Why does my daughter keep getting the stomach flu???

[proud_canadian]

Hi there,

One of my daughters has had the stomach flu 4 times in the last 9 months. She is overall very healthy though, and has not had a cold or sore throat in 2-3 years. She definitely has caught the stomach flu each time (as opposed to food issues or some other medical condition) because each time someone else in the home has caught it 2-3 days later or there are many of her classmates out sick with the same symptoms.

We are big hand washers, and the kids know to wash their hands (properly) after they come home from anywhere, and after the washroom and before eating anything. We eat healthy, and the kids get lots of sleep. Could there be some reason why she is so prone to catching this lately?

It seems like there are more and more stomach bugs around and they seem to be getting more and more violent

 

[scoutie]

Hi there,

One of my daughters has had the stomach flu 4 times in the last 9 months. She is overall very healthy though, and has not had a cold or sore throat in 2-3 years. She definitely has caught the stomach flu each time (as opposed to food issues or some other medical condition) because each time someone else in the home has caught it 2-3 days later or there are many of her classmates out sick with the same symptoms.

We are big hand washers, and the kids know to wash their hands (properly) after they come home from anywhere, and after the washroom and before eating anything. We eat healthy, and the kids get lots of sleep. Could there be some reason why she is so prone to catching this lately?

It seems like there are more and more stomach bugs around and they seem to be getting more and more violent

At first I was going to say that maybe it's not the stomach virus, but instead food-borne, but the fact that others have gotten it too, definitely points to stomach virus. Ugh. So wretched. I have also noticed an increase of this virus and intensity. As a kid, I threw up twice. After having kids, I get the stomach virus every single year along with my kids. We are also huge hand washers, healthy eaters, healthy sleepers, etc.

I'm an emetophobe, and have done a ton of research on how to avoid this. I've heard that grapefruit seed extract is supposed to help, but I have no proof. You also have to make sure to have your kid completely keep their hands out of their mouth, out of their eyes, out of their noses, etc. Use a bleach based cleaner to kill the virus. It can live for a long time on surfaces.

 

[frostedpink]

The Norovirus is very difficult to kill. Hand sanitizer does not kill it. That is why they have such trouble with it on cruise ships because once it starts to spread, there is no stopping it.

Does she go to a lot of kid-crowded places like bounce houses or indoor play centers? How old is she?

 

[proud_canadian]

Yes my DD is 7.5 and I do make sure she keeps her hands out of her mouth etc. But it just seems like she gets it a lot more than other kids. But like I said it does seem to be more and more common and the intensity seems to be much more severe than say 3 or 5 years ago.

 

[proud_canadian]

And no, she doesn't generally go to a lot of bounce house places, but does go to school during the year, and I think those are the worst places of all haha!

 

[Christine]

Some people are just more susceptible to certain things and it doesn't mean anything. Some people never get them. My mother has never, ever had noravirus--even when everyone around her dose. She did find out that a small percentage of the population is actually immune to it. She is definitely one of them. She's had to take care of my family many times when we all got it.

It could be that your daughter just doesn't fight that off as well as others do and she is perfectly healthy.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Is there a test for this, like for the flu or strep???
I would want to try to confirm that this is what is going on.

Hugs for your daughter and hope this doesn't continue!

 

[wilkeliza]

Have you consulted DD's pediatrician? She may be missing important bacteria and enzymes in her gut that is making her more susceptible to stomach illness.

Even if you can't get her to a specialist for a full work up try getting her on a good quality probiotic made for kids. See if it helps the situation. For the first week or two some people experience tummy aches and other minor side affects while the body adjusts to the higher levels of good bacteria but then they see an improvement. I have stomach aches quite often but then started my probiotics and have them much less often. Even made it through the BF having nuro which he caught from his nephew and I never did.

Also 100% pure grape juice is suppose to help with stomach viruses.

 

[laughinplace199]

I agree with Christine. I think some people are just more susceptible than others are to certain illnesses.

When DS13 was little, all you had to do was say the words "stomach bug" and he got it. He got it two or three times a year - even in the summer.

My DD15 has only had a stomach bug twice in her life, with her most recent bug being about 3 years ago. I remember that she came into my room saying that she didn't feel right and I asked her if she felt like she might throw up. She just shrugged and said that she had no idea (she hadn't thrown up since she was 4 and didn't recognize the feeling).

