I’m a paediatrician and here’s why your little one is always sick

YOU know the drill.

It's the first week back after the school holidays and your child is snotty, sneezy and has a runny nose.

There always seems to be a bug going round at school and as a parent, it might feel like there's a never ending cycle of snotty tissues.

One expert said that the pandemic is partly to blame for the phenomenon, as many toddlers have been 'in a bubble'.

Paediatrician, Dr Dyan Hayes said many parents aren't used to have children that are poorly.

This, the medical director said is because many babies were born during the pandemic and were essentially kept away from other children.

Of course, this made it harder for them to spread or catch nasty bugs.

“Pre-pandemic, I would reassure parents that children get sick when they start day care because they are exposed to many forms of the common cold and other childhood illnesses.

“Now, two years into the pandemic, I would multiple this by 100! This does not mean that a toddler getting sick is dangerous. It may just happen all at once instead of gradually", Dr Hes told .

She added that the pandemic meant that many young children were not exposed to common bugs.

Health experts in the UK have warned that cases of the norovirus have been rising in schools.

It's also known as the winter vomiting bug, with people being struck down with sickness and diarrhoea.

The country hasn't really seen an outbreak of the vomiting illness since before the start of the pandemic, with mixing kept to a minimum.

But data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that cases of the bug are now on the rise - and are mainly increasing in educational settings such as schools, colleges and universities.

Dr Lesley Larkin, Surveillance Lead, Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety, UK Health Security Agency explained that now pandemic restrictions have lifted, cases have naturally risen.

Just last month it was reported that cases were 48 per cent higher than had been expected for this time of year.

Experts say that it can be hard to prevent your little ones from picking up bugs.

They highlight that handwashing is a great way to avoid things like stomach bugs, but highlighted that it's harder to steer clear of things that spread through the air such as the common cold.

Cases of other illnesses are also on the rise and medics have also reported a mysterious outbreak of hepatitis in children.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are investigating a range of causes for the outbreak, such as adenoviruses, Covid-19, other infections and environmental causes.

Adenoviruses are a group of viruses that cause a range of mild illnesses and most people recover without any complications.