Children's immunity is very sensitive to irritants and environmental factors. Any infections quickly end up inside the baby. Caring parents should monitor the health of the baby, strengthen its resistance to disease. To do this, there are many ways to strengthen the immune system of a baby.
In order for the baby to develop correctly and fully, he must have a high resistance to diseases.
What is immunity
Immunity is the body's ability to get sick and heal. The child's body has some characteristics that make it more vulnerable to infections.
On a note. The immune system is responsible for the formation of immunity. It produces special antibodies and substances that resist infections, block their development and penetration into the body.
Immunity can be divided into 2 groups:
- Specific. It is formed on an individual basis for each person on the basis of vaccinations and diseases transferred. It resists a specific disease. For example, after an infection from tetanus, a defense against this disease is formed. If a person has chickenpox, then he develops a specific immunity against chickenpox.
- Non-specific. Immunity is inherent in any person. It protects against most diseases (flu, SARS, tonsillitis, otitis media, and others).
A child's body is not as perfect as an adult, so it quickly perceives infections.
Features of immunity in children under one year old
In babies, immunity begins to form from the second month of life. At this time, the disintegration of immunoglobulins received from the mother occurs. In the blood, these bodies are reduced. Their number is becoming critical. Therefore, a boost in the form of vaccinations is required to strengthen immunity.
At the age of 1 year, the immunity is not fully formed, the baby's body does not have time to get stronger in order to resist external stimuli. During this time, the child is very susceptible to influenza, MS virus and parainfluenza.
The child's body has a special, still unformed immunity
On a note. The most effective way to strengthen your immune system is breast milk. It contains many antibodies and useful components, which stimulates the development of all systems and organs, and also lays the foundation for strong immunity.
What determines the child's immunity
The strength and effectiveness of childhood immunity depend on many factors. To make the specific protection as strong as possible, parents of children are offered on a voluntary basis to make a complex of vaccinations. Their purpose is to protect against various diseases. Throughout the year, the child should be taken to the hospital for vaccinations.
Nonspecific immunity and its state do not depend on the vaccinations performed. Very often babies who have received a full range of vaccines get sore throats, bronchitis, flu and other colds. It depends on:
- quality of food;
- condition of internal organs;
- active lifestyle;
- compliance with hygiene rules;
- living conditions.
The protective capabilities of the child's body depend on parental attention and care, as well as the correct organization of periods of wakefulness and rest.
How to understand what kind of immunity a baby has
To judge the strength of immunity, you just need to observe your child and analyze his diseases throughout the year. The supervising pediatrician will help to confirm the results of observations.
On a note. If in doubt, modern medicine offers a number of specific analyzes. A test for the presence of immunodeficiency is called an immunogram (blood test).
Signs of increased immunity
The baby's immunity begins to form even inside the mother, but it shows its characteristics from about 4 months. Therefore, even during pregnancy, a mother needs to think about how to strengthen her child's immunity so that she does not meet with diseases in the future.
Children with good immunity do not get sick, they easily tolerate walks and regular vaccinations. By the behavior of the crumbs, you can also determine the state of his health. Kids with good immunity are actively developing, are interested in the world around them.
Signs of lowered immunity
Before you start to increase immunity in children, you need to make sure that it is weakened. Signs of lowered immunity:
- frequent manifestation of herpes;
- swollen lymph nodes in the armpits and neck;
- the child is inactive, quickly overworked;
- does not sleep well;
- bruises appear under the eyes;
- any, even mild, cold is complicated by pneumonia, otitis media, bronchitis;
- hair falls out, nails exfoliate;
- unpleasant sensations appear in the throat and joints;
- the spleen is enlarged;
- the baby suffers from colds more than 5 times a year;
- no appetite, often constipation and diarrhea;
- there are chronic diseases, allergic reactions;
- often there is a defeat by fungal diseases;
- after an illness, the baby recovers for a long time and remains lethargic and weak.
If the parents notice more than one of the listed signs in the baby, the child needs to raise the resistance to diseases and microbes. In this case, you should contact a pediatrician and draw up a set of actions to strengthen immunity.
How to strengthen immunity
The most common way to boost your immune system is with fresh vegetables and fruits. Not all of them can be eaten by children under one year old, especially without heat treatment. A similar problem is with ready-made vitamin preparations.
