Toddlers who start nursery for the first time can expect to catch up to 19 – yes, 19 – illnesses during that first year, a new study has found. So if it feels like you’re spending a lot of time at home with them, unable to work , you’re certainly not alone. While it’s possible for kids to still attend nursery with some illnesses (like coughs and colds), the research found children would typically have about 13 days off due to sickness. Researchers from UCL, the University of Cambridge, Cornell University and North Middlesex University Hospital, were struck by how often their own children became ill after starting nursery. So, they set about investigating how often a child starting nursery will get sick in their first year of attendance and what, if anything, can be done about it. Which illnesses do toddlers catch at nursery? Quite a lot, actually. The authors said a typical one-year-old starting nursery will experience: Around 12-15 respiratory infections (which explains the almost year-round cough and snotty nose) Two gastrointestinal illnesses (diarrhoea and vomiting), And one or two rash-causing infections in the first year alone. The NHS estimates children experience five to eight colds a year on average, yet toddlers are experiencing double the number of infections. Young children are prone to getting sick largely due to their immature immune systems, according to researchers, rather than because of poor hygiene or childcare practices in nurseries. Co-author Dr Leo Swadling, from UCL’s Institute of Infection, Immunity and Transplantation, explained: “ Newborns have some protection against infection thanks to antibodies passed from the mother, but this wanes in their first year, leaving infants – especially those starting childcare – more vulnerable to infections. “It’s normal for children to get sick a lot because their immune systems have never seen these bugs before – but then nursery serves as a ‘boot camp’ for their immune systems, building up resilience for the years ahead.” Catching all these bugs at nursery appears to stand them in good stead before they start school Children who attend nursery at a young age catch more infections from age one to five than those who remain at home until starting school. But then once they’ve started school , this pattern is reversed, as kids who didn’t attend childcare get sick more often. So in a way, it offers some protection for the early school years, likely due to kids already acquiring immunity to common infections. Vaccination is important The researchers said vaccination is one of the most effective things parents can do to protect their children from nursery illnesses. As part of routine NHS vaccinations , children are offered some protection against a number of illnesses by the time they’ve turned one, including: meningitis , pneumonia, rotavirus, diptheria, polio, tetanus, whooping cough, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B, diptheria, measles , mumps, rubella and chickenpox . Dr Swadling continued: “Vaccines are a key way to protect children from serious infections in childcare, so we encourage parents to keep their children up to date with all available vaccines.” What does all this mean for parents? The key takeaway is that parents of children starting nursery should expect to need to take more time off to care for their kids when they’re constantly unwell – and employers should support working parents as they juggle this. Co-author Dr Lucy van Dorp, an infectious disease genomics researcher in the UCL Genetics Institute, said: “Employers need to recognise that it’s normal for parents of young children to regularly need to take time off work to care for their children, and parents will also be more prone to getting sick themselves – but this will improve as the child ages.” Here’s hoping! Related... Falls With Toothbrushes Can Cause Stroke In Toddlers, Says Neurologist A Doctor Gave Me Advice For Raising Toddlers. Now I Use It On Difficult Adults These 4 Reddit Hacks For Getting Toddlers To Comply Are *Chef's Kiss*