Is it normal…..

for my child to get so many illnesses when they start Nursery?

Yes it is normal for children to get sick quite often when they start nursery, contracting six to 12 viruses in the first year alone. This is because nurseries and schools are ideal environments for the spread of viruses. Illnesses such as the common cold, stomach bugs and hand, foot and mouth disease are easily spread through direct and indirect contact with children who are coughing, sneezing, rubbing their snotty noses, and sharing toys and food. As long as your child is just developing these typical viruses, and not more serious bacterial infections, there’s no reason to be worried about their immune health.

Although your baby may get ill more often, he'll gradually build up immunity too. A strong immune system means he may have fewer illnesses when he’s older. One study even found that attending nursery could help to lower the risk of asthma in pre-schoolers. Other ways to strengthen your child’s immunity are making sure they are getting plenty of sleep and physical activity, and eating a balanced diet.

It can be frustrating when your child seems perfectly well, but not allowed to attend Nursery or pre-school because of guidelines on infectious illnesses. Each nursery follows current NHS guidance on exclusion times and must adhere to these in order to keep your child and every other child who attends healthy. At First Steps Nursery we put into place our policies and procedures to ensure that we minimise the risk of illnesses spreading. The nursery team work hard to maintain our high hygiene and cleaning standards. This includes regular hand washing with the children, cleaning schedules, regular sterilisation of toys and equipment and the implementation of exclusion policies for different illnesses.

Should you have any concerns regarding your child’s health, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of the management team and we will be happy to help.