Candida Treatment For A Child?

[AMQmom]

My daughter is 7 years old (soon to be a second grader). She was diagnosed Celiac in April and has severe food allergies (they think it is EE) to legumes, dairy, squash, grains, corn, carrots, sesame, nuts, peanuts, cauliflower, and a few more. Today our chiropractor suggested that she may have Candida. She has been complaining about vaginal itching. Any opinions on how serious this is? After yanking most foods away from her, I am hesitant to put her on an even strickter diet right when school is starting. I also don't want to set her up for a more complicated life by not doing anything about this now. I guess I am looking for a simple answer that lets me keep her on her limited-but-still-fun and school accesable diet while getting rid of her itching and potential for future harm. Hows that for asking for the moon?

[veggienft]

My daughter is 7 years old (soon to be a second grader). She was diagnosed Celiac in April and has severe food allergies (they think it is EE) to legumes, dairy, squash, grains, corn, carrots, sesame, nuts, peanuts, cauliflower, and a few more. Today our chiropractor suggested that she may have Candida. She has been complaining about vaginal itching. Any opinions on how serious this is? After yanking most foods away from her, I am hesitant to put her on an even strickter diet right when school is starting. I also don't want to set her up for a more complicated life by not doing anything about this now. I guess I am looking for a simple answer that lets me keep her on her limited-but-still-fun and school accesable diet while getting rid of her itching and potential for future harm. Hows that for asking for the moon?

Simple diet really. No sugar.

Come back for some additional diet tweaks if needed.

..

[RiceGuy]

Yes, do avoid sugar. Try Open Original Shared Link instead, which is a completely natural sweetener, without any calories, carbs, sugars, or side effects. The pure powder is best IMO.

You can also add coconut oil to her diet, which contains caprylic acid - a candida killer. Use it in place of butter, margarine, and in all cooking and baking. Mix it with cocoa powder (or carob), Stevia and a pinch of salt for a healthy chocolate frosting. Use it to pop popcorn. Use it as a skin lotion. Use it to make homemade mayonnaise. More recipes Open Original Shared Link.

[AMQmom]

Than you for the tips! She is allergic to coconut. I heard that Stevia has coconut in it??? I will try to eep her sugars to a minimum. Anyone hear of long term consequences to candida if showing no signs other than itching?

[ShayFL]

There is NO Coconut in Stevia. Stevia is an herb. Buy refined pure stevia.

[crunchy-mama]

Another important thing to do is to make sure you are populating the gut with good bacteria w/ probiotics. There are dairy free yogurt starters that can be cultured on about anything. Also, there are dairy free probiotics as well:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Also, fermented veggies are good for building up the gut flora, but a young kid might not be too interested in that.

[veggienft]

Yes, do avoid sugar. Try Open Original Shared Link instead, which is a completely natural sweetener, without any calories, carbs, sugars, or side effects. The pure powder is best IMO.

You can also add coconut oil to her diet, which contains caprylic acid - a candida killer. Use it in place of butter, margarine, and in all cooking and baking. Mix it with cocoa powder (or carob), Stevia and a pinch of salt for a healthy chocolate frosting. Use it to pop popcorn. Use it as a skin lotion. Use it to make homemade mayonnaise. More recipes Open Original Shared Link.

Eliminating sugar is the stumbling block and the single most important part of the diet. Without eliminating sugar, it won't work. If you concentrate on anything else, you'll shift the emphasis and the blame from .........

.......sugar.

Concentrate on the .......sugar. If you and your daughter can pass that test, then worry about anything else.

.......sugar.

..

[AMQmom]

Thank you sooo much! I love all of the advice. I hate to have to take away fruit and sugar from her, but I see the reason to..... I was thrilled to hear about Stevia and the non-dairy probiotics. I have my younger celiac daughter on probiotics and have wondered what to do for my elder one. Thanks! I think that I will give her a chance to adjust to school starting and then get rid of her sugars. Does it have to be life-long??? Sorry to bug about this so much!

[veggienft]

Thank you sooo much! I love all of the advice. I hate to have to take away fruit and sugar from her, but I see the reason to..... I was thrilled to hear about Stevia and the non-dairy probiotics. I have my younger celiac daughter on probiotics and have wondered what to do for my elder one. Thanks! I think that I will give her a chance to adjust to school starting and then get rid of her sugars. Does it have to be life-long??? Sorry to bug about this so much!

