Common Childhood Illnesses from 0 to 6: A Guide to Finding Your Way

One cold barely over, then an ear infection. Then a tummy bug that goes round the whole house, and spots that appear three weeks later. Between 0 and 6, childhood illnesses set the rhythm of family life, especially in winter and especially during the first year of nursery. The vast majority are caused by viruses and clear up on their own.

This guide does not replace a consultation. It is a map: for each common illness, two lines to recognise it and a link to our full article. You will also find the emergency signs common to all of them, the nursery rules and what really protects.

Why do little ones get ill so often?

Because their immune system is learning. Each virus met for the first time causes an infection, then leaves a memory. A baby who starts nursery discovers dozens of germs at once, and children pass them on through hands, shared toys and saliva. The French guide to group childcare points out that many of these infections are contagious even before the first symptoms, which makes exclusion rather ineffective for the most common ones.

Frequency drops with age. It is all explained in our article on nursery illnesses in the first year.

Nose, throat, ears, chest: respiratory infections

These are by far the most common. They often start with a runny nose, and the cough that follows sometimes lasts two weeks: our article on baby's cough helps you decode it.

• Cold (rhinopharyngitis): runny nose, sometimes a fever, clears up on its own in about ten days. The basic care remains a baby's cold eased with nasal washes.
• Ear infection: often after a cold, with fever, crying and night waking. Only an examination of the eardrum confirms it, hence the value of reading how to recognise an ear infection in a baby.
• Sore throat (tonsillitis): sore throat and fever, most often viral. A rapid test detects strep, the only form treated with an antibiotic: see sore throat in children.
• Croup: a hoarse, "barking" cough, often in the middle of the night, and a broken voice. The right steps are in our article on croup and the barking cough.
• Bronchiolitis: under 2, breathing speeds up and wheezes after a cold. Usually contagious for 3 to 8 days, according to the French guide: everything about infant bronchiolitis.
• Flu: sudden onset, high fever, aches, great tiredness. The child stays contagious for 5 to 7 days: read flu in children.
• Whooping cough: violent coughing fits, sometimes followed by a noisy whoop. Serious in babies under 6 months, it is covered in whooping cough in infants.

Tummy, urine, worms: digestive and urinary infections

• Gastroenteritis (tummy bug): vomiting, diarrhoea, sometimes a fever. The real danger is dehydration, which is prevented with an oral rehydration solution: see tummy bugs and dehydration in babies.
• Urinary tract infection: in a baby, often just a fever with no other sign. A urine test confirms it: read urinary infections in babies and children.
• Threadworms: itching around the bottom, especially at night, in a child who sleeps badly. The whole family is treated: see threadworms and intestinal worms.

A tummy ache on its own has many other causes, harmless or not. Our article on tummy ache in children lists the signs that should have you see a doctor quickly.

Spots and fever: rash illnesses

• Roseola: 3 to 5 days of high fever, then small pink spots as it drops, mostly between 6 months and 2 years. It is described in our guide roseola, hand-foot-and-mouth and other rashes.
• Chickenpox (bouchouika): itchy blisters in several crops, then scabs; recovery in 10 to 12 days according to the French health insurer. Never ibuprofen: everything is in chickenpox in children.
• Measles (bouhamroun): fever, cough, red eyes, then red patches starting on the face. The WHO ranks it among the most contagious diseases: see measles, symptoms and contagion.
• Hand-foot-and-mouth: painful mouth ulcers and small blisters on palms and soles. The challenge is getting them to drink: see hand-foot-and-mouth syndrome.
• Scarlet fever: caused by streptococcus, with sudden fever, a red throat, rough skin and a "strawberry" tongue. It is treated with an antibiotic: see the signs of scarlet fever.

Skin, eyes, mouth, hair: everyday minor infections

• Impetigo: honey-yellow crusts around the nose and mouth, very contagious. It is a bacterial infection to show to the doctor: see impetigo and its crusts.
• Molluscum contagiosum: small pearly bumps with a dimple in the centre, harmless, which go away on their own within a few months: see molluscum in children.
• Conjunctivitis: red eye, eyelids stuck together with pus on waking. Clean with saline solution, from the inner corner outwards: see conjunctivitis and sticky eyes.
• Thrush: white patches on the tongue and cheeks that do not come off when rubbed, common before 6 months: see thrush in babies.
• Head lice: itchy scalp, nits stuck close to the root. Nothing to do with hygiene: see how to treat head lice.

Dry, itchy skin is more likely infant eczema, which is not contagious.

Nursery and school: should you keep your child at home?

For most of these illnesses, no, as soon as the child feels well and has no fever. The rules differ from one country to another, which can be confusing for parents:

In Morocco, we have not found a published national rule for nurseries, apart from measles: the Ministry of Health manual provides for school exclusion of at least 5 days after the start of the rash. For everything else, the nursery's own rules apply (check with your nursery, October 2026). In every case, the French guide reminds us that a child with a high fever or who is run down is better off at home, for comfort.

What really protects: vaccines and hand washing

Vaccines prevent the severe forms of several illnesses on this list. The National Immunisation Programme guarantees free vaccines against twelve diseases, the Ministry of Health reminded us in April 2026, including whooping cough and measles. The ages are gathered in our Moroccan vaccination schedule. Others, such as the chickenpox vaccine, are offered outside the national programme.

Hand washing remains the simplest step. The French guide recommends 30 seconds with soap and water, or with a hand sanitiser, before meals, after the toilet or nappy changes, and after blowing the nose. Add one towel per person, regularly washed toys and rooms aired twice a day.

Also keep a small kit ready at home, with a thermometer, saline solution and round-ended scissors: our article on baby's medicine cabinet gives the list, and our baby care kits bring together the basic accessories.

Emergency signs common to all these illnesses

The name of the illness matters less than the child's condition. Whatever the diagnosis, some signs call for quick action. They are detailed in our guide sick baby: when to go to the emergency department, and how to handle a fever in our article on baby's fever.