Daughter Keeps Getting Sick

I have two kids under 3 and they had those yukky green runny noses - one virus after another - for almost a year until I read about giving them buckwheat honey. (I buy it at Kroger). I give them one teaspoon a day. My daughter loves it and takes it straight. My son doesn't like it so I stir it into warm milk to cut the sweetness. Local honey is supposed to be good if you are fighting alergies but I haven't found a beekeeper in the area but I know there is one. I've been doing it for 4 months and they haven't been sick once. Best of luck to you.

Hi K. -

I give both of my kids a good multivitamin put out by Source of life, they are called Animal Parade and have NO Sugar, my kids love them. Also you can get echinachia for children and put a little in her juice or water for up to two weeks at a time. This is specifically to build immune. I agree with some of the other comments about getting rid of chemical cleaners and hand washing, on the other hand I have never been as neurotic about the hands as some of my friends and my kids stay very healthy. They've been a little sicker this year but so has everyone else and for the most part they are usually a lot healthier than their friends. I keep my house clean but do not use a lot of antibacterial products except on hand soap and toilet cleaners as I have read a lot of articles about how destroying all the bacteria around us is hurting our immune systems, as one other person said we need to have something to fight for our systems to respond. If you are interested in some alternative healing I know a great clinic that does a lot of work with energy and Reiki, feel free to email me if you're interested.

Good Luck -
R. A.

Wow I am sorry she has been so sick. This past year has been awful for children, there is so much going around. Both my kids got an intestinal virus and then a respiratory virus back to back in Dec. and now again in March. Weird.
Anyway, vitamins. Does she take a multi. I know herbalife has some good ones for kids. The foods you feed her are good too: good job. The daycare is the worst place to pick up germs from, next to shopping carts/stores and your dr. office. If you wanna be super safe, see if she will wear a mask. I know it sounds kooky, but it could really help and you do seem desperate as sick as she has been. I look back and try to pinpoint where my kids got sick and its been that one time we went to gym daycare, or the one time we went to church. Once in a while its from a playdate or just the grocery store. If we havent been anywhere all week (which is rare) then I blame it on my older daughter bringing something home from school.
I am starting to beleive that children are contagious until they are completely symptom free. I know they are contagious in the couple of days before they display symptoms as well. I try to keep my kids out of the public for at least 2 days after they are feeling better, to cut down on passing germs. If only other parents would be as conscientous. Ive been to playdates where the mom will say: "oh johnny was throwing up yesterday or the day before he had a high fever or nasty cough......" Im like what the heck is he doing here now then if he as just sick yesterday?!?
Anyway, sorry for the rambling. I hope that your child feels better soon and can stay well for a while. Sorry I didnt have much to offer.

Dear K.,
I read your request for tips on how to build your daughter's immune system. I also hear your frustration and exhasperation in your exhaustive attempts to keep your daughter healthy! You are definitely on the right track in moving towards foods with high health benefits!!! :)
About me: I am a mom of four and a grandmother of three. I am also a rep for a company which has learned how to put juiced fruits and vegetables in capsules, chewables and gummies, making them easy to take, cost effective and tasty!!! Additionally, and most importantly, these juiced fruits and vegetables (brand name: Juice Plus+) have been studied at well renown universities and hospitals resulting in 12 medical-journal published studies!!!
It's this same independent, peer-reviewed research that gave me the confidence (and that I always lacked in looking at every other supplement in the marketplace)I needed to start taking Juice Plus+ more than seven and a half years ago, give it to all four of my children (and now my granchildren)and which also gives me every confidence in the world to share it's great benefits with you (and others)!
The Juice PLus+ study that predominatly speaks to your daughter's need is the Immune Study that proved that, after only 28 days use, Juice Plus+ significantly improved all four components of the immune system: the T-cells (which fight off viral and bacterial germs) rose significantly; the Natural Killer cells (they consume cancer cells) increased significantly as well; so did the cytokines (which are the communication cells to tell the immuine system how to operate properly); and the B-cells (where there is less B-cells, less infection is present)fell in numbers!!! Lastly, the immune system was shown to be brought into homeostasis (balance) also in just 28 days. When the immune system is in homeostasis, even autoimmune diseases can be impacted!
K., I can think of nothing better for your daughter's health than Juice Plus+! In my more than seven years of being a rep, my customers who are parents thank me for introducing them to Juice Plus+! They have seen dramatic improvements in their own as well as their children's health!!!So have in in mine! If I can help you learn more about Juice Plus+, just send me an email to ____@____.com or ____@____.com and I'll be happy to do so!
Blessings!
J.

