School is back in, and if you as a parent are secretly rejoicing at having a little of your time back during the day, don't relax too quickly.
While one virus in particular has been hogging all the limelight in the last few years, the other ones never really went away. In fact, bugs just Iove a school classroom - all that indoor mixing, ‘hurried' hand washing, nose-wiping etc. make for home sweet home to myriad seasonal infections - from head colds, coughs and respiratory infections, to tummy bugs and pink eye (conjunctivitis). Children can also spread bacterial infections, including impetigo (an infection of the skin) and strep throat. Yikes!
So what, if anything, can we do to limit viral & bacterial infections?
In the early years, it might feel as though you child has 'something or other' more often than not! And this is quite normal! Unfortunately there is no way to stop your child being exposed to seasonal germs, but there are two simple steps that everyone can take to reduce their frequency and minimise lasting harm.
1) Hand washing - this is your first line of defence in giving bugs the heave ho, and something that most of us don't do properly when time is short. See this video for a refresher course! If skin tends towards dryness in the winter, you might wish to keep strong emollients such as cetraben to hand by the sink as well as hand wash. The most important times to hand wash are after sneezing or blowing your nose, using the toilet and before and after eating. Also wash periodically when you have been touching 'high traffic' surfaces and furniture such as doorknobs, desks and handrails.
2) Vaccination Ensuring that your child is up to date with their paediatric vaccinations ahead of school is one of the best things you can do to protect them. Most recently, one knock on impact of lockdowns has been that many children have fallen behind with their paediatric vaccinations and there is now a Public health campaign in place to ensure that this can be addressed. You may also have read of the recent outbreak of Polio in London, emphasising once again that complacency is public health enemy number one. We would also encourage you to take up any offers for flu vaccines or Covid boosters that may be offered.
What other steps can I take to support my child's immune system?
When the inevitable does happen, and your child catches a bug, there are some steps you can take to support your child's immune system so that they recover quickly.
1) Prioritise sleep
Research shows that lack of sleep can affect the immune system and its ability to fight infection. Sleep needs vary by age and of course person to person, but as a rough guide, 10 to 13 hours each day for preschoolers, 9 to 12 hours daily for children between the ages of 6 and 12, and teens 8 to 10 hours of sleep each day (although if many teens would of course happily live in bed, given half a chance :-) It's quite normal for sleep routines to be a bit more lax during the summer holidays but it's worth considering easing back in to a more predictable routine in the week leading up to the start of term, so that it is not such a jolt. Enforce an age- appropriate bedtime, in a bedroom designed for sleep. That means cool, dark, quiet and free of screens.
2) Manage stress
Getting the proper amount of sleep can help alleviate stress, but there are other ways to keep your child stress-free. It's natural to have pre-school nerves, whether for year R or in later years, so make a point of checking in with children so that they get to air out any concerns or nerves, and show them that you are there as a sounding board for the times ahead.
Another source of stress can be a lack of genuine down time. In today's busy world, and with a dizzying array of extra-curricular activities for children to choose from, it's very easy for children to be over committed, and the after school hours become a frenetic whirl as you dash from the playing field to orchestra practice and then the swimming pool. Make sure that your child (and you!) have some proper rest time to balance all that stimulation.
3) Diet
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is important for everyone, especially for growing kids and busy students. When it comes specifically to immunity, emphasise fresh fruits and vegetables for their anti-oxidant content, particularly Vitamin C. Foods containing gut friendly bacteria such as bio-yoghurts and pro-biotics are also beneficial. In terms of supplements, Vitamin C has a good evidence base so is worth considering. Vitamin D is also a nutrient that we all start to run low in over the winter, and everyone in the UK should supplement in Autumn, Winter and Spring.
Don't forget to be prepared for creepy crawlies!
Of course, it's not just microscopic pests that can make themselves known with the start of a new term. Some (slightly) larger pests, such as head lice and threadworms are also feature on the repeat offenders list. Neither are matters that you should require a doctors input but, that doesn't make them any less troublesome, so we thought it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge them, and share a few thoughts on management (which owe at least as much to personal experience as they do to our medical training!)
1) Nits - the struggle is real!
Nits are a fact of primary school (and secondary school) life, and send shudders down the spine of pretty much everyone not least beleaguered parents. Again, complacency is enemy number one here, so please do take heed of the book bag letters when they come round and check your child regularly. We would be wary of any solution that claims to eradicate nits on one single treatment. In our experience these claims are wildly optimistic, and can tempt you in to an expensive spend, yet still end up reverting to the old school method, for which you need just one good quality Nit Comb (Nitty gritty) and lashings of conditioner.
On discovery of a new infestation, it's a 2 week campaign - combing daily for a week then every other day for another week. (start celebrating when you get at least 2 consecutive sessions of discovering nothing at all)
For maintenance, in those 'peak nit' years, we recommend at least a fortnightly repetition of the comb/conditioner combo - and our 'intensive clinical trials' have found that this triggers far less moaning if conducted in front of the TV!
2) Threadworms
Itchy bottoms are no fun, ever, and all the more so because they are often first announced by a knock on your bedroom door at 3am. All the more reason to have a stock of mebendazole (buy generic or the brand name is Ovex) in your medicine cabinet. Remember that everyone in the household will need to be treated, and standard household hygiene measures followed (most notably changing all towels, bedlinen etc). You may also need to treat twice (roughly 2 weeks apart) to completely eradicate the little blighters.
And remember, creepy crawly visitors don't make you or your family dirty. They are a virtually unavoidable part of the pest-fest that make up the primary school years.
Mindful stoicism, a sense of humour - and a well stocked medicine cupboard are your parenting BFFs! And of course, don't hesitate to contact your doctor if you have any concerns or need more support.