......no bugging to it. I just hope what I've learned can help.

The digestive system turns all starches into sugars, but at a regulated rate. So eliminating the intake of sugar is not really eliminating all sugar from the gut ....just the out-of-control sugar. And so it goes with fruit. It's mostly sugar.

How much fruit to feed is up to you and your daughter. The answer is "as little as will keep her healthy". Monitor her symptoms to find out. A squeeze of lime every day or two seems to give me the potassium I need. But at that rate, I have to supplement with vitamin C. I also supplement with vitamin B complex.

I've been fighting candida for decades. Is it a life sentence? I think the answer is somewhere between "maybe" and "probably". You'll have to find that out for yourselves.

But as always, the issue is

........sugar.

Good luck.

..

[ShayFL]

If you do enough research, you will find that some practitioners believe we need fruit to feed the friendly bacteria in the gut. And that by "starving" the candida, you are also starving the very bacteria you need to overcome the fungus. And if at anytime you try to resume a normal healthy diet, the candida come back.

I agree with this hypothesis.

I do not believe that you need to fight candida for life. Our bodies have an AMAZING capacity to heal. I have seen it in my own practice (Phd in Holistic Nutrition but no longer consulting for a living).

There are many things you can do to overcome candida without eliminating ALL fruit. Fruit is healthy and should be included in a normal diet. Our ancestors likely ate a lot more fruit/berries (easy to digest, easy to harvest) than vegetables (which are harder to digest, require prep).

I agree with eliminating some starches. Especially the ones that are hard to digest and just sit in the digestive tract partially digested (feeds candida and parasites).

The SCD diet has yielded great results for MANY families. It is a safe diet. Includes healthy fruit and gets results. It is naturally gluten free.

You can also add grapefruit seed extract to kill candida plus probiotics (very young children need the bifidus strain even more than the acidophilus). But you should include both.

2 THINGS:

Please do A LOT of your own research and do not take the advice in these forums as facts.

Believe that your daughter can heal. Do not get depressed or plant a seed in her that she will have this for life. The majority of people heal from candida just fine.

[AMQmom]

Thank you for this latest response. I actually had a hard time sleeping last night - thinking about what is "right" for me to do with her. She has no idea about the candida and I hope to keep it that way - she has sooo many other things on her plate! She knows about the celiac and EE. I will do more research. I also plan to call our GI doctor to get the "medial" perspective. I am very thankful for everyone's response. Last night I moped and wished that I had not learned so much....all will balance out in time, I guess. Now I have a lot to consider and weigh. Thank you all!!!

[ShayFL]

Do look into he Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). It has helped so many.

Some posts in here can make you feel depressed. But I believe in staying positive and finding the solution.

When a doctor told me I could be dead in 6 months because I had atypical cells on my cervix, I thanked him for his knowledge and then did my own research. I completely cured myself using natural means. That was nearly 8 years ago and 16 perfect PAPs later.

Dont ever believe that there is no hope and you will fight something forever. That kind of thinking will never help you. Stay positive.

I think it is smart to get the medical perspective, but also research on your own and go with what your instincts tell you. There are there for a reason.

[RiceGuy]

When I found out about candida, I avoided all sugars, vinegars, yeasts, and fruits. This meant no ketchup, yeast breads, mayo, raisins, etc. At the same time, I took caprylic acid capsules. It wasn't long before I felt better than I had ever felt before. Like I had a new body. I waited months before adding fruit back in, but slowly and cautiously. I was determined not to let those yeasty beasties take away what I had gained. I've never gone back to yeast breads, and still do not eat any refined sugars, nor honey, nor syrups, nor vinegars. This may be a bit overboard, but I don't see any point in taking such chances. Especially for foods I don't even need.

You probably don't have to be that strict with your child for too long, but the better the anti-fungal diet, the quicker it will work. Do let her know it isn't forever, and the rewards are innumerable and long-lasting.

I've been using Stevia ever since I found out about it through this forum. So if you'd like some recipes, just ask. Yesterday I made blueberry jam, a bit of which I put on the donut I made today The only tricky stuff to make sugar-free that I've found are those things which traditionally depend on sugar for texture/consistency. Sugar adds a lot of bulk and stickiness. Stevia adds neither.