Chicken/vegetable broths, organic fruit and pureed vegetables, cod liver oil (yes, my toddler loves it) and yogurt. And, extra Vitamin C (emergen C) at the onset of a cold/sore throat.

These are the staples in my house and I'm convinced they have kept our family's immune system strong and vibrant. We never had anything more serious than a cold.

This is a great resource, too - http://www.westonaprice.org/children/foods-toddlers-presc...

~L.
www.notaboutfood.com
www.accesspilates.com

Hi K.

Lots of vitamin "c" is great for boosting the immune system. She will need large quantities since her system is so depleted. The body does not store vitamin "c" and must be replinished daily, what it does not use, it will elimante each day. You can give her chewable tablets about 1500 mg daily or more. You can check this out on the web and also check w/her pediatrician for a sufficient dosage for the greatest impact. Although you may want to consider a new pediatrician since they made no recommendation for rebuilding her immune system. Just something to think on.

When my son was younger he went through a period of about three years during which he repeatedly contracted strep which turned into scarlet fever, about every 3 to 6 months. I became very frustrated and did some research, through which I discovered there as a test they could administer that would let them know if the antibiotic had thoughrougly killed the germs. Once they used the test they were able to prescribe a strong enough antibiotic for the appropriate period of time to fully eradicate his system of the germs. He has not even had a regular sore throat since. Sometimes we have to help our doctor's help us.

Hope this helps,

L.

give her probiotics, get to a natural health store and they can help you. Also give her cod liver oil vitamin a in liquid form 1/2 teaspoon a day...the antibodics have killed all her natural immunities. a friend

The first thing that I would recommend is to not take her to the gym daycare; they are full of germs.
The second thing that I would recommend is to give her orange juice, broccoli, and an orange vegetable (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, apricots) twice/day. Fresh vegetables and fruit for snacks, and get rid of any junk food that she may be eating or drinking.
Make sure that she is getting plenty of sleep. At her age, she should be getting at least one long nap (after lunch), and is in bed early in the evening.
I have found that good nutrition and plenty of sleep are the two most important factors in keeping a person's immune system strong.
Keep her away from other children for awhile, and always away from any children that are sick, even with a cold.
Make sure that the toys, mats, pillows, blankets, etc. that she handles and puts her face on are clean.
Wash her hands well with soap and water after playing with other children, toys, outside, grocery cart, etc. and when she is sick.
After she's been sick, throw out her toothbrush and replace it with a new one.
Change her pillowcase often.
Sunshine and exercise (going for walks, playground, bike, skates, etc. increases vitality).

The above should really make a difference.

If after several months of being diligent with the above things and she's still getting sick, you could give her some plain zinc (ie. Zicam swabs) Check with your pediatrician about the Zicam.
If that doesn't seem to help, you might contact LeLeche League (a great Mom's group) about decreasing milk consumption, but still keeping up with her calcium needs. (My sister found that if she eliminated dairy from her children's diet during the cold season, that her children were sick less often). But, you must be careful that their calcium intake is adequate from other sources of food. Dark, leafy green vegetables are high in calcium: kale, collard greens, spinach, broccoli. Sardines are also high in calcium.
Massage can also help by relieving stress, which can lower your immune response.

You might find that just keeping her away from daycare environments works wonders.

I'd be interested in hearing how things work out.
KMJsmom

Bless your heart!!
Make sure everyone coming into the house washes there hands upon coming in the house!
Buy probiotics for children and gave her straight probiotics.
A friend did this after leaving the hospital with her newborns
esophagtis striped of good bactieria due to the meds, screaming many hours a day, and after a few days, she started getting much better!!!
Keep her off ALL sugar it only brings the immune system down, maybe for the whole house to avoid eveyone getting something!
And maybe you can find a vitamin asparatme free, a high quality.
I will be thinking some more and let you know if I think of something else!
I will be praying!

