How Often Do Daycare Kids Get Sick in the First Year?

If your baby or toddler seems to catch something new every few weeks after starting daycare, you are not alone. Frequent colds, coughs and stomach bugs are very common in the first year of group care, especially from October through April. For most healthy children, it gets noticeably better in the second year.

Here is why it happens, what is normal, what research says about later years, and how to make the first winter easier on your family and your job.

Why daycare kids get sick so often

Young children are meeting most common viruses for the first time. Their immune systems learn by being exposed, and each cold builds some protection against that particular virus. There are many different cold viruses, so there is a lot to learn.

Group care speeds this up:

• Babies and toddlers put toys, hands and almost everything else in their mouths.
• They cannot cover coughs or blow their noses well yet.
• Children spread some viruses a day or two before they show symptoms.
• Winter brings everyone indoors, close together.

None of this means a daycare is dirty. Even very clean, well-run centers see these waves of illness every year.

What is a normal amount of illness?

In the first year of group care, it is common for a child to have a cold or cough every few weeks during the cold months, plus an occasional stomach bug or ear infection. Many colds last 7 to 10 days, and a cough can hang on for two or three weeks. That is why it can feel like your child is never fully well.

Call your pediatrician if your child has:

• A fever in a baby younger than 3 months, or a high fever in an older child
• Trouble breathing, fast breathing or pulling in at the ribs
• Signs of dehydration, such as few wet diapers
• Ear pain, or a cold that gets better and then worse
• Illnesses that seem unusually severe or keep needing antibiotics

The good news: research on later years

A long-term study from Quebec followed more than 1,200 children from 5 months to 8 years old. Children who started in large child care centers before age 2 and a half had more respiratory and ear infections during their early preschool years. But in elementary school, they had fewer of those infections than children who had been cared for at home.

Across the full eight years, the total number of infections was about the same. The difference was timing. The researchers pointed out that getting sick in daycare may be less disruptive than missing days of school while learning to read and write.

How to cut down on sick days

• Keep vaccines up to date, including the yearly flu shot for children 6 months and older, and talk to your pediatrician about RSV protection for babies.
• Practice handwashing. Wash your child's hands at drop-off, before eating and when you get home.
• Protect sleep. Tired children seem to get sick more easily, and daycare days are busy.
• Keep them home when they are sick. It helps your child rest and keeps the whole room healthier.
• Ask about the center's cleaning routine and how often toys that go in mouths are sanitized.

Planning for sick days when you work

Sick days are the hardest part of daycare for many working parents. A plan made before the first fever saves stress later.

1. Learn the sick policy. Know the fever cutoff and how long your child must stay home. Our guide to daycare fever rules explains the usual 24-hour rule.
2. Split sick days with your partner. Some couples take turns, or split a day into a morning and an afternoon shift.
3. Line up backup care. A grandparent, a trusted sitter or a backup care benefit through your employer.
4. Know your leave. Illinois' Paid Leave for All Workers Act gives most employees paid leave they can use for any reason, including caring for a sick child.
5. Keep a sick-day kit at home: thermometer, saline drops, a bulb or nasal aspirator, fever medicine dosed by weight, and easy foods.

Is it better to start daycare later to avoid illness?

Starting later does not usually prevent these illnesses. It mostly moves them. A child who starts at age 3 often has a rough first winter too. The bigger decision is when care fits your family's needs. Our article on the best age to start daycare walks through the trade-offs.

Frequently asked questions

How many times a year do daycare kids get sick?

It varies a lot, but in the first year of group care it is common to have a new cold every few weeks during fall and winter, plus a few other illnesses.

How long does the daycare sickness phase last?

For many children, the first year is the hardest. Illness often drops noticeably in the second year.

Does daycare make your immune system stronger?

Research suggests children who get infections early in group care may have fewer of those infections in early elementary school, though the total over time is about the same.

When should I worry about frequent illness?

Talk to your pediatrician if illnesses are severe, need frequent antibiotics, or your child is not growing or gaining weight as expected.

Health and safety at Children's Land

At Children's Land, if a child becomes sick during the day, our director calls your emergency contact and your child rests away from other children until pickup. Staff receive ongoing training every year. Learn more in our FAQ, read about our infant program, or find a location near you.

Related reading: How to Keep Your Baby Healthy at Daycare.