Unfortunately, my DS7 seems to be taking after his brother.

 

[minkydog]

Most elementary age kids are not really good about hand washing. They usually know they should, but in reality, if you actually stood in a school washroom you would be horrified to see kid after kid leave the washroom without washing or even dousing their hands (I once did a study in a public restroom--less than 40% of adults washed their hands!)

Your daughter may be an expert hand washer most of the time, but all it takes is for little Johnny Nasty-Hands to pick up her pencil off the floor or touch the cafeteria table at the previous lunch period or toss her a basketball, and Bam! She's got the germs on her hands.

There are thousands of gastro-intestinal viruses out there. None one can acquire immunity to all of them. Some people fall ill easily and some don't. (There's no accounting for it: I bit my nails for 57 years and he puts his fingers in his mouth all the time. Yet he gets sick and I do not; in fact, I haven't had the stomach bug in many, many years.)

 

[MSLRAC]

Have you consulted DD's pediatrician? She may be missing important bacteria and enzymes in her gut that is making her more susceptible to stomach illness.

Even if you can't get her to a specialist for a full work up try getting her on a good quality probiotic made for kids. See if it helps the situation. For the first week or two some people experience tummy aches and other minor side affects while the body adjusts to the higher levels of good bacteria but then they see an improvement. I have stomach aches quite often but then started my probiotics and have them much less often. Even made it through the BF having nuro which he caught from his nephew and I never did.

Also 100% pure grape juice is suppose to help with stomach viruses.

This was my thought as well. DS got two stomach viruses in two months and each knocked him out for 7 full days. His gastro dr said that the good bacteria and enzymes in his tummy had gotten out of whack and that was allowing him to be more susceptible to stomach viruses and causing him to have a hard time getting over them. He suggested a probiotic that I pick up at Whole Foods and it has helped DS tremendously.

 

[mjkacmom]

They are just virus' like colds. The more sick people one comes in contact with, the more chances to catch something. When my kids were little, we'd have it in the house 6 times a year. Now, it's much less frequent - one or two a year, same with colds. It's very rare for the teens and adults to catch them.

There are always large pockets of elementary school kids out at certain times of the year. It's normal. If your dd is your oldest, and didn't go to daycare, she'll be getting her fair share of illnesses now.

 

[proud_canadian]

Thanks everyone. My DD is my youngest, and has both my girls have been in daycare since they were 1 year old. That's why I'm so surprised the last year has been so bad. I hadn't taken her to the doctor, as like some of you said, I don't think there is much that can be done!

I'd just like to prevent it from happening again if we can. I'm almost afraid to book a fall vacation

 

[PollyannaMom]

...Also 100% pure grape juice is suppose to help with stomach viruses.

I've heard this about grape juice preventing stomach bugs too.

Also, pay attention to whether she touches her face a lot. It really helps to get out of that habit.

Other than that, I think it's just that different people are prone to different things. (In our house, it's DH who gets stomach things, and I get sinus ones instead.)

I also think maybe we're knocking out so many other kinds of germs with hand sanitizer, that it's leaving more room for these ones to grow.

 

[Mrs.Malone]

This was my thought as well. DS got two stomach viruses in two months and each knocked him out for 7 full days. His gastro dr said that the good bacteria and enzymes in his tummy had gotten out of whack and that was allowing him to be more susceptible to stomach viruses and causing him to have a hard time getting over them. He suggested a probiotic that I pick up at Whole Foods and it has helped DS tremendously.

MSLRAC, can you share the name of the probiotic your doctor recommended? There are so many out there, I don't know where to begin.

 

[MSLRAC]

MSLRAC, can you share the name of the probiotic your doctor recommended? There are so many out there, I don't know where to begin.

It's Flora, Udo's Choice, Children's Probiotics. I got it at Whole Foods in a refrigerated case in their healthcare section. DS takes one in the morning and one in the evening.

 

[Mrs.Malone]

It's Flora, Udo's Choice, Children's Probiotics. I got it at Whole Foods in a refrigerated case in their healthcare section. DS takes one in the morning and one in the evening.

Thank you!