You have gotten so much great advice.
I am a SAHM of 3 and I homeschool and my hubby is in the Guard, too.
My second child was very sick from about 8 months on. So sick, in fact, we had to have her tested for cystic fibrosis - turned out negative. But she had asthma. Now at 8 she has been symptom free for over 2 years and medicine free for almost one full year. I was determined to get her off of daily meds.

I agree with everyone who said wash hands often. I also keep regular baby wipes in my car and everyone wipes their hands after we have been in a store or at someone's house. I also advise my kids to keep their hands off their faces until we can wash their hands. That is good for all of us. Do it after you get gas, use a public phone, anytime. I don't always use the antibacterial stuff, sometimes I just wipe my hands with a regular wipe...I am healthier now, too.

Also, I agree with the testing for celiac. It can present as a host of many other illnesses and diseases and yet, be just an allergy. My sister has it and since being properly diagnosed has felt wonderful. She thought her immune system was on the fritz and in a way it was because celiac disease kept her from absorbing nutrients. In addition, vitamins and better, healthier food choices are a must.

I also agree with the person who suggested all the natural remedies and playing outside. I tried all the craziest things with my daughter and allowed her to run at her own pace when she felt like it. We took walks almost everyday. I let her get dirty outside in nature. We cleaned the house every week...dusted, washed pillowcases and sheets, scrubbed bathrooms, etc. I also kept her away from just about everyone as much as was reasonable and especially smokers. I kept her in when she was sick but I opened windows if the weather permitted it.

I know it probably seems like you don't get to work out or do the things you want/need to do but really staying home and keeping your daughter home is the best way to help her. It is only for a little while until she is virus free for a while. It is a small investment for a lifetime of health for her. I know how hard it can be not to be able to work outside the house and exercise but try to hang in there. We've been through one 18 month Iraq deployment and weeks of training in addition to the one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. This is a frustrating lifestyle but God provides somehow. Good luck to you and I hope all of this advice helps.
Z.

Hi K.

There are little vit. c tables for children. You can get them at a health food store. They are very small tables that dissolve very quickly in a child's mouth. They are 5 mg. Give as directed on the bottle.

There are multi vits as well. Give her soy milk instead of cow's milk.

Review the web for alternative medicine peditricians.

www.doctornewmark.com or ____@____.com

or ____@____.com or ____@____.com

You need to get your child tested for allergies and environmental pollutants. Give her filtered water.

Hope this helps. Good luck. D.

Hi K., you may want to consult and allergist. Your daughter may be allergic to certain foods or pollutants that are contributing to her sicknesses. There could also be something in your home that isn't agreeing with her. In addition, when out taking a small pack of wipes and constantly wiping her hands may help to deter some of the toxins. You don't say if your daughter is a thumb/finger sucker but if she is 9 times out of 10 her fingers aren't always clean when she places them back into her mouth. Here is a website that may be helpful www.foodallergy.org. Also be mindful when it's time for her to get her shots. Allowing her to get her immunizations while she's sick could actually do more harm than good. I hope this helps.

Have you ever had her tested for celiac disease. I believe the blood test is called celiac spru. It is an autoimmune disease that affects the intestines and how they absorb or should I say don't absorb vitamins and nutrients from foods in the diet. Usually aggrivated by wheat and gluten products. In your intestines you have these little hair like things that not only help move food along but help in absorbing the nutirents. With celiac disease the wheat and gluten products kill off the important little hairs. This causes the body not to absorb the proper nutrients and in turn causes the immune system to go haywire because it is not properly nourished. It can even eventually cause kidney problems. After wheat and gluten are removed the little hairs grow back. It is just a thought.

