Back to school means its back to kids bringing home a different illness every other week.

It can feel like your child is always poorly during the autumn and winter months. But that’s because they are more susceptible to sickness due to their underdeveloped immune systems and the high exposure to germs at schools, nurseries and other childcare settings.

It can be natural to panic when your kids are ill and rush them the GP or A&E. But most minor illnesses can easily be treated with a quick trip to your local pharmacy.

However, you know your child best. If you are worried, you must trust your instincts and seek medical help.

In this article, we look at some of the common childhood illnesses, how to manage them, and if kids need to stay off school or nursery.

Chicken Pox

By the time they’re eight, most children will have had chickenpox.

It’s highly infectious and usually spreads during the spring and summer months. It can take between 10 and 21 days for the spots to appear and is most contagious from two days before they appear until five days after.

Chickenpox happens in three stages: first the spots appear, then they become blisters, before finally scabbing over. It usually starts on the chest or back but can be anywhere on the body. Some children will get a mild case of just a few spots while others may be covered in them.

It can make your child feel miserable. They can get a high temperature, feel achy, and lose their appetite. Paracetamol can be given for the pain but never give ibuprofen as it can cause a serious skin infection.

Cool baths or showers will help ease the itching. You can buy over-the-counter products from your pharmacy to soothe the itching, such as cooling mousse, calamine lotion and antihistamine medicines.

Children need to stay off school until all the spots have scabbed over; usually five to seven days after the first spot appears. They should also stay away from newborns and pregnant women.

Coughs and Colds

Children may get around eight colds a year.

There are hundreds of cold viruses and young children have no immunity to any of them. But with every cold, it helps build up natural defences and fight off future viruses.

Most colds will run their course within a week and kids don’t need to stay off school unless they have a high temperature.

There are things you can do at home to help. Make sure children stay hydrated. If your child has a high temperature, pain or discomfort, paracetamol or ibuprofen can help. Cough and cold remedies, such as decongestants, are not advised for children under six. Saline nose sprays can help with a stuffy nose. If your child is one or older, a warm lemon and honey drink may ease a sore throat.

If your child’s temperature is very high, they feel hot and shivery, or a cough has lasted more than three weeks, see your GP or call 111.

Children under two are more likely to catch bronchiolitis from the RSV virus which may need hospital treatment, so look out for changes to their breathing, wheezing or difficulty feeding.

Hand, Foot & Mouth

This is another common childhood virus, but not to be confused with foot and mouth disease in animals.

Initial symptoms are a sore throat, high temperature and no appetite. In the second stage, children may get mouth ulcers and a pinky-red rash on their hands, feet and groin that can turn into blisters.

It usually lasts between seven and ten days and, as it’s viral, doesn’t need antibiotics. Children don’t need to stay off school if they’re well enough to go. If the mouth ulcers are painful, you can give painkillers or ask your pharmacist for a topical ulcer treatment.  

Strep A

This bacterial infection is more common in children.

Strep A is spread by close contact with an infected person, usually through coughs, sneezes or wounds. Most cases aren’t serious and can be quickly treated with antibiotics.

Symptoms can include flu-like symptoms (high temperature, swollen glands, aches and pains), strep throat or tonsilitis, a red rash that feels like sandpaper (scarlet fever), scabs and sores (impetigo) and nausea or vomiting.

Children with Strep A will need to stay off school or nursery until 24 hours after they start antibiotics. It usually lasts for a week but, without antibiotics, can develop into invasive group A strep which can be life threatening, causing meningitis, toxic shock and flesh-eating disease.

Slapped Cheek

Also known as fifth disease, slapped cheek is known for its bright red rash on the cheeks.

Children may start off feeling unwell with a headache, high temperature and runny nose. The rash usually starts on the cheeks but can also appear on the chest, arms and legs.

However, children are only contagious before the rash appears, so they don’t need to stay off school or nursery once that presents. The rash takes between one and three weeks to fade.