“The child was created to be sick”: South Ural pediatrician about adaptation to kindergarten

As a doctor, how long does it take to adjust to kindergarten?

- It's a pretty complicated question. Adaptation does not depend on how quickly your child stops getting sick. The question has more to do with its psychological component. Now there is a trend: children were sent to kindergarten before the age of three. I think it's best to give the child to the garden after two. Before this age - early both from the standpoint of immunity and age psychology of the child. The immune response due to stress will be lower than in normal comfortable conditions.

The most favorable way to adapt a child to kindergarten is a gradual increase in the time of stay, which takes from one and a half to two months.

Is it a normal schedule for kindergarten or a reason to look for an immunologist?

- Frequent illness of the child in the first year of attending kindergarten is absolutely normal and even necessary process of formation of immunity. A typical adaptation cycle is this: a child goes to the garden for one or two weeks, then falls ill and stays at home for another two to three weeks. Under the ideal scenario, the active phase of SARS passes in a week, after which another week is given for the complete recovery and disappearance of residual symptoms.

Parents often feel that the child is "sick continuously" due to incessant green snot or cough. In fact, the mechanism here is different: when symptoms begin to decline, parents take a certificate of recovery and go to kindergarten. As soon as the child returns to the group, he encounters new viruses. The appearance of a cold a day or two after discharge is not a protracted old disease, but a new infection.

To distinguish one from another, focus not on snot, but on the general condition of the child: temperature, appetite and mood.

- What is the normal frequency of illness and when should parents sound the alarm?

- During the first year, the baby can be ill up to 16 times - that is, once or twice a month. Such a frequency of diseases should not cause concern if we are talking about banal snot and coughing or even about a high temperature of about 39 degrees.

Anxiety should be beaten when the child constantly slides into complications: bronchitis (especially obstructive), pneumonia or otitis. If the cough does not stop between diseases or after a normal SARS suddenly develops pneumonia, such a baby needs more careful monitoring, careful monitoring of lung recovery and much more time for rehabilitation before returning to the group.

Special attention is required by children with limited activity due to the peculiarities of development - they have worse ventilation of the lungs, which causes mucus to stagnate longer, increasing the risk of repeated inflammation.

- When can a child be taken to the garden after an illness?

- It is necessary to start from the well-being of the child and the timing of the disease - on average, after 7-10 days. For example, if a child falls ill on Monday and is already feeling well by Friday, residual snot and cough are normal. Bottom line: a week sick and the next week came to kindergarten with good health - this is a normal period.

Separately, it is worth talking about the color of discharge from the nose. Green or yellow snot is the norm. They change color due to rejection of immune cells (neutrophils) and specific proteins, not necessarily due to bacterial infection. Pay attention only to the duration: if congestion and discharge last for ten days absolutely without any dynamics, then it makes sense to consult a doctor for a deeper examination.

- Is it because of the garden or is it a coincidence? I know that many mothers are crazy and just take the child from kindergarten due to frequent illnesses.

- The child's immunity does not decrease during the adaptation to kindergarten, he just begins to work more actively. It's rude, but a baby is made to get sick. If he does not come into contact with all the viruses in early childhood, he will still be exposed to these diseases in school. And in adulthood, as we know, childhood infections are more complex and severe.

- What about the “miracle pills” and antiviral pills that promise your baby won’t get sick? What really works?

- Miracle pills do not exist - you should not trust them. As for antiviral, the same thing. There are thousands of different viruses, and not everyone has therapy. It should not be, because most often the entire viral infection is a symptomatic treatment. It passes itself in 7-10, at least in 14 days. Of course, there are severe viruses. There are vaccines from such vaccines that amazingly help a child to more easily tolerate the same flu. Unvaccinated people can have many complications.

As a practical help, you can wash your nose with saline. Do this without fanaticism, so as not to overdry the mucous membrane. During the heating season, dry air forms crusts that injure the nose and open the way to viruses, so it is better to wash your nose after returning from kindergarten, rather than before leaving.

- How to strengthen the immunity of the child?

- The basis of good health is good sleep, full recovery, regular physical activity, walking in the fresh air and timely vaccination. You need to walk even with a sick child, with his good health.

Equally important is a quality diet with enough vegetables and meat. For residents of the middle belt of Russia and the Urals, taking vitamin D is critically important, since its natural synthesis is catastrophically lacking for both children and adults.

How often a child will be ill depends largely on his previous experience. Children who grew up in sterile conditions before the garden will get sick more. Immunity should be given to get acquainted with the bacteria - let the child pick in the ground and sand, this will produce the necessary antibodies. Usually the most difficult – it is the first months of the visit, regardless of whether you went to two years or three, although three-year-olds usually tolerate this period a little easier.

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