Hi K.,

I agree with encouraging lots of hand washing, it's a must for fighting those germs. Another thing you may want to consider is using some essential oils with other natural products for cleaning in your home instead of traditional cleaners. Believe it or not the chemicals that are in those cleaners can cause lots of health problems, especially in those with weakened immune systems like your little one. I have a 4 year old daughter, and I have gradually replaced most of my cleaning products with ones that I make myself with with natural products and essential oils, from laundry detergent to my all purpose cleaner. Peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils are actually immune boosting oils too! Just remember these are highly concentrated and you must use caution when using them, just like you would anything else in a home with a child. I am now a consultant for an aromatherapy company called The Happy Soul. You can check out the website at www.thehappysoul.com. If you have any questions or want to learn more let me know, I would love to share my recipes with you! I hope this helps!

Hi K.:

We went through something similar w/ our little one. We began giving her regular servings of Kefir and/or yogurt. Also, when we have it in the house, we give her Sambucol (black elderberry extract)...especially during the colder months. We also make sure she washes her hands a bunch, which is hard since she is 2. So, we keep wipes nearby so she can clean her hands when she wants, which is becoming more often. Also upped her servings of fresh raw veggies & fruits.

Hope this helps

Lots of hand-washing at the sink with soap and water for everyone. If she is in a daycare or school setting, ask the teachers to implement some policies like to make everyone wash their hands when they enter the classroom and start the day and after nose wipes, etc.

I think the probiotics are great. Than also look at her diet for vitamin c. Maybe introduce vitamin supplements during these periods where her exposure seems high or she is having trouble shaking a bug (checking with the pediatrician).

It sounds like you are doing a lot of good things. Perhaps you just need to purposefully quarentine yourselves for a week or so - even if she is well. Make sure she eats lots of healthy food, drinks lots of water, and is sleeping enough. Hope things improve.

I am a mother of two girls; one almost 4 yrs. and one almost 4 mos. My infant was born in December and having a winter baby has been quite an experience. I understand the illnesses that you have described because my infant developed an ear infection at two weeks of age. From that point on, she was sick for the next two months. She developed RSV from an emergency room visit and she also caught the Flu, again, I think from a hospital visit. By the time she was 3 months old, she had her fourth ear infection. She was also on Prevacid because she suffered from acid reflux.

I was talking to a friend of a friend one day, who is a pediatric nurse, about my concern for my infant who had been on antibiotics, breathing treatments, and other medications since two weeks of age. She suggested a Chiroprator and said that she knew many mothers who had taken their babies to a Chiropractor for ear problems and had no more problems.

I have been seeing a Chiropractor for 15 years and I know Chiropractic care saved my life; however, my husband (and I somewhat, I admit) had serious concerns about having a Chiropractor "adjust" our 3 yr. old when she was an infant. We had decided that we would take our children when they were older. However, we were so desperate and concerned about our infant now that I decided to make her an appt. and he agreed.

Our infant has been seeing a Chiropractor for one month now and she has been ear-infection free since. She actually had an ear infection when I began taking her, for which I did not give her an antibiotic for, and within a week, it was gone. She is also off of the Prevacid and no longer has problems with her acid reflux. She is taking NO medications. She has actually been well for the first time since she was two weeks old. A chiropractor can explain to you how and why Chiropractic care makes anyone healthier and less likely to get sick.

Please keep in mind, however, that it is important to find a Chiropractor that has experience with children, particularly infants because as my Chiropractor says, there are good and bad Chiropractors just as there are good and bad professionals in all fields. My personal choice for my children is a female Chiropractor who has four children, two grandchildren, and has been practicing for 18 years.

Good luck. I hope your daughter is well soon.

Sorry to hear your daughter is sick all the time! Hopefully you'll get some good tips here that will help.

Everytime I take my 2 year old son out, I wipe his hands with Wet Ones Anti-Bacterial wipes when I get him in his carseat. I keep them in the car, and it's easy to remember do since they are right there. Also, whenever possible, I use a grocery cart cover so that his hands are not in direct contact with the cart.

If I know he's gotten his hands visibly dirty like at a park, I'll take him straight to the sink when we get home and wash his hands with soap and warm water. I also wash his hands with before naptime, and before bedtime if it's not bath night.

