Why does my kid get fevers so often!

What the evidence says

It's very common for young children to seem constantly sick. The Canadian Paediatric Society explains that young children haven't yet built up defenses against the many new germs they encounter, and this is why they catch so many colds and fevers.

Guidelines note that young children typically have three to six feverish illnesses a year on average, and most are simple, self-limited viral infections rather than anything serious. Some reviews suggest toddlers can have seven to ten viral infections a year, and up to fourteen if they attend daycare, because of close contact with other children.

Research comparing childcare settings found that kids in group daycare have more respiratory infections and more days of illness than children cared for at home, which fits with the 'always sick since starting daycare' pattern many parents notice.

This frequency of illness usually improves as children get older and their immune systems build up more memory against common germs. That said, if fevers follow a strict repeating pattern, last unusually long, come with poor growth, or your child seems unwell between episodes, it's worth having your doctor take a closer look to rule out other causes.