2-Year Old Constantly Sick

Have you considered chiropractic care? It's a another thought/ideology to treat illness. Try Buchar family chiropractic on Eola by the Dominics. They are wonderful and my kids (5 and 4) love it there!

I've been down the same road. Allergies. My son at 3 was on 2 different prescriptions and by the time he hit 8 or 9 was on 3. The year after that he was down to 1 prescription and for the past few years has gotten by with the occasional over the counter, generic allergy med. My other 2 suffer occasionally. I have never outgrown mine. My son was treated by his pediatrician as the doc didn't think an allergist was necessary - he was right.

Maybe she has allergies. That was how I discovered I had them. I had gotten sinus infection after sinus infection and bronchitis, then I took Claritin, and voila! GONE!
Sounds like that may be what she has. Good luck!

My son and I see a nutritionist in Highland Park (it's a long drive for us from Elk Grove Village, but totally worth it) named Dr. Timothy Voll. Due to his testing methods and natural solutions, my son and I have been in excellent health consistently. I would highly recommend checking him out. What have you got to lose? :) His number is ###-###-####.

If you doctor puts her on atibiotics, that really weekens her immune system. Probiatics will help to strenghten it.
Also homepathic medicine worked great for my youngest son.
My pediatricien practices homeopathy, I don't know where you like, Dr. Lojewski is in Niles.
I would stay away from over the counter medicine, like Benadryl.
What cleaning products do you use? Use only green, non-toxic, you'll see a huge diffrence in your girl's over all health.
If you would like to know more probiatics, homepathic medicine or "green home", contact me:)
D.

My son used to get sick all the time until I recently started him on both vitamin D3 supplements and probotics. Probotics are live micro-organisms that get added food help strengthen your natural immune. There are many out there but the one we use is in powder form we put the dose in his milk every morning (store in fridge). The brand we use is called Baby's Jarro-Dopilus. It is meant for babies to age 4 (I use for both my boys whose ages are 13 months and 3). The vitamin D I have recently started giving my boys have aided in their overall well-being. My 3 year old now naps regularly and is a better disposition. I saw immediate improvement with the vitamin D, (I give the Yummi Bears Vitamin D3). The probotics took about 3 weeks before I noticed a difference.

I know that you mentioned that you already give your son a multi, there is usually only 200 Mg's of D3 in multi vitamins, the recommended dose in 400. Trust me it made a tremendous difference.
Good Luck,
C.

The daycare may be clean, but the kids there may still be spreading germs.

It was suggested to me by one of my doctors to check out Juice Plus. My kids were always sick too and he said since his family started taking Juice Plus, very rarely does anyone get sick (including his kids). Anyway, the doctor had the gummy supplements (there are 2 gummies in all. One is just fruits and the other is veggies) and gave one of each to both my kids and the kids loved them. The veggie doesn't taste AS good, so I have my kids (4.5 and 2.5) eat the veggie first and then the fruit one. They like them so much, that they remind me to give them "mins" daily. I can give them up to 3 of each daily, but on average, they get 2 per day. I call them vitimins, but they technically aren't vitimins.

Since I got them on the Juice Plus gummies, I feel the kids are healthier and I know since they don't eat thier daily intake of fruits and veggies, that they are getting them by taking the gummies.

Oh, I believe in the product so much that now I'm a distributor. So, if you are interestd in ordering some, please let me know.

Here's what the website says:
Juice Plus Gummies are ideal for children of all ages. Juice Plus Gummies are a whole food supplement. They are the next best thing to fruits and vegetables and kids love them! Because Juice Plus Gummies are a food product rather then a vitamin children can eat as many as they want. Juice Plus Gummies are packaged as fruits and vegetable gummies. They have the same disease fighting power that the original JuicePlus supplements have. Today children are feeling the effects of lack of nutrients.

The following statistics provide insight as to why it is so important for children to be taking Juice Plus Gummies:
Cancer kills more children then any other disease.