When he's sick and after he goes to bed, I lay out all his toys on the living room floor and spray them with Lysol. I let them dry while I do whatever, and they're dry by the time I'm ready to go to bed.

And when he has been sick, I make sure we stay quarantined until he's been well for a day or two. It's rough to be house-bound for several days in a row, but we've found some ways to make it interesting: picnic on the living room floor, doing some crafts which we don't do often enough anyway, rotating the toys, plus whenever I catch a good price on toys (new and used) I'll get them and squirrel them away for a rainy day.

Good luck and HTH!
S.

Hello just to let you know i started getting my sons to take vitamins at a year old because my oldest one has a heart condition which he is 15 now and he was sick all the time for the first three years of his life and the doctor said to put him on vitamins to build up immune system and he was right he started to feel alot better to he had more energy and he wasn't looking sick all the time so i believe in taking vitamins for the children i get my at costcos they are cheaper there and they are the gummy kind and kids love them so i hope this help alittle. and hope she gets better soon I'm a sahm and i run a home daycare so if you want to talk to someone just let me know My Name is T.

Well...this may turn you off or even appal you a little...

My parents were dirt poor and had 6 kids.
We spent MOST of our time outside as kids and we were also never sick.
My daughter is just turned 2 and has NEVER been sick...Ever.

Now...from my own personal experiences...

Put her outside. Preferrably underdressed. Make her stay out there until she's either shivering or cries to go inside. If you have a dog, put them outside with her. The key in keeping children healthy is building their immune system, and like any part of the human body, if you don't USE it, you lose it.

If her nose runs, let it run a little. Now, don't let it drip down her chin or anything...but my mother has a dedicated belief that a child who eats a bit of their own snot now and then will get sick less because they are ingesting and dealing with small amounts of bacteria in the snot and thus are building immuities to the bacteria without active contact with someone sick.

If she starts getting cranky like she's getting sick, feed her small amounts (totaling about 3 cups a day) of orange juice regularly (pulpy preferred as you get more active vitamin c) and give her the strongest cheese she will take. I recommend munster, it's high in bacteria but still pretty mild.

Use tomatoes! Tomatos are high in alllll sorts of beneficial acids and vitamins! It doesn't have to be spaghetti...there are tons of ways to use tomatoes!

If she gets a fever...and you can get her to sit still for a little bit, cut a small onion (doesn't matter what type really) in half and put one half in each sock (use some of dad's socks so there's room)...this will help bring down the fever without using meds. She's probably developing a tolerance for meds by this point so natural remedies will probably work best.

And my last "secret" oldie...the salt bath. Good for her, good for you, good for whatever ailement you have really...get a big box or bag of epsom salts (plain...not scented or special) and pour 1 to 2 cups in a bath. The temperature of the water depends on the ailement, as a general rule use the hottest water you can stand for skin and muscle issues, medium hot water for infections (of the skin or yeast infections), and lukewarm to cool water for fevers. Try to soak 10-20 minutes twice daily. If none of this helps, THEN go see the doctor.

Of course, limiting exposure is the first step...but alot of us simply can't do that, so make sure to always have some anti-bacterial soap handy and try to only use it in public places. Just like any other med, it will cause the viruses and bugs to grow stronger if you're constantly using it. Bacteria is good for us, and getting sick simply makes us stronger overall!

Hi K.
I don't know if this will help cause it sounds like your daughter might need a specialist but I give my son 2 on Sunday a Lil Critters gummi vitamin that you can find in the grocery store(WalMart). It recommends that you give 2 but since he isn't quit old enough I only give him 1. This might be good for your daughter. I use the immune boost one but there are other kinds. Just look for one for your daughter and I hope this helps. L.

REBOUNDING....check out www.jump4health.com
"The repetitive, rhythmic motion of rebounding provides long-term mental and physical health benefits for everyone! It will firm and tone your body, strengthen your heart, improve your circulation, burn calories and fat, revitalize your vision, reduce stress, BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, reenergize a sluggish lymphatic system, and even slow down aging! Plus, it's easy on your joints, and your back. "

My 2 yr old loves to get on it and jump! He thinks it's so fun and the whole time he is jumping his lymphatic system is cleaning out toxins and white blood cells are forming to take care of anything bad. (My little simple version. LOL) For just 2 minutes of bouncing, your lymphatic system continues to work cleaning out toxins for 1 hour!

