Colds - Erie,PA

I give my 3 and 5 year olds the kid-safe vit C and echinachea gummies at the first sign of a cold or when we travel and I really think it helps! I also take the adult forms. You can get the calcium enriched orange juice and eat lots of fruit, too!!
Good luck!

Hi, L., you seem to be getting very good responses from other moms re: possible allergies and remedies. These might be good leads.

I'm just writing to commiserate with you - I think this season has been particularly bad. My 3 1/2 year old has also come down with more colds this year than she did last year. What with the whole H1N1 business and the weird weather, I feel like there are just a lot of bugs out there this year.

Not a scientific or particularly helpful response, but you are not alone!

Good luck getting through it,
H. S

More fruits and vegetables... smoothies are a good way to get your child to love them. Frozen berries smoothies are great and high in anti-oxidants that the immune system needs. There are tons of recipes on the internet... but any fruit (frozen or fresh) mixed in with ice and either milk or yogurt seems to be the recipe. Good luck!

Hi L.,

Sooner or later they all get sick and it is not unusual to have one cold after another. This season being very warm and then very cold back and forth does not help. Do you have a good humidifior? That may help. As long as she is not running fever all the time I would not over worry. She also may be developing allergies that appear as colds.

Good luck, L.

Sorry, I am sure that is no fun. Try some probiotics. Also Vitamin D is supposed to really protect against the cold and flu viruses.

L.

I know how much we hate to see our kids sick, but you aren't doing anything wrong. Kids just catch colds. I have 3 kids and it seems like from September first to June first all we have is coughing and runny noses. My pediatrician said that during cold season it seems to last forever because colds can take up to 4 weeks to clear up completely, and then they catch new bug. Seriously though, you don't want to overprotect from the germs, her immune system is building itself up every time she has a cold, so there is a plus to aggravation.

Hi L.~

My first thought after reading your post, being an allergy sufferer, is that perhaps your daughter is suffering from allergies, rather than frequent colds? I don't know how common or unusual it is for a child to have as many colds as you describe, but it does sound like sort of a lot, especially in light of the fact that she does not go to school or daycare. But I am no expert, only speaking from my limited personal experience as a mom... :)

There is a website that I refer to almost as much as this site for info. :) It is a site run by a family of well known and respected pediatricians, the Dr. Sears's.

www.askdrsears.com

Here is their article on Allergies, and it provides a wealth of info about allergy symptoms, treatment, etc., and compares allergies to colds.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/11/T080500.asp

If after reading that article, you think your daughter may have allergies, I'd talk to her pediatrician about consulting a pediatric allergist.

There is other info on this website about colds, how they occur, how to treat, etc. On the homepage, go to the Childhood Illnesses section at the top, then click on Colds, Coughs, and Sinus Infections. Lots of info there too. Basically, the whole site is a wealth of info on just about any topic a mom could need to know something about.

Just as a side note, my allergies are as bad in winter as during the "pollen season" because dust drives my allergies mad, and being cooped up all winter wreaks havoc on me...

Hope this helps you get things figured out!

I know you don't like to hear this, but wait til your child
Starts school, that's when they really catch everything coming
Down the pike. But the good thing is that the more she catches
The more her immune system will get boosted. I would focus on
A daily dose of multi vitamin, check with your pediatrcian if
Extra vit C or zinc or echinecea is safe at her age. I know my
Boys get all of those as well as I focus on foods high in vit C
Plus every year they get flu shots - without fail. Your body can
Build an immunity to help fight off colds, etc. But it never can
Build an immunity to the flu so flu shots are important. Also,
Check to see are her colds always settling in one place, ie., her
Throat, her ears, etc. If so it might be time for her to see an
ENT. My boys, for instance, constantly got sore throats.
Every year, never fail. So I took them to a specialist at duPont
And it turned both of them had severely swollen tonsils and
Andenoids. Since their surgeries a few years back, they rarely ever
Even catch so much as a cold! I also keep clorox spray, wipes and
Purell hand sanitizer at all times to head off any germs! I wish you
And your little one well and will keep you in my thoughts for good health!
Take care and good luck! :)

(I'm late in replying, as usual, so my comments may be repeats.) From what I've read and am told by the peed, kids get sick almost every other week during the winter, and at least 12x each year! So, her colds may be in line with this. Also, some of what seems like a cold may be teething?

We're into homeopathic things and they may be why our son has only been sick 3x in 20mos. Every day he gets a quality probiotic and colostrum supplement mixed in with yogurt or oatmeal. Every morning/night, he gets saline drops in his nose (he loves it and asks for "spritz" - salt is an antibacterial and soothes/heals. During the winter, we fill up sink/tub of nearby bathroom with hot water and drops of Eucalyptus (to keep airways moist and clear). Washing hands frequently.

Good luck!!!

Hi, L.:

There are Hyland Vit. C tablets for infants and children. There are also Probiotics for toddler's and children that might help.

Check in your local health foods store.

Good luck. D.

i also agree with the yogurt/probiotics and vit D ideas. i give my son chewable acidophilus every morning bc hes not always into eating yogurt. health food stores also carry Nature's Plus vitamins called Animal Parade and they have an immune boosting vitamin. u can also buy echinacea drops at health food stores.

I have heard a lot recently about Vit D and the immune system. Are you sure your daughter is getting enough Vit D? I think most people are deficient in it. Why not start her on a Vit D supplement? It certainly can't hurt. You can pick up drops at your grocery store. Make sure it is D3.

Hi L.,
Are you sure she's getting "colds"? We used to think that about our older daughter and it turns out she has allergies. You may want to take her and have her checked. Believe it or not--allergies strike at any time of the year and not just during spring/summer. Also, make sure she's getting enough vitamin C and other essential vitamins. Ask a pharmacist what OTC vitamins she can be on now. That should help boost her immune system.
Best of luck!
E. :)

I think sometimes that allergies can be mistaken for colds. It could be to pets at home,dust or many other things. I think that zyrtec is good and something you can give your child over the counter. It is something safe for kids two years and older. If you are hesitant about this ask your pediatrician. Make sure to blow a cool mist humidifier at night. I know the heat can dry up the sinuses when we sleep.
good luck

Is your daughter interacting a lot more with other kids now? It takes one snotty kids wherever you are to give her a cold! The more colds she gets now the fewer she'll get later. My kids go to preschool 2 days a week and they've pretty much been snotty non-stop since September - I couldn't count how many colds they've had (4 yr old and 2 year old twins). Just make sure she's getting enough sleep, washing/sanitizing her hands after being around other kids and getting all the vitamins she needs in her diet!

My sister gave me a book written by a doctor that said, "If you want to do one thing for your immune system, eat a yogurt every day" Of course, it has to have the right beneficial bacteria. (Some have none!) We think the best is Stonyfarm organic yogurt, We get it at Whole Foods and Genuardi's. Our kids rarely are sick. Hope this helps!

C.