Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

I know in the beginning kids get sick a lot from being around other kids, but my son has had some kind of illness nonstop since day 1 of day care started 4 months ago. I really do not want to change day cares because he is just getting used to this one, and I do not feel comfortable leaving him alone with a nanny. However, I am concerned about his health, constantly being on antibiotics, and possibly having to have a medical procedure done due to chronic ear infections.

Did anyone experience this and if so, what did you do? Did it pass? Did changing day cares help?

FYI, he is 1 years old.

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

I don't have a child in daycare, but I always heard it was the first year that was the hardest in regards to illnesses, then they build up their immune systems.

Do you think it is the facility? I mean, it is winter and the season for spreading germs, so it may not be better anywhere else.

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

No, to me, the facility is clean and they say they sanitize everything daily. Instinctually I don't believe changing day cares will help because anywhere you do, they are always going to be sharing germs during the day. But, I just don't know what else to do.

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

do you have a friend or family member that could watch him for maybe a month and then go back to the center?
I actually had 1:1 at someones house and honestly...it sucked. She is doing soooo much better back in group daycare. We dealt with the sicknesses and like I said I pulled her but in terms of development she was better off with other children. You have to weigh out your options.

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

we went thru exactly this with Ryan last year. He was hospitalized with RSV at 4 months old, after just over a month in daycare. He got 6 ear infections in a row before we got tubes put in (best thing we could have done). I wanted to blame the daycare and switch him to another, but honestly it's the nature of them developing their immune system and being around other kids so much that just makes that first year REALLY tough. I can tell you after the first winter things got MUCH better. If I had a choice I'd have loved to keep him home for the first year but that was not an option.

He is fine today and the Dr. tells me he'll be one of THE healthiest kindergarteners, if that's any consolation!

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

sorry i don't have any advice but i did have tubes put in my ears when i was little and my hearing and health was perfect after that.

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

I'm of the opinion that all of these illnesses boost their immune systems in the future.

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

thanks for the positive stories and encouragement

the problem I have with putting the tubes in the ears is that I am scared to death of putting a 1 year old under anesthesia....I feel like I would have a heart attack before the procedure was even finished

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

Ear infections aren't a contagious illness so I'm not sure what benefit there would be from changing centers. Do they feed your DC bottles while he is laying down? I know lying flat while feeding can be a huge cause of ear infections.

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

I know ear infections aren't contagious, but the virus that causes the fluid to build up is. DS will be fine once I keep him home a few days, then I send him back and the next day he has a runny nose and bad cough immediately - I just think it's from all the kids putting the same toys in their mouths, grabbing each other's food, and generally being around other sick kids. Someone in his class is always sniffling and coughing, so my son catches the illness, leading to the ear infection.

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

I think that some kids are just more prone to ear infections. DD has been in daycare since 6 months old (she's almost 17 months now) and has never had an ear infection, but has had a snuffy nose & cough on & off since September. I feel so bad for her, but she deals with it quite well, and the same exact thing could happen if she stayed home with me all day or if she was at a different daycare. So, I wouldn't recommend switching daycare centers, but I would speak to the ped. about the medical procedure. I've heard very good things about it from other moms, but I certainly understand your anxiety about it.

Good luck!

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

DS has been in daycare since the end of October and he is on his 3rd ear infection! I am a wreck, because I feel exactly the same way you do about him being on so much medicine at a young age.

We keep him home a few days on the weekends and then he goes back and gets sick again.

I really dont know what to do either

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

Damien also had tons of ear infections and bronchitis when he was a baby in day care. We had antibiotics and nebulizer treatments for endless amounts of time. Some kids are just prone to them. The best thing ( and the scariest) was getting him tubes and then eventually having his adenoids and tonsils out. *knock on wood* the kid is never sick now. Jaidyn has been very healthy and has only had one ear infection so I lucked out with her, but she also started day care much younger than her brother. At their ages the are very oral and everything is in the mouth. I would inquire about their toy washing schedule and make sure that the staff constantly washes their hands. Good Luck

Re: Did anyone have to change daycare or take DC out of day care due to repeated illnesses?

I could have written this post myself. DS is 11 months old and has been in daycare since 3 and a half months of age. He has had constant colds and ear infections and was hospitalized at 5 months because he contracted RSV (in the summer of all seasons). I feel like every other week he is sick and I feel so badly for him. DS also was recently diagnosed with asthma (that seems to be genetic because DH has this at the same age and eventually grew out of it) which is brought on by a cold.

So I totally understand where you are coming from. It is a tough decsion to make, and I don't think other people always understand. I always get the "well why don't you just pay a nanny or have someone in the neighborhood look after him" coments from other people. Unfortunately, it's not so easy for us. A nanny would cost almost double what we are paying now, and I can't afford that (we have a wonderful daycare program that is quite reasonable). Not to mention the fact that my DS looooves daycare and the stimulation of the outside environment. I also don't feel completely comfortable with a nanny and I don't know any neighborhood people. I also don't have family members to watch him.

I don't know if taking your DC out of daycare is necessarily the soultion. I've brought this up to my pediatrician many times and taking your DC out may not necessarily make a difference. But I would definitely talk to your doctor about it. I hope your DC feels better soon!