By age 3, children have fatty deposits in their arteries.

By age 12, 70% have developed the beginning stages of hardening of the arteries.

1 in 4 children are obese.

Obesity has doubled in the last 20 years.

Nearly 50% of obese adolescents remain obese as adults.

In the last 20 years, Type 2 diabetes has increased 10-fold.

Less then 7% of children and adolescents consume the recommended 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables per day!
Research for JP Gummies show the following:
65% of children who take Juice Plus show a reduction in doctor visits.

59% of children who are taking JP Gummies take significantly less over the counter medicines.

58% of children taking JP Gummies miss fewer days of school.

Lastly, Dr. Sears also believes in Juice Plus. Here's what he has to say about it: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t040500.asp#

Oh, the gummies contain corn syrup, so if you don't want your kids to have that, you can order the capsuls and just open them up and pour it on their food (the capsuls are a bit more tho).

you didn't say what kind of prescription that they are giving her, plus, you didn't say what the doctor said was wrong with her. It sounds to me, like she has some type of allergy. If she isn't running a fever with this cough and runny nose, I would talk to someone about allergy testing. I do recall that with my older son, I had to wait til he was around 5, but that was a long time ago. I would not keep giving my kid antibiotics, if that is what you are doing. You could also check with a chiropractor.

Hello,i may suggest you go to this web page for a new all natural product. It can be used by children as well as adults. Please just take the time to go to the site and listen and read for yourself. I use and sell the product as well as my grandson. Go to live4something.cyberwize.com . The line of products are awesome. I'll be interested in your feedback. No pills, nontoxic,non habit forming. Can be ordered from the site. Happy health to you and your baby.

I agree with the possibility of seasonal allergies. Did she have excema as a baby? Does she have food allergies? they all usually go hand in hand. i didn't believe my pediatrician about the seasonal allergies issues when my son had excema and sure enough he does ! He takes Zyrtec everyday. I would talk to your doc again. Good luck:)

I have read some of the posts & have to agree with what I read. An allergist is where I would be going as that this is what happened with my daughter. Good Luck

I agree with those who also suggested the Multivitamins and Probiotics. Our whole family uses a Probiotic and have seen good results. I also agree it could be allergies. Some kids are just more prone to colds and there isn't alot you can do about it. My daughter is almost 4 and has never been to the doctor because she was sick. I can count on 1 hand how many colds she has had. My son who is 9 is a completely different story. He had constant colds, strep throat, and ear problems. The Dr said he was probably born with enlarged adnoids (he snored from birth!) and when he had his tonsils and adnenoids removed at 5 it helped greatly. He has had very few cold and only 1 episode of strep throat since. My nephew also is 2 and has constant colds and even has a had a bout of RSV. No daycare and they have a very clean home. Good luck.

Some of her illnesses may be allergy related. You may want to consider taking her to an homeopathic doctor to check for dietary allergies. he would also be able to advise you on vitamins and herbs to boost the immune system. You need to be really careful about giving a child something just because someone advised you unless they are a doctor.

Just my option.

i would give her a high quality vitamin ( go to a health food store like whole foods, Flintstones are vitamins created in a lab and are very low quality) also a daily probiotic (stuff in yogurt, but a higher dose) which is good bacteria to "eat" the bad bacteria, and daily fish oil. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and little or no sugar. If you want to really go natural find a fabulous natural chiropractor or ND in your area. Not a lot of NDs in illinois but there are a few. Research anyone you find and if you live near Lake Barrington there is an excellent chiro by the name of Dr. Andreano!

Are you sure she just doesn't have seasonal allergies? The symptoms are exactly the same as a cold, and allergy medicine might help. You may need to give her a few doses before it starts working. Allergy season in Chicago starts mid-end of February and continues until October. Depending upon what her triggers are will determine how long she suffers. Maybe she is allergic to pet dander, and there are too many children in her daycare that have pets. Maybe there is something inside the daycare building that she is allergic to also. You might also want to consider giving her a children's chewable vitamin (only half a tablet until she's 4 years old). It will help boost her immune system.

