Credit | Justyna Troc via Shutterstock
How To Improve Children’s Immunity?
A couple of years back I remember hearing someone say that worry is second nature to mothers. At that point, though, I didn’t really grasp the validity of the statement. Today, however, I can completely vouch for it being true. From what she is eating to why she isn’t sleeping, if she is happy to her immunity, my mind keeps going around in circles. I’m perpetually concerned about her, to say the least. What can I say, anxiety is a part of being a mother! Doesn’t really go away, does it?
Do you worry about your children’s immunity too?
Being a working mother, I’m constantly on a guilt trip for not keeping my child with me all the time. And that’s where her wellbeing and health are my major cause of concerns any given moment of any day. And the latter for the most part revolves around her immunity. Her being away from me in the daycare for the most part of the day adds to that concern while I constantly think of ways to make up for that.
Since her health is of prime importance I often find myself reading up on ways to boost her immunity or even consulting her paediatrician for the same. And here are a few things I found out.
Ways to boost immunity in children
Breastfeeding as long as possible.
This is something which is recommended by doctors all around the world. Breast milk contains immunity-enhancing antibodies and as every doctor will vouch for, it is one of the most important building blocks of a child’s immunity. This is precisely one of the reasons why breastfeeding is recommended for a minimum of three to six months.
A balanced diet.
It goes without saying that a good diet is a balanced diet, one which ensures the body gets all that it needs to function properly. And for children who are growing, it is imperative that every meal provided the required nutrients in the right quantities.
Include more fruits and vegetables in her diet.
Fruits and vegetables strengthen the immune system and are a must for any child. These are rich sources of vitamins, folic acid, zinc and iron. I don’t need to tell you how important these are for a child.
Supplementing the nutritional requirements wherever needed.
Children are often fussy eaters. They might refuse to eat green vegetables or even pulses sometimes. In such cases, we can go for doctor recommended supplements wherever required to meet the nutritional requirements.
Physical activity and exercise.
The more a child is active, the more likely he or she is to have an appetite and thus eat proper meals providing adequate nutrients for the body’s growth. Also, I read somewhere that just as in adults, exercise increases the resistance of the body to diseases in kids.
Cleanliness and hygiene.
We should make sure that children grow up in clean and hygienic surroundings. Anything other than that makes them susceptible to diseases.
Avoid unnecessary medicines.
It is always a good practice to help the body heal naturally as much as possible. Too much dependency of antibiotics is not recommended. Of course, this needs to be confirmed by your paediatrician.
Help her to get more sleep.
A good sleep is conducive to a healthy body. Sleep deprivation is the cause of many diseases not only in adults but children as well. So care should be taken that children get enough sleep to rejuvenate their immune system.
Keep her away from secondhand smoke.
We all know that smoking is injurious to health and second-hand smoke more so. In fact, it can cause far severe damage in kids. That’s why care should be taken to keep kids away from secondhand smoke at all times.
Which among these do you follow for your kid?
Kids are fragile and very quickly prone to illness. I’m constantly worried that she might fall sick. One sneeze or a running nose and my first impulse is to reach for the medicine which, as a practice is very hard to curb. I live in constant fear during changes of weather or rains that she’ll fall sick. And many times she does.
Some of the things mentioned above are hard to implement. Most nights my daughter refuses to have dinner which is a concern for most mothers I meet these days. Kids are fussy eaters which makes ensuring their bodies get at least the minimum nutritional requirements per day tricky. That’s where food supplements come in.
Tell me do you use any food supplements for your kids?
Worry is a part of being a mom. This, I agree with completely. As for the health and immunity, despite our best efforts, kids tend to fall sick and pretty often till the age of 5. That’s also the time they start going to play school or daycare so it’s natural that they are exposed to more infections and prone to them too. Your pointers are all excellent. I’d add one immunity tonic of choice to the list. Gy’s doctor had recommended one to boost immunity and it’s worked wonders for her. To date, she doesn’t fall ill as easily as other kids. She’s also pretty active and athletic, so I think that helps too.
As for you, worry less 🙂 I won’t say, don’t worry. But worry less is something we can aim for. Hugs, Naba 🙂
Shailaja Vishwanath recently posted…On being a strict mom
Great, valid points!
When my son turned six months old, I avoided Cerelac (only when I was in some kind of hurry) and introduced fruits, khichdi, sooji kheer or mashed doodh-roti. So, now when he is 4+, he likes to eat fruits, dry fruits, and proper meals, however I have those days when he gets finicky.
No secondhand smoke in my home, but maintaining cleanliness is a challenge as he is super active and I constantly need to push him to wash his hands/feet. I also avoid unnecessary medicines. For his cough/cold, I had discovered an ayurvedic medicine, Kankasav, that worked wonders for him. Sadly, I can’t find that brand in Delhi (Need to find that).
As Shailaja said, little kids often fall sick. Their immunity develops gradually. We need to keep these points (that you have mentioned) in mind.
Tarang Sinha recently posted…Book Review: Breathing Two Worlds by Ruchira Khanna
It is a fact that kids fall sick often until they reach 5 years of age. And, this way they are also building up their immunity for future. This might sound strange but this is the truth. One cannot root out worrying completely being a mother but as Shailaja says “Worry less”. This is achievable, I can tell you. D may be the skinniest looking child among his friends (which bothers my parents and husband) but he has reached the phase where he does not fall sick as he used to. I tell myself this is most important.
Among all your points which you have listed above, the one I follow is not rushing to administering medicines at the first go and never for a cough & cold and stomach aches. Natural remedies are what I resort to.
Anamika Agnihotri recently posted…The illustrator’s alien #MondayMusings
very useful post.
thanks for sharing with us.
kalaa shree recently posted…Eye Diseases Care Aur Ayurvedic Treatment/ आँखों के रोग देखभाल आयुर्वेदिक इलाज