Winter 2016-2017
W hether it ’ s a cold , a stomach bug or something
else , on average , most children get between six and 12 viral illnesses a year . What can you do to reduce that number ? There are steps you can take to minimize how many times your child comes down with something , but according to Tracy Tyson , MD , a pediatrician with Orange Park Pediatrics , keep in mind that getting sick isn ’ t all bad .
“ Believe it or not , it ’ s actually a good thing because kids need these viruses to build up the immune system ,” said Dr . Tyson . “ You ’ ll eventually get them at some point anyway , but these illnesses are much easier to tolerate as a child .”
It ’ s sort of a Catch-22 – children get sick more often because their immune systems are still developing , but the viruses they get build up their immunity over time , which reduces the number of times they ’ ll get sick in the future . Of course , this doesn ’ t mean you want your children to catch everything that comes their way , so there are a few tried-andtrue ways you can help them avoid a bug or two .
Tracy Tyson , MD , pediatrician , Orange Park Pediatrics
The biggest one by far is to lather up the hands with good old soap and water . “ We know that hand washing is the best way to help prevent the spread of
Teach your child early on to WASH hands before and after school , before eating and after using the bathroom .
germs and illnesses ,” said Megan Denk , director of THE PLAYERS Center for Child Health at Wolfson Children ’ s Hospital . “ Our goal is to instill the importance of good hand hygiene at a young age through programs like Germaine the Germ Thing TM . The class teaches children what germs are , how they are spread and how to get rid of them through proper hand washing .”
What about those antibacterial hand-sanitizing gels ? They ’ re good in a pinch , but don ’ t use them to replace old-fashioned hand washing . Studies have found that they ’ re not as effective as once thought in killing germs , and actually contribute to the rise of superbugs . “ Not only are they not killing the viruses , but are actually causing them to mutate and get stronger because the viruses are adapting ,” said Dr . Tyson . “ So teach your child early on to wash hands before and after school , before eating and after using the bathroom .”
14 Cub Club Quarterly