I came here to offer some info and find that everyone that's posted has said basically the same thing! First, it could definitely be allergies. I suspect that's the case with my daughter but we manage it just fine and she doesn't seem too bothered, so I haven't resorted to testing, etc. Does your daughter have dark circles under her eyes? My doctor called them "allergy shiners" so they might be a clue. Probiotics and vitamins are worth taking every day. We get a probiotic for kids at Whole Foods that mixes into OJ in the AM and is tasteless. And finally, there's no getting around getting sick in day care. It's a hassle, but the good news is, supposedly your child is pretty bullet proof by kindergarten. I'm hoping that's true as I feel my daughter has picked up every illness possible at preschool! Good luck to you and I hope your little one is feeling better.

Hi, My husband is a chiropractor and in addition to the childrens wellness adjustments he always makes sure that if children have been on any antibiotics that they are taking a probiotic to help put that good bacteria in their system and help build up their immune system.

I would talk to the doctor about seeing an allergist. She sounds like she's got allergies if it's continuous like that.

I bet it is allergies. They have been SO bad this spring. I had kids who never had allergy issues before suddenly get them this year. My daughter was one of those and the doctor said this year has been worse then ever before.

I would talk to the doctor about what you can put her on for allergies (dosage wise) or just try Claritin for kids. The Claritin did the trick for my daughter but she is 10 so not sure if it's ok for a 2 yr old.

Although we live in a world with more dust, contaminants and toxic material we should also help our bodies decongest without taking lots of meds that just camouflage symptoms.

I agree with moms that serious allergies do exist where some meds may be necessary - however someone gave the example of removing dairy from the diet and this is something that is often overlooked. Lots of dairy tends to build up mucous which then our bodies need to get rid of.

In terms of natural medicine I have used Echinacea and the wonderful herb Astragalus to build immune system as well as garlic in pill form. I now rarely get sick in winter (or all year) and take these herbs at the first sign of a sniffle or scratchy throat to help my own body decongest.

Now Herbs for Kids makes these herbs alcohol free for children in tincture form.

Also - just got this in my email:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP03339/A-Supplement-for-Ast...

Good luck!!

I had the same problem with my daughter who is now 8 years old. One of the doctors at our practice used to sarcastically call me his frequent flyer. After spending over a year back and forth at the docs I started doing my own research online based on her symptoms. She always woke up in the middle of the night, snored like an old man and had swollen eyes constantly. They sent me to an allergist who put her on more meds which didn't help and by this point she was acting up from lack of sleep . I realized after researching that she had all the symptoms of sleep apnea which can be brought on by enlarged adnoids or tonsils. I marched into the docs office and demanded an xray to rule out the possibility. I was right. Her adnoids were incredibly enlarged. I saw a specialist at Childrens hospital in Phila, Pa. They removed her adnoids and she has been in perfect health every since. It is a very simple painless test. I would definitely try it...

Do you include a probiotic with her daily vitamins? With all the Rx she has taken, her digestive system has probably lost a lot of the good bacteria that is essential for strong immune system health. It is crucial that she take a probiotic to replenish the good bacteria. And, what kind of vitamins do you give her? Make sure it is a high quality vitamin from a reputable company. As you probably know, the vitamin and supplement industry is totally unregulated by the FDA. Many of the vitamins on the market don't even contain what they say they do. I highly recommend Shaklee supplements. It is the #1 natural nutrition company in the US and has been around for 50+ years. Check out www.shaklee.net/cpeterson.
Also, how much sugar is she eating? Immune system function declines greatly for a few hours after eating sugar! There are many dietary changes that can help, too. Whole fruits, veggies and grains, and drinking water can help, too!

Go to your local health food store and get a probiotic that is for children and give it to her everyday. It is important to get one that has live cultures. There is a powder one that is good.

