Why is my child always sick?

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Of course a common question for pediatricians is "Why is my child sick all the time?" And for toddlers, it's very common for them to have a viral infection a month, particularly during the winter months. So it seems like they're sick all the time. They're sick for 5 or 6 days, the cold and cough take maybe another week to go away, so it seems like they're sick 2 or 3 weeks out of the month. That's very common in the winter time with toddlers. If they're in daycare, if they have older siblings who are going to school, they're going to be sick more often because they have that exposure to those infections that are being brought home. Most of the time, these are viral infections that you can watch at home. So if they are having low grade fevers but are continuing to eat, and are pretty perky during the day, then you're okay to watch them. If it seems like the illness is lasting longer than 5 days, particularly if they have a fever that lasts longer than 5 days, or a high fever, then they should be seen.

If they have persistent vomiting and diarrhea, they need to be seen. Most vomiting episodes will last about 24 hours. Diarrhea may last up to a week. But if it persists longer than that or is severe, they should be seen. It's common for babies to be sick a lot, especially in those first 2 or 3 years of life. And I always listen to my parents. They seem to have a sixth sense about their kids. So if you are trying to reassure them, and they say "No, I think something's really wrong", then I always pay attention and take a closer look. So as a parent, if you have the feeling "something's not right", bring your child in. They should be seen.