[aprilh]

Hello. It sounds like your daughter has leaky gut - hence all the food reactions. I have been in the same boat with my kids especially my little boy. I passed my candida issues on to him during pregnancy. I have been working on it for the last 3 years. Candida can cause leaky gut. Or undiagnosed celiac can cause leaky gut.

I have them on Natren probiotics for children. I believe in only human strain probiotics and Natren is human derived. They have a powder form that is easy to give to the kids. I also gave my son L-Glutamine to help heal the leaky gut.

I think definatley if you can find a safe natural antifungal - that would help kill the fungus, then follow up with the probiotics. There are a ton of safe antifungals safe for children.

I agree with ShayFL that fruit is good for us. Maybe you can try and stick with lower sugar fruits like blueberries, strawberries, ect. Avoid the higher sugar ones like bananas. And fruit is best digested on an empty stomach. At least 30 minutes before meals helps supply the body with fresh enzymes helpful for digestion. Pineapple has enzymes that can help digest proteins.

Any food that sits in the gut fermenting can feed candida. Try to make sure the "transit time" isn't too long by making sure she gets enough fiber.

Are you going to be packing her lunch for school? I pack both kids lunches. I found a great lunchbox solution called laptop lunches. Go to www.laptoplunches.com. I do pack fruit along with their lunch, but when their at home I give fruit in between meals.

Gotta go! Good luck!

[crunchy-mama]

If you do enough research, you will find that some practitioners believe we need fruit to feed the friendly bacteria in the gut. And that by "starving" the candida, you are also starving the very bacteria you need to overcome the fungus. And if at anytime you try to resume a normal healthy diet, the candida come back.

I agree with this hypothesis.

I do not believe that you need to fight candida for life. Our bodies have an AMAZING capacity to heal. I have seen it in my own practice (Phd in Holistic Nutrition but no longer consulting for a living).

There are many things you can do to overcome candida without eliminating ALL fruit. Fruit is healthy and should be included in a normal diet. Our ancestors likely ate a lot more fruit/berries (easy to digest, easy to harvest) than vegetables (which are harder to digest, require prep).

I agree with eliminating some starches. Especially the ones that are hard to digest and just sit in the digestive tract partially digested (feeds candida and parasites).

The SCD diet has yielded great results for MANY families. It is a safe diet. Includes healthy fruit and gets results. It is naturally gluten free.

You can also add grapefruit seed extract to kill candida plus probiotics (very young children need the bifidus strain even more than the acidophilus). But you should include both.

2 THINGS:

Please do A LOT of your own research and do not take the advice in these forums as facts.

Believe that your daughter can heal. Do not get depressed or plant a seed in her that she will have this for life. The majority of people heal from candida just fine.

I was reading about the same research on another forum. I find it to be very interesting. Dh has tried the very strict candida diets and not had much luck.

[ShayFL]

It just doesnt make sense to cut out a natural healthy foods like fruit. Better to heal the problem. Antifungals are a start. Probiotics are a MUST.

That is why some that have cut out ALL sugars and starches still suffer with the Candida for decades. They arent feeding the good guys with natural foods like fruit. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater so to speak.

Getting rid of any starches you do not digest well is very important.

That is why the SCD diet works for so many. It gets rid of the starches/sugars that have a negative effect, keeps the ones that feed the good guys, adds healthy probiotics and actually fixes the problem.

I am doing fantastically on it. Honestly, I have not felt this good that I can remember. I also added some anti-fungals (Neem, GSE and soon Oregano Oil) while supplementing with mostly acidophilus (acidophilus sporogenes which effectively populates the intestines) but also some bifidus (I tested a little low on this vital bacteria).

I do not follow SCD to the "t", but about 95% and it has really helped me. And if you find the SCD thread you will see it is helping others too.

[purple]

It just doesnt make sense to cut out a natural healthy foods like fruit. Better to heal the problem. Antifungals are a start. Probiotics are a MUST.

That is why some that have cut out ALL sugars and starches still suffer with the Candida for decades. They arent feeding the good guys with natural foods like fruit. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater so to speak.

Getting rid of any starches you do not digest well is very important.

That is why the SCD diet works for so many. It gets rid of the starches/sugars that have a negative effect, keeps the ones that feed the good guys, adds healthy probiotics and actually fixes the problem.

