Common health issues for toddlers

It’s not uncommon for toddlers to catch a lot of “bugs”. Their immune systems aren’t fully developed yet, and they explore the worlds through touch and taste. If you’re the parent of a toddler, you’ve probably already observed that their first instinct is to get their hands on anything they can and the second is to put it in their mouths. Some common health issues for toddlers include gastroenteritis, or stomach bugs, and colds.

There are more than 200 cold viruses alone, and babies and toddlers are at a higher risk of contracting them because they have not yet built up resistance. Other common ailments in toddlers are pink eye which is an infection of the eyeball and lining of the eye. This can be caused by a virus, bacteria, or even allergies. One other common health problem seen in kids is lice, a tiny pest that lives in the human hair and is easily passed from one child to the next.

When you should be concerned

Most of the commonly occurring health issues in toddlers listed above are not only a normal part of your baby’s first few years, but should not cause undue alarm. When an illness such as a cold, gastroenteritis, or infection of the ear or eye is viral, your job is to keep your toddler comfortable, provide over-the-counter medicines, and encourage fluids and rest.

However, certain signs such as your child is running a fever, appears listless and hard to rouse, or experiences a loss of appetite that leads to weight loss, indicate that the problem may be cause for concern. It’s important to listen to your intuition. If you feel there’s something more serious going on, do not hesitate to bring them to the doctor. If it is after hours or you become very concerned, taking them to the hospital emergency room is also an option.

Fighting regular problems

One common health issue that is not talked about enough is the frequency with which toddlers experience hard stool or constipation. This can be very uncomfortable for your child and, therefore, upsetting to you. We all hate to see our baby experience any kind of pain, regardless of the cause.

While common viral gastroenteritis can be at the root of their constipation, there are other compounding problems that can be at play. For example, many toddlers refuse to eat green, leafy vegetables and other excellent sources of dietary fiber. Do you find yourself desperately trying to get a few bites of vegetables or legumes into your child’s mouth at meal time, only to be shut down?

Fortunately, there are toddler safe fiber supplements, like Yummy Fiber from Vibrant Nutraceuticals that can help naturally resolve this issue. The best part is that you can relax at meal time. Toddlers love the mild fruit flavor and have no idea that this delicious treat is actually helping to keep their digestive systems running smoothly.