Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

I've always wondered how true this actually is? Everyone says.. your child will be immune to everything and not be a sick.

But... How? Colds are colds...kwim...you don't become immune to them.

Stomach Virus'...how can you become immune to those?

Coksakie??? Roseola?? Strep??


How do they become immune to a virus?? KWIM???

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

Yes... I can tell you first hand from my own experience.
I worked at a daycare for years (actually the one Mason goes to now )
The first year I was sick ALL the time. Those little buggers would sneeze, cough, etc all over me and I would call out sick a lot. The owner said it was normal. After that year I was barely sick.
Now... I don't have a PHD or anything , but I also feel the more "sheltered" you keep your child then the worse it'll be when you do take them out in the real world. Not talking about when they're an infant, but as older babies and toddlers it's going to happen.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

i really think so. they're building up their immunity so their body can fight off infections. of course they will still get sick once in awhile, but no where near as back as if they haven't been exposed to it.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

i think it helps, but i also think some kids are just stronger then others.

i have 6 bros and sisters. no one went to daycare or even preschool...but 4 of us are super healthy, never strep, flu, ear infections...the others were more commonly sick.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

It helps kids build stronger immune systems, and they can fight off more bugs, but it takes time for this to happen. The first year or so I would expect them to get sick a lot.

By kindergarten, most kids who have been in daycare are out sick less than kids who did not go. This is a generality, not true for every child, but for most.

This doesn't mean they never catch anything, of course they'll still get sick, they may just get sick less.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

Elizabeth first winter was rough, but she only had colds and ear infections nothing more than that. The second winter was much much better! We'll see how her 3rd winter goes!

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

Abby was in day care for almost 2 years. Her first year she was sick a lot. Her second year she wasn't. She was also received more vaccinations so maybe that has something to do with it.

I was also exposed to sick children at work. Some parents just send kids in no matter what. I bring stuff home to DH and Abby all the time despite all efforts to stay clean and be as careful as I can.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

I don't know. I have a lot of friends whose kids are in the local elementary school, and they still complain how the classroom is always full of sick kids. Like someone else said, I think some kids will always just get sick more than others.

Also, the big complaint these moms have about school (older kids, not daycare) is HOW sick the kids are and are still sent to school-- they tell me there's one mom who sent her kid with obvious pink eye a couple of times and then when she got the call halfway through the day she just played dumb and then left early to get him, so that she didn't have to miss a full day of work.

I'm a SAHM. In my kid's first year of school last year (nursery) he seemed to get a lot of runny noses, but nothing more serious than that. So far this school year he's still getting runny noses. I don't know if I believe he's going to build up much immunity to common cold viruses......

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

They become immune to a lot of things.

Are you always sick now? as you were when you were a kid? No, because you became immune to many of the illnesses out there.

Some things you can catch again & again - like pneumonia - once you have it, you become more suceptible to it. Other illnesses, you get less of as your body's immunity builds up.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

I have to say it seemed like my ds was sick often during the first winter season he was at daycare - some colds, cough and a couple of fevers. Nothing major but bad enough that we had to keep him home a few times during those rough winter months. It was always so stressful figuring out who was taking off. BUt the next winter season, he was only sick one day (knock on wood). I hope that we have the same good luck this winter season!

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

They build immunities to a lot of things - but if there's a stomach virus going around, it's going around - whether it's in daycare or in 8th grade ........

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

People told me that the first year in daycare was the worst - that their child was sick a lot. The second year was a little better and after that, they were rarely sick.

So far, for us this has been the case. The first winter in daycare I was at the doctor every 2 or 3 weeks, I think. Last winter he was sick, but not as frequently. So far this year, he hasn't had even a cold in a long time. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

What i wasn't prepared for was how often *I* would get sick. I am generally pretty healthy and before DS started daycare, I hadn't been to the doctor for a sick visit in probably 10 years. I got almost every cold and virus he got!

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

I have to say, yes, I think they do become immune. DS used to get sick all the time. He stared nursery school last year and he was the one who would bring it home and the rest of us would get sick. So far, this year, I was sick and so were the twins AND DH and I was waiting and waiting for DS to get it but he never did! Not even a sniffle. The babies were coughing and sneezing all over him but, he was fine.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

They become immune to the PARTICULAR virus that caused their sickness. There are hundreds of different viruses that cause colds/stomach virus, any of those things. You can only have a particular virus once. Same reason we get immunizations to viruses such as Polio, Rotovirus, flu.... you build antibodies against that particular virus and cannot have it again.

Bacteria...... different story. Can get bacterial infections over and over again.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

well, I don't want to elaborate for fear that I will jinx myself.

I'll give basics. DS started daycare at 3 months. Caught everything under the sun within 9 months of that. Has been relatively healthy since then (some minor colds and bugs). He is 3 now.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

My kids were sick the first year in daycare and knock on wood rarely get sick anymore.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

Yes- they really do build up a tolerance!

DD has been in daycare for 3 years now. When she was first in daycare, she was sick often- but (knock on wood)- she hasn't really been sick in over a year. (Of course now that I said that, I'm sure she'll get a cold!)

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

When it comes to things that will require antibiotics to treat, I don't believe there is any way to become immune. You can get ear infections over and over again. You can get strep throat over and over.

But with viruses, such as the flu or coxsackie, you can build up immunity to the STRAIN that you contracted.

So if your DC gets coxsackie, they will now be immune to that particular strain that they had. However, there are LOTS of other strains that they can get, so it is possible to have coxsackie again.

If you had the H1N1 flu last year, you didn't need to get the shot for it, because your body would naturally build up immunity to it since you had it.

It all depends on what strain of the virus you had and what strain is going around.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

I don't think so, my coworkers kids in daycare are sick just as often when they start school. Some kids get sick more often then others and it doesn't seem to change over the years

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

They don't become immunue, but they do get sick much less often, and for a smaller duration.

Alex was sick every other week for the first year. Ever since she turned 2, she has missed maybe 1 or 2 days a year due to illness. And when she DOES get sick, it only lasts a day, if not less, whereas it seems to linger with other kids for days and days.

Re: Spinoff to daycare vent: Do they REALLY become immune!!

You just build up a better immunity to the germs that you come in contact with each day. I worked in day cares and I was an elementary school teacher and in the beginning I was sick constantly but after a few months I built up my immune system and I was sick A LOT less often then in the beginning of the school year.