When kids start preschool, they get repeatedly sick, which can frustrate parents.
Believe it or not, this is also a difficult time for doctors. Its tough seeing little ones miserable and ill.
Parents don’t understand, and doctors don’t tell them this is a normal life stage. You must expect infections.
So what is creche syndrome, and is there any way to survive it?
A lot hinges on logical good health practices: optimizing diet, good sleep patterns, and encouraging exercise.
What Is Creche Syndrome?
Creche is another word for daycare or preschool.
Syndrome refers to the repeated illness that children get at this age when starting school.
And boy, do they get sick. A child will visit the GP on average every 4 to 6 weeks during their first two years at creche. Not only is the child sick, they bring bugs home and share them with the whole family.
Their immune systems are developing, and school is a new environment overflowing with challenges. They need to go through this.
“It is normal and essential to build a healthy immune system.”
Preschoolers love to play and interact with each other. They love to touch and discover new things. They put things in their mouths. Infections will spread.
Also read: Bringing Fever Down Quickly and Easily
Also read: 6 Pediatric Home Medicine Must-Haves
Surviving creche syndrome
1. Acceptance
“This is the most important tactic. You must accept that your kids will get recurrently sick when they start preschool. This cycle repeats with each child.”
Parents get desperate and sometimes depressed.
It usually has nothing to do with
- the cleanliness of the school,
- something you, the parent, are doing wrong or
- GP incompetence.
It is down to an immune system training in an environment of new threats.
2. Avoid antibiotics where possible
These are mostly viral infections. They will cause snot, sniffles, and fever and do not need antibiotics.
Treat these infections symptomatically. This means getting rid of the snot and mucous. Also, manage temperatures. Viral infections, unfortunately, can lead to secondary bacterial infections requiring antibiotics. Your doctor will guide you.
3. Keep sick kids out of school
Try to break the cycle of constant illness. Most schools have a policy of no sick kids at school.
“This prevents your child from being at the doctor every one to two weeks instead of monthly.”
A good suggestion in theory. In today’s busy and expensive world, it’s often impractical for single or working parents to adhere to this. There is no option to keep the child home.
4. Hygiene
Kids need to learn basic hygiene early in life, but it should not be obsessive.
“The sickest kids in my practice were the little ones whose parents constantly wiped them, their toys, and the surroundings down with sanitizer.”
This means washing hands after using the bathroom and before meals. There is no need to sanitize constantly.
Their immune systems need stimulation. They need some contact with some bacteria and viruses.
5. Sleep
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends the following to ensure excellent health in your preschooler. 1
- Children 1 to 2 years of age should sleep 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours (including naps)
- Children 3 to 5 years of age should sleep 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours (including naps)
6. Exercise (outdoors if possible)
“I advise putting a hat and sunscreen on and getting into the sunshine for 30 minutes daily. 4 Kick a ball in the garden in the afternoon when the UV risk is lower.”
Vitamin D deficiency increases infection risk. 2 Sunshine is the ultimate source.
Most of us now avoid the sun or cover up outdoors because of the risk of skin cancer. Children stay indoors on computers or tablets or in front of the TV, resulting in low vitamin D. A study on whether sunscreen reduces vitamin D production showed that the risk is low. 3
This GOV.UK infographic sums up children’s exercise requirements beautifully.
7. Immunize
We want your child’s immune system to learn to fight minor childhood illnesses. However, certain diseases can be life-threatening. Vaccines can prepare the immune system beforehand to have a fighting chance. Measles is an example.
Whooping cough is most dangerous in infants. But I promise you, a preschooler with pertussis will drive the family crazy with a three-month cough.
“I understand this topic stimulates debate, and you are either for or against vaccination. I am for it.”
8. Immune boosting diet
This should start early in life and include foods that support the immune system.
Find out more in my post about the top 20 immune boosting foods for preschoolers.
Summary
- Accept that this is normal, and you are in for some difficult years.
- Wash hands after toilet visits and before eating. There is no need to live in a sterile environment.
- I encourage a healthy lifestyle from preschool years to help you through creche syndrome. Kids need sleep, exercise, and a balanced diet, like adults.
- Play outside, if possible, in the afternoon sunlight. Apply sunblock.
- Immunize your children per the recommended schedule to save them from life-threatening infections.
- Fill your child’s plate with immune boosting foods.
References
- Paruthi, S., Brooks, L. J., D’Ambrosio, C., Hall, W. A., Kotagal, S., Lloyd, R. M., Malow, B. A., Maski, K., Nichols, C., Quan, S. F., Rosen, C. L., Troester, M. M., & Wise, M. S. (2016). Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 785–786. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.5866
- Aranow C. (2011). Vitamin D and the immune system. Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research, 59(6), 881–886. https://doi.org/10.2310/JIM.0b013e31821b8755
- Neale, R. E., Khan, S. R., Lucas, R. M., Waterhouse, M., Whiteman, D. C., & Olsen, C. M. (2019). The effect of sunscreen on vitamin D: a review. The British journal of dermatology, 181(5), 907–915. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.17980
- Srivastava S. B. (2021). Vitamin D: Do We Need More Than Sunshine?. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 15(4), 397–401. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276211005689
