consultant and Medical Director at Somerset Clinic Dubai

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