I am doing fantastically on it. Honestly, I have not felt this good that I can remember. I also added some anti-fungals (Neem, GSE and soon Oregano Oil) while supplementing with mostly acidophilus (acidophilus sporogenes which effectively populates the intestines) but also some bifidus (I tested a little low on this vital bacteria).

I do not follow SCD to the "t", but about 95% and it has really helped me. And if you find the SCD thread you will see it is helping others too.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with everyone. I studied some natural/alternative methods last year and so I know some (only a little compared to your education ) of what you are talking about. You always have the correct answer from what I have read. I really enjoy and learn alot from your posts. I am glad to hear you feel so much better!

[ShayFL]

You are welcomed.

[veggienft]

As a decades-long candida fighter, OF COURSE I have tried the supposed anti-candida diets which continuously rely on SUGARy fruit. They don't work. Why? Because the point is to cut down on......

.......sugar.

People greeching their diets with things like neem oil, olive leaf extract, etc have to add those things because their addiction to sweets forces them to use extra, unnecessary means to counter the sweets they're eating. As with ANY addictive substance, if you stop ingesting the addictive agent, you lose a taste for it. If you don't stop ingesting it, you remain addicted.

Such people are left with no recourse but to resort to calling a person's efforts to help break this cycle, "hurtful". If continuing to eat sweets in some alternative form was good for you, that would not be necessary.

Open Original Shared Link

I don't know if you've ever heard this before? Sugar is not good for you.

..

[ShayFL]

Thank you for linking to that thread. That will help the original poster here as well.

It seems you are the ONLY one who feels you are being helpful by saying "candida is for life" and that you can "never eat fruit".

I am so glad Rachel had something to say there as she is one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever seen on a forum like this. And another poster has contacted an expert on Candida who concur with what I have said.

Like everyone else is telling you. HEALING IS POSSIBLE!! Your little girl CAN heal and have a healthy life.

[Rachel--24]

I've been dealing with candida/fungal issues since I got sick (6 years ago).

I still had issues when I was following the strictest of anti-candida diets (no sugar, no carbs, no starches, etc.) I was basically eating only organic meats, fish and a few organic veggies. This was over 3 years ago and I followed the diet for 4 months.

I did NOT eat fruit while I was on the diet. I eventually gave up because I was not having the results I would have expected.

It should not take a lifetime to fight off the yeast....it became obvious to me that I was missing an important piece of the puzzle.

I no longer have the yeast problem and I eat sugar everyday.

I actually RESOLVED my yeast problems while still having sugar in my diet!

I had to find out *what* was weakening my system and allowing the candida to flourish.

My immune system is strong...if it can fight off viruses and other pathogens....it should be able to fight off the yeast as well....but something was preventing that from happening. For some reason the conditions were right for the yeast....and so I continued to have problems with it.

I had to eliminate alot of foods which were impairing an already faulty detoxification pathway in my body. This was why I continued to struggle with yeast.

I cannot eat fruits.....not because they *feed* the yeast.....but because they contain natural chemicals which my body is unable to breakdown in its current state. It causes toxicity to build-up which in turn creates an environment which is favorable for yeast.

My diet is very restricted because of this detoxification problem....however, I CAN eat sugar. I eat chocolate brownies everyday.

I CANNOT eat a banana....or an apple....or MOST of the healthiest foods available.

In my opinion there is no *single* diet which works for every person dealing with Candida because in each person the candida problem persists for different reasons.

Yes, sugar DOES fuel the yeast......however, if the yeast is controlled by a healthy immune system (and not out of control) sugar does not cause the yeast to go crazy.

I used to have fungal spots on my skin. They only disappeared once (about 4 years ago) after taking a single dose of Diflucin. They came back....because the problem was STILL there. The spots have remained for the past few years and I did not see any point in trying to treat them since I had not yet determined *why* the yeast was such a problem in the first place.

Now I no longer have any symptoms associated with yeast. My lab results do not indicate yeast to be a major problem anymore. I eat sugar everyday....I also eat high carb foods and starches. I feel good...no brainfog, no bloating, no signs of yeast on my skin.

Like I said, my diet is still extremely limited....but I am not following an anti-candida diet. This diet worked for me because it addressed the underlying issues that were burdening my system.

