Why Babies and Kids Get Sick More Easily — and How to Help Protect Them
As a parent, nothing hits harder than seeing your child sick—especially when it feels like it keeps happening. From daycare sniffles to more serious infections in newborns, you might wonder: Why do kids get sick so easily? And more importantly, what can we actually do about it?
Here’s what the latest medical research tells us.
Their Bodies Are Still Catching Up
Infants and young children aren’t just small adults. Their immune systems are still under construction. That means they’re slower to recognize and respond to invading germs like bacteria and viruses.
Newborns, especially those born prematurely, are particularly at risk. Their skin—the first barrier against infection—is much thinner than an adult’s, making it easier for microbes and even chemicals to get into their systems.
Germs Have More Ways In
Medical tools that help kids survive—like IV lines, feeding tubes, and oxygen masks—also create new paths for germs to enter. The same is true in homes, where everything from shared pacifiers to high-touch surfaces like phones, tablets, and toys can pass along harmful bacteria.
And young kids touch everything—then touch their face. Or yours.
The Environment Plays a Big Role
Hospital environments (like NICUs) and even daycares are high-contact zones. Lots of people. Lots of shared surfaces. Lots of chances for contamination.
To make things even more complicated, young children can't follow hygiene rules. They don’t wash hands properly. They don’t avoid sticking things in their mouths. And they don’t keep their sneezes to themselves.
So infection prevention needs to be smarter than just “wash your hands and hope for the best.”
So What Can You Do?
You don’t need to live in fear—but you do need to think ahead.
✔️ Keep surfaces clean—but be mindful of what you clean with.
Many disinfectants contain chemicals that aren’t safe for infants, especially when used around soft toys, pacifiers, or skin-contact surfaces. Chemical-free disinfection methods, like UV-C light, are emerging as safer, faster alternatives for high-touch items.
✔️ Think beyond wipes.
Disinfecting wipes don’t always reach corners and crevices, and they often leave behind chemical residues. That matters when kids touch things and then touch everything else.
✔️ Ask better questions.
If your child is in daycare or a hospital setting, ask what they’re using to clean shared items. More facilities are adopting technology like UV-C light to complement traditional cleaning.
✔️ Focus on high-risk objects.
Phones, remotes, car seats, pacifiers, and toys are all hotspots for germ buildup. Many of these can’t be cleaned effectively with traditional sprays.
Bottom Line
Kids get sick more easily because their bodies are still learning how to defend themselves. That’s not your fault—but it is something we can adapt to.
In our next post, we’ll dig into something that might surprise you: how common disinfectants might be putting your child at more risk, not less.