Immunity and Anatomy
Newborn children acquire temporary immunity to cold viruses from their mother. By six months, this immunity has waned, and children are then susceptible to the over 100 cold viruses.
Children have close and intimate contact with
their parents and other adults and children.
Young children are not able to practice good personal hygiene, such as hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes.
Sinus and ear drainage passages and bronchial tubes are small in children and easily obstructed by mucus and mucosal swelling.
These factors combine to make children very susceptible to colds and the primary reservoir for cold viruses.
Children are particularly at risk for virus infections which affect the lower airway such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis and to middle ear infection (otitis media). Sinus development is incomplete in young children, but they also develop viral and bacterial sinusitis.
