Every child added to your household may cause viral burden, according to a recent study. It's like the more children in your household, the more someone would likely be prone to certain communicable illnesses.
"Compared with single person households, individuals living with children experienced three additional weeks of virus detection," the researchers wrote in the journal Clinical Infection Diseases.
The NBC News reported the new study conducted by the University of Utah School. The research involved 26 households with 105 family members at the beginning of 2009 and 2010. During the survey, three babies were added with a total of 108. Every week, one of the members checked everyone in the household then sent the sample to a lab for examination for any symptoms. The lab tested for 16 common respiratory viruses.
Dr. Andrew Pavia, who led the team, found out that people without children were infected with viruses for three weeks to four weeks over the year while a family with one child -- someone can only be infected up to 18 weeks. And for families with six children, anyone can have such common diseases for up to 45 weeks of the year.
"Rhinovirus was the most commonly detected virus," the researchers said. "Overall, 100 out of 108 participants or 93 percent had rhinovirus detected in at least one weekly sample." Defining Rhinovirus, the News Medical stated that it is the most common infective virus that causes colds in people. The word "rhino" is derived from a Greek word which means "nose."
The second most common virus found in the study is the Bocaviruses which remain in human's noses for three months, according to pediatrician Dr. Carrie Byiington. "I frequently get asked by parents. 'Is this normal or is there something wrong with this child?' They always have a runny nose," the doctor said. "I can now just point to study and say, 'Your child is normal.' A child under 5 has a virus in the nose for half the year."
"Studies like this one will help us understand the natural normal history of children with viruses," Byiington concluded. "There may be some viruses that are good for us and we need to be exposed to them at certain times in our lives."
