My 17-month old son was just diagnosed with strep throat yesterday, and his doctor says that it's very rare for a child his age to have it, especially since he isn't in daycare and nobody that we know of has had it. Does anyone know if it really is that rare?

I am not so sure it is so rare. I work in dr's offices and frequently in an immediate care clinic and we get a lot of kids (even little ones) with strep usually though it is passed between people as it is very contagious. It is possible he got it from some one in passing that he was even around very long or even going to the store and touching something someone with it had just touched that is how contagious it is.

Hi,

No it's not so rare. Although it is not airborne, babies and toddlers explore their world with their mouths. Everything and anything goes there. My youngest actually had it at 8 months!! Can you imagine?!!! Figure that one out. I would suggest getting some antibacterial wipes, and cleaning his hands after an outing. If you think about it, even
being in the seat of a grocery store shopping cart, and baby touching the bar across, is germ exposure. HOw many people touched that same bar in one day?? Then baby's hands go in the mouth.

Sometimes someone in the family is a carrier and doesn't know it. Maybe the whole family should be cultures to rule it out.

Good luck.
Matt's mom

I know this is really a late post, but for anyone still searching on this subject. My son who is now 6 was first diaganosis with strep when he was 13 mos old. I was told the same thing that kids that young rarely get it and it took 2 doctors appointments and then a visit to the emergency room for him to be diagnosed. That was only the beginning. From that time until he was 19 mos old he had it constantly. he would go on antibodic and a week to 10 days after he was off he'd have it again. he had blood tests and all that fun stuff it wasn't in his blood so that was good. I do need to mention that when ever he wasn't able to see his regular doctor I would have to argue with whoever we seen that this is what was wrong with him they always told me he was too young. After 6 months of this we seen 2 different ENT specialists one said take out his tonsils and adnoids and the other said he would but he was still very young and would like to try other things first. Like testing others in the family for a carrier. You can be a carrier of strep and have not syptoms. Within in days of that appointment my brother got really sick and was ambulanced to the hospital he has the same regular doctor as my son. He has no signs of strep but tested positive for it as did his 2 children who also had no signs. My sons spends alot of time with them!! After they were all treated my sons strep became less common, but he was still coming down with it 3 to 4 times a year. His tonsils were scarred from that first 6/7 month episode and were acceptable to it if he came into contact with anyone with strep. This past year he started school every day and it seemed to get worse he has 3 cases in 2 months. So we took the plunge and had his tonsils and adnoids out. What a difference he hasn't been sick since and I never realize until afterwards how bad he snored. Now he is so quiet I find myself checking his breathing. It's a parents choice to have the surgery at such a young age, I was told we would end up with more problems if he did it at 1 1/2 years because of the age and understanding what they needed to do to keep hydrated while recovering so we opted to wait and it worked out for us.

Hi! My son contracted strep at 4 months. The little guy was so sick and miserable. I had strep all the time from toddlerhood on. I have heard it's not very common, but I don't think it's very rare.

The ER diagnosed him as teething. For crying out loud! The kid had cried nonstop for 5 hours and refused to eat for most of a day!!!!! TEETHING! I fought and argued til they at least sent me home with an antibiotic. I took him to his ped. the following Monday who took one look in his mouth and said "This child has the worst case of pharyngitis I've ever seen in a child this age." And that was after 3 days of antibiotic!!!! The infection was already spreading and giving him diareah at that point. This ped. told me that if I hadn't insisted on the antibiotic at the ER my son would've more than likely been hospitalized that day. Strep infections can be deadly to a little one.

and let me just add....everyone with a child who gets strep DEMAND to be sent home with an antibiotic.....if a childs is left to make their own antibodies for strep throat run a risk of getting P.A.N.D.A.S syndrome....wich can lead to OCD obsessive compulsive disorder OCD is a terrible disorder (i know, i have it)
but what happens is when the childs body makes these antibodies to fight strep it atacks the strep and the BRAIN!!!!!! causing damage..

the reason i bring this up is becasue a lot of Dr.s are letting children "fight" it on their own because when you use to many antibiotics in a life time your body becomes immune to them.....but this is something that antibiotics are needed for!!!

adding to the non treatment- you can also develop Rheumatic Fever which can affect your heart. My son who dealt with strep for 5 years until we as parents felt we and he could handle the removal of tonsils and realized that he wasn't going to grow out of it (sometimes your tonsils are big and you "grow" into them) had to go thru tests for heart damage before the removal because he developed a murmur. Thankfully he all it was a normal childhood murmur that many have and out grow. But the Rheumatic Fever and heart damage was never mentioned to me before while we were constantly treating him for the strep.