IMHO.....if you are continuing to battle the yeast (for decades) its because you are not addressing the underlying issues. It should not be a problem that lasts a lifetime. Its more of a symptom that something in the body is not right.

[AMQmom]

I have learned so much from all of your postings and appreciate them. I feel strongly that my child will continue to heal - she has done incredibly well after just 4 months gluten free. We'll knock this candida out of her system (whether it be for a little while or over and over again ) I see clearly now - with both of my girls recovering so quickly and thoroughly - how important diet and overall balance is. I am taking it slowly with her since she is young. I have a feeling that this all started after antibiotic for an ear infection. She was still healing from celiac damage and her system was probably overwhelmed. I have started with an allergen free probiotic supplement (which she can swallow - within just a couple of months, her esophagus swelling has decreased sooo omuch!!!) and will graduate to some grapefruit seed extract after removing sugar for a few days from her diet (hopefully without her noticing!!!) I bought some of the Stevia, too. Thank you all! Whether we are heading your advice to the "T" or not, I really am grateful for all of your responses! I am still stressing (because that is what I do best), but beginning to let things go and trust that she will heal. I will also keep her going to the chiropractor and medical doctor so we can check all perspectives. Thank you guys!

[ShayFL]

Rachel makes a very strong argument for individuality which I agree with. It often takes a lot of trial and error (whether you go it alone or with a doctor's care) to find out what the ROOT issue is. But it can be done and there is always hope.

My biggest trigger to poor health is/has always been emotional. My worst health issues started with the birth of my daughter. I was a SAHM with a husband that worked 60+ hours a week. My closest relatives lived a good 10 hour drive from me. I had no support (emotionally) from my parents or siblings other than a phone call now and again. I had no friends (single friends dropped like flies when I got married and had a baby) and no religion (a long story). I was completely isolated and overwhelmed. One thing led to another...domino effect until I was so sick that I nearly decided to kill myself.

Things slowly started to turn around when I finally found a good therapist who got me out of the house. I joined a "Mommy and Me" group and started to make friends and "get out" in the world again. It took a good 3 years for me to recover, but I did. And I was still eating sugar. I got well.

Then about 3 years ago another MAJOR emotional hit came my way and I got sick again.

I am now nearly healed from this.

It takes my body time to recover, but I always believe it will. And it does.

Belief is a strong medicine!!

I am doing a few things to speed my recovery with regard to diet and supplements, but also working hard to learn techniques to cushion the emotional blows that are a natural part of life.

***

With regard to children. I know it is SO VERY hard to watch your child suffering. BUT you can do your children a great service by not rushing them to the doctor with every little sniffle or sneeze. Include staying away from over the counter medications (unless absolutely necessary). Extra high fevers should be brought down (ask your pediatrician what is too high). Dont medicate unless it goes over that mark your doctor indicated.

Let the mucus flow, let them cough, let the eyes run and let them feel some "soreness" and "pain". And let them get "hot" and "achy" All of these things are signs that the immune system is working and learning what to do when it happens again.

When a child gets a cold or ear infection, their bodies are "learning" how to fight and the immune system is starting to develop and kick in. We should allow this natural process to run it's course without interference. When we give Motrin and Abx the immune system gets "taken over" and does not "learn how to work effectively". So each subsequent infection gets worse and worse and gets fed more and more medications until the poor little immune system doesnt work right at all. And it is just one ear infection after another or one strep throat after another until the tonsils have to come out.

My daughter is 12. I let her suffer with a couple of colds a year (up till she was about 6) and 1 ear infection (no meds and no Abx). Everyone chided me....poor baby....Mommy makes you suffer so much. I heard it from everyone. But I didnt listen. I went with what felt natural to do and what was in line with my research.

Now she is the picture of health. She RARELY gets sick with anything and when she does, it is FAST and FURIOUS. A cold will last only 48 hours with her. 48 hours of copious mucus and a fever. But then she is done and out playing again. Her immune system learned it's job well. And it works!!

One ear infection = no Abx = no more. I asked the doctor if I should give the Abx and he said, "Honestly, it will likely clear on it's own within a week or 2". So I didnt give the Abx and that is exactly what happened. It "hurt" her and it was painful for me to watch. But I have so many friends whose children had one ear infection after another. It never stopped. Tubes in the ears. And on and on......

