Dr. Becky's Article

BACK TO SCHOOL - Tips to Avoid Illness

September 9, 2008

With the school year now beginning, many parents are concerned about their kids getting sick. Many parents feel like their kids are constantly getting sick and wonder if there is anything they can do to prevent this.  Needless to say, not all illness is preventable, but there are things that can be done to decrease your family’s chances of getting sick. 

The most important thing that helps avoid illness is frequent hand washing. This is not always practical at school, particularly in young children, but getting your child a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel to keep in his backpack can be just as effective, particularly if used frequently. 

Also, the importance of getting plenty of sleep and eating a healthy diet in order to maintain a healthy immune system cannot be overstated.  This is particularly important for a child who already may have a cold in order to recover more quickly and prevent secondary bacterial infection. 

Some people believe supplements such as vitamin C and Echinacea may help boost the immune system, but this has never been scientifically proven. 

Flu season is also just around the corner.  Getting the flu shot in mid-fall will significantly decrease your family’s chances of catching the flu.  It is also important to make sure all other vaccines are up to date. We continue to see cases of whooping cough (pertussis), so it is especially important to ensure that your family is vaccinated against this.

Besides just the usual cold viruses and stomach bugs, there has been a high incidence of staph infection in local schools in the last year.  While staph infections can be invasive and potentially life threatening, most cases are just simple skin infections.  These infections are spread through casual contact, and most require treatment by draining and possibly antibiotics.  Again, these infections can be prevented by frequent hand washing or use of antibacterial hand gel.  It is also important to tell your child not to share clothing, towels, etc with other kids.

It is not uncommon for kids, especially young kids, to get several illnesses during the school year.  Not all of these are avoidable, but just by following these simple recommendation, you may be able to avoid a few of them!