As a mother, you definitely would want your children to be healthy and get the least possible episodes of infection. But, this is just not the case and you observe that at least once or twice every month, your child is down with some viral or bacterial infection. Visits to the doctor and antibiotic courses start to become a routine. The doctor, however, tells you that it takes time for a child’s immune system to get strong and resist infections. Hence, certain infections will occur repeatedly in children until their immune system becomes mature enough to resist them. Overall, with a healthy, hygienic environment and regular immunization, your child will outgrow such repeated infections as they approach school age.
Common recurrent infections
The most common infections that repeatedly occur in children are viral respiratory tract infections, the common cold. It is quite normal for a child of 1 to 3 years, to get around 12 episodes of cold a year. If in most cases, the child recovers within ten days, without the requirement of antibiotics due to secondary bacterial infection, there is not much cause for concern. There are more than one hundred different viruses that can cause common cold, hence, making it the most frequently occurring infection.
A complication from severe cold, a runny nose, cough, throat hoarseness along with fever can result in Strep throat. This is a bacterial infection common in school going children and sometimes called a ‘social disease’, as it spreads due to close contact with other infected individuals. Recurrent strep throat infection might require an immune system check up.
Similar symptoms of a cold, with stuffiness, an itchy nose that lasts for weeks can be a sign of allergic rhinitis. By consulting a physician, it is best to confirm whether the child is suffering from allergic rhinitis or ‘hay fever.’ Exposure to dust mites, pollen or mold can trigger an allergy, which can lead to sinusitis (inflammation of air pockets). A sinus infection results due to swelling and narrowing of the sinuses and invasion by bacteria or viruses. This is not contagious (spreads by contact), unlike common cold, but can become chronic.
Ear infections like otitis media (middle ear infection) affect many children. The risk of infection increases with children prone to asthma or allergies and second-hand smoke. Here, fluid builds behind the eardrum and gets infected with viruses or bacteria. Otitis media commonly coincides with cold or other respiratory tract infections. Frequent infection might require ear tube surgery, which will reduce the likelihood of future ear infections.
Risk factors
Certain children are more susceptible to infections like sinusitis and otitis media because of inherited structural changes, for example, difference in size or shape of the bony parts of the skull, the sinuses or ears. Sinusitis cases can increase due to prolonged periods of asthma or allergies. Exposure to germs will make the body’s immune system spring into action, and fight against the infection. A time comes when the frequency of infection is more than normal, or the child is receiving several antibiotic courses. An immunologist should be consulted when the child has more than four courses of antibiotic treatment in a year, more than three episodes of bacterial sinusitis in a year, more than two episodes of pneumonia or any unusual severe bacterial infection that normally does not occur in a child of a particular age.
Treatment consideration
When there is some form of immunodeficiency, the body is unable to produce antibodies, which are proteins that help fight away germs. A common form of treatment is infusion of antibodies called intravenous immunoglobins (IVIG). This can help the child by minimizing the frequency of attack, recovering speedily and strengthening the immune system. When there is a family history of severe infections or immunodeficiency, then an immunologist can explain the risk of the child acquiring a similar infection. Sometimes, a rare inherited condition like cystic fibrosis is found in children. Here, the body makes thick, sticky mucus that prevents the lungs and digestive system from functioning properly. Such children are prone to bacterial infections and need to take antibiotics. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) also attacks the immune system, causing bacterial and viral infection to set in. Children born to infected mothers contract the virus, and tend to function at a slow pace.
Preventing recurrent infections
Following certain preventive measures will reduce the incidence of infection and contain it. The child should not be exposed to passive smoking, and a parent or family member should not smoke in the vicinity of the child. Keeping a child in a day care where there are many children should be avoided, as exposure to germs is more, especially during winter season. Proper hygienic practices should be adopted, so that the child will also learn the same. Washing hands properly and frequently, covering the mouth and nose while sneezing, keeping tissues handy, keeping the child away from an infected person and making sure that the child’s immunization schedule is up to date are basic preventive measures that adults must incorporate. Incase of an immunodeficiency syndrome, certain vaccines should not be administered to the child due to vaccine-associated infection.
Be calm, but alert
There is a sea of germs out there, and a child from infancy to young adulthood, will get exposed and become susceptible to infection every now and then. A majority of the children will outgrow recurring infections and become healthy adults. Basic habits like good hand washing is a first line of defense against the spread of many illnesses. Regular immunization is an incredible tool to prevent childhood diseases. At the same time, if your child happens to come down with an infection repeatedly, it will be wise to identify any congenital or acquired immunodeficiency state at an early stage. Appropriate and timely treatment can be a lasting boon for your child’s health.