Another very important part is to get rid of ALL the chemicals in your home! Three ways for toxic chemicals to enter the body: by swallowing, by breathing or by contact with your skin or eyes. "The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that 150 common household chemicals have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychologigal abnormalities." The alternative we have found to be most effective and affordable is Melaleuca. Check out this website www.saferforyourhome.com and let me know when I can help you learn more about shopping for safer and healthier products for you and your family. It'll take about 1 hour over the telephone and computer. You can email me anytime at ____@____.com

Take care of yourself and your little lady! And give your husband a big "thank you" from our family for all he does for our country.

God Bless...N. =)

I agree with everyone else lots of hand washing. Also Flintstones makes a vitamin that is for the immune system so you might want to try giving her those. Good luck & I hope your daughter is better soon.

Went through similar experiences when kids were exposed to new environment (school, gym day care, etc) believe it or not old fashioned honey is what we use for coughs, check w/Doc 2 yrs old should be ok. May be crazy but colds are so much milder now and seem controllable. Also flu shot annual seems to have made a difference. Cool air humidifier. (kids are 6 and 2 1/2) can email me with any specific ?'s

I don't have much advice, but just wanted to mention that if you notice your daughter getting sick after those days you take her to the gym....maybe you should stop taking her there. With my girls, there was this play room at the BX in our last area, and EVERY time I took them there to play, wether it was for a half hour, or just 5 minutes...they were always sick within the next couple of days following. I think there are just some places that are not cleaned very well, and are coated with germs from all the other kids or people around. I eventually just refused to let them go in the play room there to play, as a mother, it was just not worth my girls getting sick over. Maybe your gym is similar? Also, have you made any moves lately? I have also noticed that (we are military) every time we make a big move, we are all sick terribly on and off for the first year, as if our bodies are getting use to it. When we moved to our last area, my oldest (who was 1 year at the time) had gotten a bad fever that lasted for 5 days!! And it continued on from there for about a year, before things let up and her and I were feeling good. Same thing happened when we just moved here to our new area. Anyways...not sure if that applies. But if you are seeing a correlation between sickness and the gym, I would stop taking her there.
K.

Hi K. -- I can tell you what worked for my son - Steven is now 20 and once I got him on Shaklee supplements, he missed one day of school from 1st grade on. Shaklee has a multiple for young children that is a powder thart you can put in juice - as well as a product called Optiflora (which is a probiotic) - I would suggest the powder and pill since she needs to build her system up strongly. Once she gets a little older there is a product called Nutriferon but they recommend it for 6 and up as well as others. There is a chewable multi and chewable Vit. C. You can take a look at these at www.shaklee.net/integrativewellness or email me at ____@____.com wishes, S.

It's been a particularly bad winter for a lot of us. My children are in school, so the minute they get better, they catch something else.

My advice to you, since you are a SAHM, STAY HOME. Don't go anywhere. Don't invite anyone over to play. Bleach your house from top to bottom. Give it a couple of weeks and then, start small. If you invite friends over, bleach every toy the children touched.

YMMV.
LBC

I know the feeling. When my daughter started going to day care she was sick all the time. She was like you said getting everything under the sun. So, I started giving her some vitimins and making sure that I am cleaning after other kids left our house and changing her sheets every other day and anything that I could do to help. I use products that do not contain all the harsh chemicals and ingredients. Like Tide, Johnson & JOhnson, All purpose cleaners and many more b/c they too are harming my family. We started using new products that were safer and healthier and I tell you what in like a month my daughter hadn't been sick and my husband and myself even felt a difference. It was unbelievable. I would just stay spray germs, try safer products with out all the harsh toxins. Maybe a good vitimim and some Orange juice.