Hi R.,
Sounds like you're getting lots of feedback. Could be allergies, could be normal introduction to school stuff, but something can be done about both naturally. I am a consultant with Shaklee and have helped a lot of people remove chemicals from their home and switch to nontoxic cleaning products - a simple step that can have a profound effect on the immune system. A stronger immune system means less allergies and colds. You can also supplement with high quality natural supplements and boost the immune system and I have seen it help so many people. If you're interested in learning more, let me know. I'd be glad to send you info. or whatever you like. I really implore you to check it out though - it can be a very simple step and have very profound effects.

K.

I went through this with my now 4 year old. He was constantly sick and always on some antibiotic. Same thing runny nose, cough which would lead to sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, upper respiratory infections. He ended up having allergies and he is being treated for asthma. Today, actually we are going for his second round of allergy testing (foods) to see if anything he eats causes a reaction. It took a while to get his allergies and asthma under control but once we did he is much better and knock on wood hasn't had any upper respiratory infections. Some days are better than others but all of his meds make a huge difference. He's on singulair, nose spray, 2 inhalers (asthma), and claritin. I had to take him off of claritin because he is going through allergy testing so he has a runny nose right now. He also gets a daily vitamin. They are thinking that my 16 month old has allergies and suggest I give her claritin but I don't like giving meds unless it's totally necessary (if she starts getting URI's then I will). I have to say that the docs always told me, "he's young it's normal to get sick", or something like that. I went to 2 doctors before I finally said enough is enough, I have 2 other children and he's missing a lot of school, etc. I had to push for allergy testing and asthma treatment and now it seems under control. I had one allergist tell me that he was too young for allergy testing and just said to "have him take this." She also told me that he didn't need an inhaler...
Needless to say, I switched doctors and he is now undergoing tests. Let me know if you have any questions. Your daughter may just have allergies that need to be controlled. Good luck to you.

What prescription is she getting? If it's a cold, there isn't much you can do and I can't think of a prescription drug that would be appropriate. Agree with other posters that it could very well be allergies - they have been BRUTAL for the past month or so. My 8 year old seemed to have a cold, then I realized it was allergies; gave him Zyrtec and he was fine in three days. Check with your doctor about Children's Claritin for a child so young. Pharmacists are usually very knowledgable, too. As far as a robust immune system, our kids are either going to experience sick days in daycare, or for those who don't go to daycare, it will be kindergarten. Good sleep, healthy diet, washing hands will help keep her healthy; being exposed to some germs will build her immune system.

Hi Reneta

It is definately the daycare, not where she goes, I'm sure it's clean. She is being exposed to everything and anything now and her little immune system is not use to it. My Daughter started preschool 2 years ago at 3 years old only 3 days a week for 2 hours, it was a complete nightmare she was out sick more than she was in. I actually wanted to pull her out and start her the next year, the teacher explained why not to do that. She had never been in school or daycare so this was all the firsts of being exposed. It's an awfull time however you and she will get through it. I can't tell you how terrible it was she always started with a cold that ended up ear infections, she had 8 back to back ear infections also sinus infections. Keep your Doctor appointments going. You might also want to find out about possible allergies. This year my Daughter was in the morning preschool Mon - Fri for 3 hours, I'm so very happy to say she was barely sick.
I also give her probiotic, (culterelle I may have spelled it wrong) it's a capsule I put in her yogurt everyday she also gets Nordic fish oil tablets that she LOVES, plus her gummie vitamin. I buy it all at whole foods.
Good luck
V.

My son has been sick a lot too now that he's in daycare. Everyone tells me that his immunity is building and that this is all part of a necessary process. They also told me that it will stop soon. Once they turn three, they don't put things in their mouth as much. And, they're better at washing their own hands. I hope they're right!

