11 votes
Accepted

Is it normal for a 3.5-year-old child to get sick every month?

Oh, yes, that's normal for kids who have just started going to school/preschool etc. Quite simply, there are hundreds, if not thousands of cold and flu viruses circulating in society. As adults, we'...
  • 2,159
6 votes
Accepted

How to get 5-year-old to consistently cover mouth when couging?

Getting someone into the habit of doing anything requires repetition, as that is what a habit is largely: a settled or regular tendency or practice. The best way to establish a habit in a child ...
  • 60.3k
6 votes

20m Old Baby Is Insanely Cranky + Clingy + Not Leaving Her Mom, We Are At Our Wits End!

This does not, on the face of it, sound terribly unusual. She has probably not fully recovered yet. If she is still feeling ill, it makes sense for her to be cranky. Wouldn't you be? If she is ...
  • 2,698
5 votes

My MIL is traveling to Paraguay. How long do you suggest having her wait to visit my 8 month old son once returning?

This should not be a problem at all. The person likely to suffer from Zika id the person traveling to affected areas. Zika may cause microcephaly in fetuses, that is, while the baby is in utero. Once ...
5 votes
Accepted

How to explain to my children their mother's cancer?

Firstly I'd like to say- congratulations to you both on getting this far through and doing as well as you have. Now- I have been through this exact situation, near enough- my Father was diagnosed ...
4 votes

How to explain to my children their mother's cancer?

As you are talking about life-changing news for your wife, I don't believe that you can actually hide the emotions that come with getting the good or bad news. Assuming that your daughters are aware ...
4 votes

How to explain to my children their mother's cancer?

I am speaking as a daughter here. I have not been in an actual similar situation, the things my parents tried to hide from me did happen after I left home for university so I was older(but similarly, ...
  • 1,446
3 votes

Does too much or too little exposure to infection affect long-term immune health?

This is the 2010 paper discussed in the CNN article: Côté SM, Petitclerc A, Raynault M, et al. Short- and Long-term Risk of Infections as a Function of Group Child Care Attendance: An 8-Year ...
  • 22.6k
3 votes
Accepted

Will a road trip (travel) make an infant weaker and more prone to illness?

This is from a recent experience, not a pediatrician advice. I have a 8.5 month old daughter, underweight. She had a slight cold at the time but she's usually pretty though (my wife caught a minor ...
  • 1,882
3 votes

Is it normal for a 3.5-year-old child to get sick every month?

This can happen for a while, but it's not normal on the long term. So, if you child continues to get ill every month, month after month, then there may a medical problem that needs attention. E.g. the ...
3 votes
Accepted

How can I help a ten year old girl not to be frightened of feeling sick?

Emetophobia is unfortunately very common. (The reference linked starts with the DSM-IV definition of emetophobia. For those who cannot click through, it's a phobia of vomiting.) Before we get to ...
  • 12.3k
2 votes

How to help my 4-year-old son who has a stuffy nose but doesn't understand yet how to blow his nose?

It seems horrible until you get into a situation like this, but the NoseFrida is a life-saver.
  • 121
2 votes

How to help my 4-year-old son who has a stuffy nose but doesn't understand yet how to blow his nose?

If you have a suction device (a blue bulb syringe or similar used on babies to clear secretions), this is relatively easy to do. You can increase the effectiveness of this by instilling a few drops of ...
2 votes

Does too much or too little exposure to infection affect long-term immune health?

There are a few things at work here, that seem to be combined in your question. The first is the concept that your child should be exposed to diseases at a younger age in order to avoid sickness at ...
  • 60.3k
2 votes

How to remove phlegm from baby/toddler?

As far as I can tell, there isn't really anything you can reliably do to directly remove the coughed up phlegm at that age. The bulb syringe or just wiping it out of his mouth with clean gauze, ...
  • 7,564
2 votes

Why is my 9-year-old making up new illnesses/injuries every day?

Hypochondria isn't likely once you consider the criteria for it. Based on your post: your daughter says she has a headache, but there is no follow through. She isn't doing the drama queen thing, ...
  • 1,479
2 votes

Adult has chickenpox, children are vaccinated. Avoid contact none the less?

First: we do not give medical advice here, and so the following should not be considered such; this is parenting advice only. If you have a medical concern, and particularly if you or your children ...
  • 60.3k
1 vote

Is it normal for a 3.5-year-old child to get sick every month?

Yes this is 100% normal. And don't be surprised if you catch some of the bugs your child does. That's because the last time you were exposed to kiddie germs was probably many years ago! The best ...
  • 486

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