I hope this helps some but I tell you it helped my famliy and even my 2 sisters changed and they all feel like it was one of the best changes they made for their family. Good Luck

Best Wishes,

J.
Helping MOMs Stay Home
www.urfuturematters.com
____@____.com

We went through the same thing with my son. Every two weeks he would get sick and run a high fever of 103+ for four days. We did trips to the ER, dr. excedra. Everyone said it was just a virus. Every two weeks! Give me a break. I started keeping track of the foods he ate, new environments, etc. and then watched for the fevers. Finally one day he broke out in hives. Hives means a allergic reaction...I got him tested and it turns out that he is extremely allergic to pears. Which his daycare had on the menu every two weeks! We cut out the pears and pear juice from his diet, and the 'virus' went away. He's been pear/pear juice free for 4 years and only occasionally get sick now.
Hope this helps.
M.

Hi SAHM, I would first advice you to check for any mold or mildew in your home because that would make your child have those illnesses as well. Ask your doctor about vitamins. Have you tried the kids chewables? That would definitely build up the immune system. Does she like fruit juices? Try that as well as a drink called Xango that is high in antioxidants and you can put in her juice. First try vitamins. Take care and good luck!!

Wow, I am really sorry to hear you have been going through all this with your little one, I have a dd who is the same age and a ds who is 6. I think you are on the right track with the probiotics, you need to get some really good ones that are specific to little folks. I get some that are specially designed for kids from my chiropractor. Also, vitamin C is a good immune system builder. Breast feeding is also wonderful, you might want to step that up if you can. Not sure if you are still nursing or not but maybe good to start again, the Le Leche League can help with that.

Good luck to you!

You might think it sounds crazy, but cod liver oil (they make it in flavors) is supposed to be full of vitamins A, E and other stuff to help their immune system. You can buy a probiotic at an apothecary and they can tell you the dose for children. You can add it to yogurt, fruit, anything room temp or cold. Don't buy it if they don't keep it in the fridge. You can break open the capsules and add the powder to food (just not anything hot). It doesn't really have a flavor, my son is not averse to it and he can find a needle in a haystack. I would also say try a vitamin. I had to find a liquid vitamin (without iron because it makes my son vomit) at a health food store. Wash her hands, wash your hands, wipe down the grocery cart when you go, change her shirt if she has been at any daycare, clean the bag you carry.
Good luck!!
N. (another mom who has a kid who was sick all the time!)

Hi K.! My first thought was how sick my kids always got at any kind of gym environment (Gymboree, Little Gym, the kid's room at my gym). I stopped taking them completely because those places are complete germ fests. Also, be really super careful about washing your hands after you leave the gym. As for the immune boosting, I love a book called Smart Medicine for a Healthy Child by Janet Zand. You could also try a book called Super Immunity for Kids by Leo Galland. Good luck and hope your little one stays healthy!

Hi K.,

I understand your frustration although my child, who just turned two, has just had his first bout with a cold. He's never so much as had a runny nose or the sniffles. The reason is because of the food supplements I have had him on since he was 7 days old! Breast feeding certainly helped as well.

I have been on these supplements for about 9 years so I know much about them. They are things that we used to get in our diet, like phytonutrients, glyconutrients, etc. that we don't get anymore. When you give the body the nutrition it needs (which we can't with our modern day diet) it can perform optimally. This is about feeding each cell what it needs to communicate and support the immune system.

Here's a website that you may want to go on to check it out for more info. Towards the end, it talks about the products for children. http://exploremannatech.com/videos/Optimal_Health/USA-Opt...

I can give you more details if you'd like to contact me. My contact info is: email: ____@____.com and phone: ###-###-####.

I hope this gives you some hope for your little girl.

Take care,
C.

First of all I would take your daughter off any kind of dairy product: no cheese. milk. yogurt, or ice cream. Cow's milk is very mucus forming and the number one food allergy. You can let your daughter have soy or rice milk. When I went off dairy my health GREATLY improved. Also go to the Vitamin shop or some natural health food store and get some echinacea tincture. Give your daughter a few drops per day. This strengthens the immune system. It really works. Eat little sugar and lots of fresh fuit. Hope this helps. AF