1. Bacteria and Viruses Cause Most Infections
Bacteria and viruses are found everywhere in our environment and are the main causes of childhood infections. While it's impossible to protect your child from all bacteria and viruses unless you keep him isolated in a bubble, a healthy immune system is able to fight off most serious childhood infections.
2. Colds Are Common
If your child sniffles and sneezes throughout much of the winter, you may have already discovered that colds are a common childhood infection. In fact, it is not unusual for young children to get up to 10 colds a year! That's a lot of tissues. The good news is that colds are not serious and don't require any special treatment other than pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, if necessary, to reduce fever and discomfort. Be sure that you don't give aspirin to children because it can cause a rare but deadly disease in children called Reye's syndrome.
Colds are caused by viruses and so cannot be cured with antibiotics, which only treat infections caused by bacteria. Most colds will go away within about a week. If your child's symptoms persist or get worse, call the doctor to make sure that she hasn't developed a secondary infection.
3. Ear Infections Often Resolve Without Treatment
With all the colds that children get, it's not surprising that ear infections, or otitis media, are another common childhood infection. When the nose becomes stuffed up, pressure is placed on the eustachian tube, which is a small tube that allows fluid to drain from the middle ear. When this fluid is unable to drain, bacteria and viruses can multiply in the middle ear and lead to infection.
More and more doctors now advise waiting a day or two to see if the infection goes away without treatment. If the infection does not go away, your child may be given a course of antibiotics. Do not give him antibiotics unless it is clearly a bacterial infection, since the overuse of these medicines is leading to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
4. Sore Throats Are Usually Caused by Viruses
Most childhood infections that result in a sore throat are caused by viruses, not bacteria, and so cannot be treated with antibiotics. If your child has a persistent sore throat or also has a fever, vomiting and severe pain when swallowing, she should be seen by a doctor to rule out strep throat, which is a bacterial infection that does need antibiotic treatment. Untreated strep throat can lead to the extremely serious, but rare, complication of rheumatic fever, which can permanently affect the heart and joints.
5. Hand Washing Can Prevent Childhood Infections
One of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent childhood infections is by making sure that your child washes his hands before eating. Proper hand-washing technique for children includes washing the hands for at least 15 to 20 seconds with warm, soapy water before eating, after using the restroom and after playing outside.