The child begins to form and his health is still in the womb
When increasing the immunity of the child's body, they are guided by the rules:
- Before a walk, a little Viferon or oxolinic ointment is applied to the nasal cavities. After the walk, the spout is washed with sea salt or saline.
- If a person who is sick lives in a house with a small child, then the patient should wear a gauze bandage.
- One of the most effective ways to strengthen the body is taking long walks in the fresh air. Even though the weather is bad in spring and autumn, walks should be regular.
- Daily water procedures are beneficial for the baby's health.
- The daily routine is organized for the baby and proper nutrition is provided.
- In the cold season, the child is not wrapped up strongly. Overheating negatively affects immunity. The kid should be dressed for the season. Even in winter, you should not wrap up the baby. A child is dressed 1 layer more in clothing than an adult.
- There should be a positive and calm atmosphere in the child's home. Frequent quarrels and stress badly affect the development of the baby.
If the little one is sick, then his body needs special attention, since it is weakened.
How to boost immunity after illness
If the baby is often sick, then closely it is necessary to strengthen his health. You should not run in search of answers in clinics - right after the illness, the child is very weak and can pick up any other infection.
It is important not to give up breastfeeding, even if milk is low and not enough. The baby should be fed up to a year, since mother's milk contains many components and nutrients that contribute to health.
After illness and with it, any heavy and new foods are excluded from the baby's diet. As a result, all organs (stomach, kidneys, liver) are affected in the baby. For the recovery period, the body needs light healthy food, enriched with vitamins, proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as microelements.
The pediatrician prescribes immunostimulants if necessary
Medicines and dietary supplements help to raise the child's immunity. You should not buy them on the advice of friends, you should go to a consultation with a doctor.
On a note. You can take a course of drugs based on interferon. Their effectiveness has been tested over the years. Interferon is produced in the human body to fight bacteria and viruses. If there is a lack, special medications will help to increase its level.
For two weeks, the baby needs a rest from physical activity. This period is an adaptation after illness. They make sure that the fidget is not too fond of active games, gymnastics is done superficial.
How to restore immunity after taking antibiotics
After taking antibiotics during an illness, it is very important to correctly approach the restoration of children's immunity. Medicines of this group kill not only pathogenic bacteria, but also beneficial microorganisms in the stomach.
After a course of antibiotic, prebiotics or probiotics should be purchased and an enhanced recovery course should be carried out. Drugs are prescribed by a doctor to create useful microflora in the stomach. Regular use of yogurt by children is useful.
Doctor Komarovsky's recommendations
In general, Dr. Komarovsky agrees with the generally accepted recommendations on how to strengthen the child's immunity. There are a number of tips that should be the basis for raising a healthy child:
- Cleanliness but not sterility. You should not fence the child from the outside world. It is necessary to keep the house and its personal items (bottles, nipples, toys) clean, but it is not necessary to boil them. It is enough if the baby wash his hands with soap and water every time before eating. You should not prohibit communication of a child with animals. It is important that cats and dogs are healthy, and after contact with them, the baby washed his hands with soap and water.
- From infancy, you need to form the baby's eating habits. He shouldn't overeat. Also, do not force the child to eat without appetite. If he does not want to eat, little gastric juice is produced in his stomach, food is not digested, which harms the health and immunity of the baby.
- The room where the baby plays and sleeps should be in optimal conditions. The room should have an average level of humidity, not hot. Do not pile up objects that accumulate dust (carpets, soft toys and furniture) near your child.
- An immobile lifestyle should not be allowed. The child should spend as much time as possible with active or educational games, and not in front of a TV or computer screen.
- Restriction in sweets. A large amount of carbohydrates is dangerous at any age, it contributes to the development of obesity. A lack of vitamins and minerals is formed, which negatively affects immunity.
- Children should not be stuffed with drugs if they are not needed. This rule applies to both medications and folk remedies. For example, you can not give antipyretics with a slight increase in temperature. The child's body must resist diseases on its own in order to develop appropriate antibodies and strengthen immunity.
Overeating and eating through force negatively affects immunity
In order for the baby to start forming healthy and strong from the first days of life, and the question of how to increase the immunity of a one-year-old child does not arise, little is required from the parents: attention and care. The most important rules are healthy nutrition and activity throughout the day. If you adhere to simple recommendations for strengthening immunity from birth, then the baby will be active, cheerful and healthy.
