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OnHealth.com ran this feature in October 1998. Deborah served as OnHealth's St. Louis correspondent for three months before the site fell victim to dotcom-itis.

Beating the Back-To-School Bugs

For parents whose children have just started school or daycare, there's nothing more enchanting than those colorful art projects brought home to decorate walls and refrigerators. Unfortunately, though, first-time students often bring home more than construction paper. Viruses and parasites abound this time of year, making the back-to-school season difficult for children and their parents.

Why do runny noses, coughs, crusty eyes, and head lice seems to take the summer off? Because kids do, says Dr. Kathleen McGann, an assistant professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Washington University School of Medicine.

The active pursuits of summer protect children from most of the viruses that cause disease. But school brings kids together for extended periods of time. As children share the same toys, the same books, and the same space for days on end, viruses and parasites have more opportunity to spread.

"Back-to-school diseases generally are the same throughout the country, though in St. Louis we do see more allergies and allergy-related diseases than in other places," says McGann. The most common illness and complaints in the fall are

Viral and upper-respiratory infections. The common cold is simply an infection of the nose or throat, caused by one of some 200 different cold viruses. The first year of school, it may feel like your child is trying all of them on for size.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In adults, this virus feels like an average cold. But in children, particularly those under the age of 1, RSV can cause breathing problems, bronchiolitis and viral pneumonia. RSV typically emerges in day care centers and schools nationwide in November and tapers off by early spring.
Diarrhea and intestinal problems. Dozens of agents, most notably rotavirus, contribute to increased fluidity and frequency of the stool in young children. These viruses also can be found in the stool long after a child's symptoms have resolved, which makes them harder to combat.
Conjunctivitis (pink eye). Adenovirus, the same virus that gives kids a runny nose and sore throat, also causes most cases of pink eye.
Head lice. "Every fall, we alert our parents to be on the look-out for lice," says Laurie Hayduk, director of the Zelda Epstein Daycare Center. Contrary to myth, head lice are not a sign of uncleanliness; in fact, research indicates that lice may prefer clean hair.

While all school-age children have the same chance of bringing home lice, new students are particularly vulnerable to the invisible, viral bugs.

"It's all a question of building up immunity," says Paula Neth, director of early childhood education for the Child Daycare Association in St. Louis. "When your child starts in a group setting, be it kindergarten or day care, you're going to see more runny noses, earaches, sore throats, and intestinal problems for about a year. And parents should expect to be sicker as well."

How can you protect your child and yourself from the latest bug?

"Remember what your mother used to say and wash your hands as often as possible," says Dr. McGann. The common back-to-school diseases spread not through the air, but through hand-to-hand or hand-to-toy contact. Handwashing, then, is the best way to keep the viruses from spreading. Children should be taught proper handwashing methods at school or at day care, and should practice these techniques at home.

In addition, Dr. McGann advises cleaning surfaces with soap and water or chlorine-based disinfectants. "These viruses can survive on toys and countertops for several hours," she warns.

And as you hack your way through yet another sick day, remember that this soon shall pass.

"The first year is definitely the worst," Neth says. "But each time your kids get sick, they are building up resistance to future infection… and so are you."