How to Boost Our Child’s Immunity

How to Boost Our Child’s Immunity

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Date:- 2018-07-11 00:00:00

A strong immune system provides powerful natural defenses against disease. The immune system fights against disease-producing organisms like bacteria, fungi, and parasites that can be a danger to your health. Conversely, a weakened immune system is vulnerable or more susceptible to colds, flu, and more serious illnesses. Autoimmune diseases are evidence that the immune system not working properly and weakens your immune system, targeting to attack your own organs, tissues and cells. If you are susceptible to infection more easily like colds and flu then it shows the sign that the immune system is not working optimally.  Boosting our immune system is a way that we keep away from the infection that we could find more easily and take the longest time to recover. So it’s important to do as much as you can to help the immune system work as best as it can. An adult may acquire the immunity by healthy living life strategies and give a good way to start their immune system rises up if not working properly. But boosting child’s immunity only depends on taking care of their parents in the hope of giving immunity by birth as well as acquired immunity to do immune system function well. Children are born with an inexperienced immune system. If your child is overly susceptible to illness, you may want to take steps to enhance his or her immune system. The powerful tools of prevention include breastfeeding, good nutrition, nutritional supplements, a healthy mental attitude and emotional well-being, good hygiene, adequate sleep and exercise.

 

Feeding Breast Milk:

Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to give your baby a strong immune system from birth. Breastfeed your child for at least the first six months of life. Breast milk contains immunity enhancing antibodies and WBCs which then passed on to baby guard against many infections.

‘Colostrum’ the thin yellow pre-milk produced by the breast during the first few days. After a mother’s delivery is especially rich in antibodies.

 

Good Hygiene:

With being responsible for up to 80% of all infectious diseases i.e. important to encourage your child to practice good hygiene habit such as proper hand washing with soap and sneezing or coughing into a tissue and stay off into the air.

 

Adequate Sleep:

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can make the body prone to illness by reducing their natural killer (NK) cells that help the immune system to attack micro-organisms. Therefore, adequate sleep is important for children. A newborn needs up to18 hours of sleep time a day. Toddlers require 12 to 13 hours sleep and preschoolers require 10 hours sleep a day.

 

Good Nutrition:

A balanced diet is an essential part to boost immunity. It may concentrate on all variety of foods rather than one specific superfood. Vitamin C and E, carotenoids are excellent antioxidants and found in more fruits and vegetables. These phytonutrients help your child increase the production of infection-fighting WBC and antibodies. These are found in fruits and vegetables such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach etc. Zinc and selenium are valuable minerals that offer the same function such as pumpkin seeds, peanuts, chickpeas and wheat germ. Another important nutrient is omega-3-fatty acids. They are found in flaxseed oil and fatty fish like tuna and salmon. They act as immune boosters by increasing the activity of phagocytes which are WBCs that eat up bacteria in the body. Most children do not need any supplements as long as they maintain a healthy well-balanced diet which includes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean meat, legumes and nuts. So make sure that you offer your kids a healthy diet which is filled with nutrients.

 

Exercise:

Leading active lifestyle benefits the health in many ways. Research has shown that exercise increases the number of natural killer cells in adults. Regular activities like cycling, running and other sports can benefit children in the same way.

 

Healthy Mental Attitude:

Mood and attitude show a tremendous effect on an immune system. Stress increases the levels of adrenal hormones, including adrenaline. These hormones inhibit white blood cell formation and function and cause the thymus gland (where immune cells, T lymphocytes, are produced) to shrink, suppressing the immune function and leaving the individual vulnerable to infections and other illnesses. The act of parental arguments causing their kids mentally upset. So, don’t be over aggressive while your child is the part of doing any mistakes.

 

Nutritional Supplements:

It may help to boost the immune system by giving an immune enhancing supplement to children if they are not habitual to take proper food. These nutritional supplements include vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, C, E, Selenium and Zinc. Always remember to add these nutritional supplements under the prescription of doctor that would be safe for your child’s health.

 

A healthy lifestyle and diet always help your little ones to gain a stronger immunity against nasty infections.