Daycare might help prevent childhood leukemia

Those colds and coughs running through children at daycare might help give those kids some protection against childhood leukemia, according an analysis of studies relating to the disease.

Young children who attended daycare had a 30 percent lower risk of developing leukemia, according to the study headed up by Dr. Patricia Buffler, professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley.

"Send your children to daycare. Let them eat dirt, let them have lots of early infection," said Dr. Adrienne Morgan, with the Children with Leukemia charity. "It's good for them."

Researchers said the study bolsters this theory: Unlike stay-at-home children, those in daycare are exposed to plenty of colds and other illnesses. Those "pathogens, germs, viruses, bacteria" ensure that children's immune systems are challenged at an early age, said Dr. Kenneth Gottesman, with St. Luke's-Roosevelt in New York.

That challenge might, in turn, help the body produce antibodies that protect against childhood leukemia. The disease usually strikes between the ages of two and five.

Doctors caution that since leukemia only affects a small percentage of children, parents should not purposely expose their children to illness.

However, going to daycare or regularly hanging out at the playground should provide that extra level of protection.

"I think these exposures are part of growing up, and in general, they're minor, mild illnesses," Gottesman said.

Click here for more information on the link between daycare and childhood leukemia.

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Jetstream, thats great that you had a good experience with daycare, but everything you mentioned that was positive about it can be achieved at home. My daughter was never put in daycare and she was always a healthy baby and toddler and I'm glad she didnt have to go through any terrible sicknesses that young, she never had trouble socially, or academically, she is in AG classes now, and lastly I think this article is ridiculous, I think if you have absolutley no other choice that is the only reason a child should ever be in daycare, they should be with a parent until pre school, thats the best thing for them.

jgirl5830
May 21, 2008 8:07 a.m.

Trying to justify the Nanny State.

colliedave
May 20, 2008 6:14 p.m.

My child stayed home with me. He had interaction with other children through play-groups and when he started pre-school. he wasn't ever put in day care. He still had some illness but they were few and far between. Since he has been in school he rarely gets sick. Last year he achieved perfect attendance in 6th grade. He is on the high honor roll at school and has a great social life. He is a leader in scouts. So it's not like SAH kids have no benefits. But if you have to put them in daycare definitely do your research. I have heard some really scare stuff happening in daycare.

Amused
May 19, 2008 6:10 p.m.

I understand the point of the article. But there are some "bad" stuff kids can catch at daycare. Not all of it are colds and runny noses.

Whooping cough and RSV were going around Wake/Johnston County daycares last year. That can put a child in the hospital. I have a 2 year old that we pulled out of a large daycare. She is now in a home daycare and exposed to only 2 other kids. The first year she was sick all the time. Now she has not been sick since Christmas.

Let's see . . .the very first week of daycare, she developed a blood disorder (ITP) caused by a virus that put her in the hospital for 3 days. Her blood platelets were wiped out by the virus.

She also caught something called mycoplasma bacterial pneumonia and developed a severe bulls-eye rash all over her body called emultiform. We ended up in the emergency room. I think we have been to the emergency room 4 or 5 times.

The point is that it's not all colds and runny noses that kids catch at daycare.

RUSH_2112
May 19, 2008 4:33 p.m.

wcnc, those were excellent points you made. The article does not mention playgroups that some may be involved in. My sis-in-law stays home with her boys. She takes them to all kinds of things outside of the home. Playdates and such. And her kids are just as happy and socially adjusted as mine are. I don't see a difference between the way her kids act and mine.

I just get tired of people out there blasting two income families for being selfish by letting other people raise our children. I don't see it as them raising my children. I see it as a partnership. I interact with the teachers and I make sure that the kids are getting what they need. I will randomly show up on lunch breaks to see what they are up to.

To one of your points, if a parent is not interested in their child, then it won't work. Daycare or no daycare. Parental involvement is critical to happy, healthy and socially adjusted children in either case.