I certainly don't want to alarm anyone, but I just want everyone to be informed. My neighbor's 20-mo-old nephew kept getting a runny nose, but he was in daycare and they just kept figuring it was the other kids constantly getting him sick. He ended up with a sinus infection that turned into bacterial meningitis. Now he's going through rehab and they are hoping he'll walk and talk again at some point. It was touch and go for a while there. I'm definitely not saying this is the issue, and I see you are giving her constant medical attention, but I just want ALL the moms to be aware that something that seems somewhat trivial might not be. Don't want anyone else to go through what this family is going through.

I'm wondering since the other moms are coming up with the allergy theory why your doctor hasn't come up with this possibility. Might be good to get a second opinion. You just have to be your own advocate with medical issues.

Sounds like my story! Rather than bore you with all the details. It took me 8 years to figure out that what was making him sick were the cleaning products I was using.
The Tide, Dreft, Ivory snow, spic & span, Formula 409, Windex, blah, blah blah. Bleach was the absolute worst.

Thus, every afternoon, I would put him down for a nap and spay the house with toxic waste. You see, it doesn't effect everyone, so "they" don't think there is anything wrong with all these 75,000 chemicals that break down our immune system.

I"ve got to run and get to a meeting, want to know more, contact me back.

A probiotic is definitely beneficial, and absolutely essential for anyone taking an antibiotic. Antibiotics are no discerning between *good* and *bad* bacteria. The *good* bacteria residing in your gut is an essential part of our immunity.

In addition to a probiotic, my kids take a quality food-based multivitamin that contains lactoferrin (that's the protein found in breastmilk that enhances immunity). I'd be happy to offer more information if you'd like. Feel free to message me.

My daughter at age 2 was the same way. Constantly coughing, somedays worse than others, and runny nose, sometimes congested. She happened to be with me when I took my older daughter, with asthma, to the allergist for a check up. He noticed that my 2 year old didn't look like she felt well, and asked if I wanted him to look at her. He told me it was allergies. And prescribed me a month of Singulair. After she was on it her symptoms started to subside, but not completely go away. I find that she is 95% better on the medication but there are still high pollen days that get all of us sneezing and coughing.

Good luck. J.

BE CAreful with the herbals...They are not without risk...neither are the meds from Drs. Is she getting enough sunshine? So glad she is on the vitamins...You sound like you are hyper-vigilant...EASe up mom and just let the cold run it's course...She'll develop her own resistance...Keep her happy and healthy with lots of wholesome foods, soups, and little or no sugar or junk foods and she'll do so fine in time...
Give her a WELL message Not a sick one....
I would kiss my kids good night and tell them they would be healthy in the morning! D. J

At two years old, they are still not as vigilant at keeping their hands out of their mouths, etc.... You can do all the right things but the other children may not be as vigilant. Have you considered allergies? Has she been tested for any, especially if you say that this looks very "sinus" related. My sister suffered for years with terrible sinus headaches and sinus infections. She was also a cheese-a-holic. With the suggestion of her dr. she decided to cut out dairy, temporarily. That was two years ago. She felt so good after just two weeks. She has been virtually symptom-free (with the exception of a cold or two). I have seasonal allergies and early - mid spring (trees/grasses) and end of August/September (Ragweed) are my triggers, as are dust mites, which are more indoor allergies.

I'm concerned that the "prescriptions" are always antibiotics, although you don't say. Many of these colds are viral and will run their course - taking something to dry up the symptoms can help, like a decongestant or antihistamine. Have others in the household been sick lately - over the last couple months? If not, this could be an indication of an allergy.

If she continues to be sick, a simple blood test (RAST testing) can be performed, to help you determine if there are some allergies. She can take this test, outpatient, at a local hospital with a script from even your pediatrician, and she needs to be off all antihistamines for at least 48 hours. I would bring her to an allergist to get checked out. Since she is in a daycare, with a lot of exposure to other children, she could very well just be going through a phase and will outgrow this. If you see this pattern continue, I would go the next route.

Good luck.

allergies? did you try liquid bennadryl at night time to see if her symptoms go away? I think if its not allergies, it doesn't work.