***

Our bodies KNOW how to heal. Often it just requires listening to our intuition to figure out what it needs. Sometimes it requires some research and trial/error.

[RiceGuy]

IMHO.....if you are continuing to battle the yeast (for decades) its because you are not addressing the underlying issues. It should not be a problem that lasts a lifetime. Its more of a symptom that something in the body is not right.

I agree with this, and various other posts in this thread.

I had figured out the candida issue even before the gluten issue. IMO, it was Celiac which weakened my system, allowing the yeast to take over. I wasn't eating much sugar, and there was never much sugar or sweetened stuff in the house when I was growing up. I've never had a sweet tooth, so it doesn't seem likely that sugar was THE cause. However, yeast does feed on sugar, so it makes sense to me to limit it until things clear up.

I followed the recommendations I got from two sources I respected, and it worked relatively quickly, even though I was still eating gluten at the time. I think thats why I'm constantly surprised at the number of people that continue suffering for extended periods of time. My symptoms were quite pronounced, but that only strengthened my resolve. Sure, there were cravings at first, but I so hated the idea of being beaten up by the little beasties, that I wasn't about to mess around. I was determined to kick some serious candida booty. I've always felt willpower had a lot to do with being able to carry through.

After the first few months, I tested with a small amount of fruit, like an apple for instance. I could tell my gut wasn't ready for fruit at that point, so I waited a few more months before trying again. Eventually fruits weren't any trouble. I've no doubt, that avoiding fruit helped my recovery. Sure, fruits are healthy, and we need the nutrients and enzymes they contain. But as others have stated, not everyone can adhere to the same exact plan, since there are individual circumstances. The worse the overgrowth, the more seriously it needs to be addressed.

I Might be able to eat some refined sugars now, but I don't honestly know how much, as I've never tested that. I have no desire whatsoever to risk it. There is such a contrast between how I felt before, and how I've felt since, that just as with gluten, refined sugar is simply out of the question. And just like gluten, that kind of sugar is simply unnecessary. The naturally occurring sugar in fresh fruit is somewhat different, and is in natural proportion. But I'm not convinced that eating fruit would help clear a yeast overgrowth as easily as avoiding it.

[DMarie]

Rachel makes a very strong argument for individuality which I agree with. It often takes a lot of trial and error (whether you go it alone or with a doctor's care) to find out what the ROOT issue is. But it can be done and there is always hope.

***

Our bodies KNOW how to heal. Often it just requires listening to our intuition to figure out what it needs. Sometimes it requires some research and trial/error.

I am so glad I stumbled across these posts! Thank you Shay and Rachel (and others) for sharing what you have learned. It is sometimes very easy on these forums to feel very depressed about the possibly of healing. I have found myself thinking alot over the past several days about the body and wondering if it is really all that fragile such that you almost have to kill yourself to heal. That just didn't fit with other knowledge - which seems to say just the opposite. The body can heal, it is what it wants to do. I have found myself wondering if the digestive system is out of whack (leaky gut, parasites, etc) - is it really that hard to heal? Can healing still occur on something like SCD if it isn't followed exactly to a T - if these are the health issues - is the body really that fragile that any infraction will set it back more?

I mean, if the bacteria and parasites are so overwhelming - wouldn't we be about dead as they consume our bodies???

I tend toward a perfectionisitic attitude - so when I am trying something - I tend to gravitate toward trying to do it to perfection. I am trying to let that go - to listen to my body. I totally agree that what is right for one person is not necessarily someone else's answer.

Perhaps a hindrance sometimes to healing is getting bogged down in the details of the problems and loosing hope! Shay - you had said something in another post (another thread) about the bodies cells renew themselves every so many years. I have pondered that as I try to fit together the pieces. It gives me hope! I think the body wants to be healthy - it just needs our support with the right foods, attitude, etc (and it is up to each of us to figure out what the right foods are, etc).

I totally agree with allowing our children's body to help fight off a cold, etc. I have never been one to rush my kids to the doctor. A fever (if not excessive) is good - it is the body working to fight off the illness! Very rarely do we end up at the doctors for an ear infection - because they generally do heal themselves. We don't get alot of them either. In fact, we don't get sick that often as compared to others I know. I have a friends who would cancel a play date if the other child had the sniffles - and it seems her family gets sick more than most (and definitely more than we do).