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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Is It True That Kids In Daycare Sick More Than Kids Who Stay Home?
daycare 02:51 PM 01-17-2012
found this interesting article...

http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-...id_10323706.bc
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Michael 04:05 PM 01-17-2012
Well, I would think so. In my opinion, it can be both a good or not so good thing. Obviously, those in a public environment can build up a stronger immune system if the cold or flu is allowed to run its course at home while getting well. There is also the problem with immune system brunt out if someone is constantly battling colds that are not being managed and tended to correctly. That's a cycle of sickness and not a good environment.

Just read the article and it makes sense. It says it better then I ever could.
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Cat Herder 04:53 PM 01-17-2012
IDK...my own kids and I are rarely ever sick.
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Blackcat31 05:02 PM 01-17-2012
I wonder too. I am RARELY sick and I have even had a few daycare kids that have come to daycare full time for almost 5 years now and only have 1-2 sick days over those 5 years....and it isn't because I am lenient with my sick policies, because I am NOT.

IMPO, I think daycare helps kids build up immunities to fight off illnesses.
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Christian Mother 05:37 PM 01-17-2012
I would have to say the article is correct..at least for me. I am hardly ever sick as well as my kids but that is bc my son started daycare at 2 yrs of age and before then was in a inhome daycare before a facility. My daughter was home with me for a 1 1/2 before I started doing daycare here in the home. My back ground has always been with children whether working in the school district or nannying...so I build a good immune system way back when. I've noticed kids that I've had in care for yrs that are sick all the time and I feel like it is due to a low immune system and I've had kids that hardly ever get sick and have been here over a yr.
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meganlavonnesmommy 06:06 PM 01-17-2012
It might be. But I have had 6-7 kids in my home every day for the last 5 years, and we are rarely sick.

Also, a dr once told me that the more germs kids are exposed to before age 5, the less likely they are to get sick during school years, because their immune system is strong from being exposed to it early.
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Meyou 02:19 AM 01-18-2012
I find that kids get sick alot their first winter here and the age doesn't matter. But once that first year is done they are quite healthy until they start school other than the odd cold. The year they start school they get sick again quite a bit and I think it's all about exposure to just an abundance of new germs both times.

I find the DCK's get much less sick their first winter in school than a child who has stayed home until age 5. I personally think that exposure at a very young age in DC helps their immune system, not hurts it.

My kids and I don't get sick very often either although my youngest picked up a couple of weird things last year.
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littlemissmuffet 05:54 AM 01-18-2012
Originally Posted by :
Is It True That Kids In Daycare Sick More Than Kids Who Stay Home?
Sure this might be true... UNTIL THEY START SCHOOL!! I've never known a kid who was home from birth to kinder and didn't spend their first year at school sick!

I personally don't know what the big deal about illness from daycare is. Typically, the child's first few months at daycare they will catch anything and everything and begin building an imminuty - it's natural and necessary! I find every year my littles that are 10-12 months spend their first 6 or so months in my care sick with various illnesses and then very rarely get sick again (other than colds).
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Meeko 11:32 AM 01-18-2012
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
Sure this might be true... UNTIL THEY START SCHOOL!! I've never known a kid who was home from birth to kinder and didn't spend their first year at school sick!

I personally don't know what the big deal about illness from daycare is. Typically, the child's first few months at daycare they will catch anything and everything and begin building an imminuty - it's natural and necessary! I find every year my littles that are 10-12 months spend their first 6 or so months in my care sick with various illnesses and then very rarely get sick again (other than colds).
My best friend is a kindy teacher. She, and other teachers I have spoken to, can tell which kids were in day care and which ones were at home.

The kids who had been in day care were rarely sick and didn't miss much school. Those who were at home and had not been exposed to much...missed a lot of school due to illness.

So now or later....but one way or the other, they are going to be a social setting , around other people and start the cycle of being sick and building immunity. Being at home doesn't stop it...it just delays it.
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countrymom 11:38 AM 01-18-2012
I agree with all of you. Me and my kids are rarely sick. Odd has a friend (age 13) is constantly sick. Her mom makes her live in a bubble. So yes being exposed all the time makes a difference.
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meganlavonnesmommy 04:09 PM 01-18-2012
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
Sure this might be true... UNTIL THEY START SCHOOL!! I've never known a kid who was home from birth to kinder and didn't spend their first year at school sick!

I personally don't know what the big deal about illness from daycare is. Typically, the child's first few months at daycare they will catch anything and everything and begin building an imminuty - it's natural and necessary! I find every year my littles that are 10-12 months spend their first 6 or so months in my care sick with various illnesses and then very rarely get sick again (other than colds).
My son must be the exception. He has been home with me from birth, and started kindergarden this fall. So far (knock on wood), he hasnt been sick once. He's had one cold, but never missed a single day of school. Part of that could be because I've done daycare since he was 8 months old, so he got exposed to lots of kids and lots of germs early. He did have a lot of ear infections from 1-2, and had to have tubes at 2. So maybe he built up a good immune system.
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MarinaVanessa 04:35 PM 01-18-2012
MOST kids that are in day care get sick more than those who stay home. Obviously those kids are more inclined to come into contact with germs and such.

HOWEVER i've read (wish I would have kept the article) that the kids who got sick more while in early group care got sick less often later in school and life in general because they build up their immunities while the kids that stayed home got sick a lot more once they entered the school system from lack of building up their immune system. It went on to say that most kids that were home schooled and didn't become exposed to germs through public school got sick more when they got older and joined the work force.

From my experience, yes ... kids get sick more in group care. My daughter did anyway (before I had my own DC she went to another FCC) but she's 7 now and hardly ever gets sick now. I have a son and he's 13 months and he's been sick too many times to counts thanks to DC including thrush (he drank out of a DC kids sippy)Zzz and hand, foot and mouth disease from DC kids which ran through ALL of the DC kids (they were all exposed before their symptoms showed up). A second DC kid later got hand, foot and mouth that was caught late because there was no fever and none of the other DC kids got sick that time probably because they had all already gotten it (or maybe I just do a good job cleaning the toys, who knows lol).

I prefer to have my kids get sick when they are younger. My DH gets sick and he's the biggest babe ever . I don't know what I would do if my kids were sick as adults and I had to take care of them and they were as bad as my DH.
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MNMum 06:01 PM 01-18-2012
I don't know, for us I think it was different. When I was "home with my kids" - the 2 oldest and the first 18 mos of the 3rd one - we were out and about daily, new playdates, malls, libraries, etc. I would think that would put us in contact with more germs than the home daycare situation does. Now we never leave and there are only 6 kids coming in...
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MarinaVanessa 06:08 PM 01-18-2012
Originally Posted by MNMum:
I don't know, for us I think it was different. When I was "home with my kids" - the 2 oldest and the first 18 mos of the 3rd one - we were out and about daily, new playdates, malls, libraries, etc. I would think that would put us in contact with more germs than the home daycare situation does. Now we never leave and there are only 6 kids coming in...
Yep, that's why it's "most". Just think about how when you do DC you're now looking at six kids coming in and out of DC that go on playdates, grocery store, library etc. Of course I bet kids that go to FCC's (family child care homes) get sick less than kids that go to a DC center. More kids=more germs KWIM?
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