After reviewing some risks and benefits of going to daycare, we have the feeling that much remains to be said and much to conclude on an issue that is difficult to study with objective and controllable data. However, we will try to summarize those aspects that seem clearer (although not decisive).
We will go through the most obvious risks until we reach others that are less so, to finally stop at the possible benefits and how to improve the nursery to reduce the risks. That there are obvious risks or benefits questioned, does not mean that we do not find examples that "prove" otherwise.
In order of evidence, we would say that in terms of risks, diseases stand out: the clearest fact is that yes there is an increased risk of certain infectious diseases at an early age in children who go to nursery school.
As we anticipated, there is sufficient evidence of this fact, a consistent risk over time and between different social and geographical environments.
This objectively would be the main reason to decide, whenever possible, that the child does not go to kindergarten, although these risks can be assumed in healthy and controlled children who can be treated medically. We would say that "we have numbers" for the child to get sick more, although there will always be the case of children who do not show that higher incidence of infections.
But what happens to those children who suffer from chronic diseases? It can be said that for these children the nursery is “contraindicated”, since often preventing them from going to the nursery could be a cost-effective prevention. And for those children who get sick week by week and also at daycare, isn't it a bad solution?
The role of early schooling on the prevention of asthma and other diseases of potential immune base is not clear from the analysis of the studies related to the benefits and risks of attending child school, nor is it advantageous to expose children to greater incidence of infections in early childhood versus doing so in later ages.
For all this, to the extended statement and not without reason that "Total, what you don't catch now will catch you later" it can be objected that it will always be better for the sick child when he is older and his immune system is more developed. Continuing with the simile before, it would be saving to buy the lottery numbers later.
Behavioral problems associated with daycare are difficult to measure
With a lower degree of evidence, there are large studies that show that the children who go to the nursery are more “impulsive”, others more aggressive, although its own authors point out that these behaviors fall within the scale of what could be considered "normal", and that in a group of children it would be impossible to determine who went to the nursery and who did not.
As observational studies are concerned, it is difficult to extract cause-effect relationships and to control or determine all the factors related to this possible involvement in the behavior of children going to daycare.
From the NICHD STUDY of Early Clild care and Youth Development, the most complete study that has been carried out on the care of children in day care centers, it seems that aggressiveness is not associated with the quality of daycare centers, something that would happen in the case of possible benefits, as we will see below.
So, in reality, in our experience, we will find cases for everything, and I think everyone will know examples: calm children who have gone to daycare and impulsive or aggressive children who did not step on the nursery. What is the most frequent? It seems that the opposite cases, according to the studies mentioned.
The benefits of kindergarten are difficult to measure
As for the positive influence of the nursery, we highlighted how the NICHD STUDY of Early Clild care and Youth Development (Study of Childhood Care and Youth Development) affected that quality nursery schools promoted children's social and academic skills before they start their school stage.
Now, with these data, it is impossible for us to know, for example, if home-care children who receive the same stimuli but are not in such frequent contact with other children would have the same results. And from the poor quality nurseries these benefits would not be extracted.
But then, Is it convenient for children to go to daycare? Well, it will depend on your health and other factors, and here I completely agree with the analysis made in "Evidence in Pediatrics":
When deciding whether or not a child is cared for in a day care center, not only risks to their health should be considered. We must also take into account whether the family has alternative care systems, as well as the possible benefits of socialization and stimulation of early schooling.
What follows from this last sentence? That if the family does not have another means to care for the child, because for that case, and provided that it does not have chronic diseases, the nursery is not the best solution, it is the only solution.
If from there the nursery puts all its efforts in minimizing risks (although for this, other sectors of society, companies, administrations ...) have to be involved and to enhance the quality of its service, the better a child will be in it.
Reduce risks and improve the quality of daycare centers
Despite the discrepancies regarding the influence of the quality of nursery schools on the associated risks and benefits, it seems clear and logical that a good daycare will always be better for the child.
Some alternatives that would reduce the risks of childcare assistance in terms of health they would be the decrease in hours of assistance (for example, with childcare centers at work, with greater flexibility in business hours), fewer children per center or class, the complete training of educators, extreme hygiene measures in the nursery ...
And refering to improve possible benefits for children going to daycare quality educational programs should be developed, educators trained, that there should be more professionals for smaller groups and therefore more personalized attention ...
In short, neither for all children, nor for all nurseries, nor for all families, the risks and benefits of attending daycare centers they are the same, so that everyone has to weigh the pros and cons, the existing alternatives, get informed and finally decide the best solution for the family. This, when you have the possibility to choose, which as we know does not always occur.
