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Your child has a cold again - is sneezing, coughing and having a fever? Although frequent infections are normal in the fall and winter, it is worth trying to improve the child's immunity. We advise you on how to strengthen your baby's immune system.
How to strengthen the immunity of a childwho still has a cold? The child's illness, another season in the season, is usually a torment for the parents. In addition to having to decide who will take the dismissal this time, and to worry about how the boss will take it, there is also concern about why he gets sick so often. And it is worth knowing that frequent diseases weaken the immune system, which makes the child sick even more often.
Baby's immune system
When will she stop getting sick? If the answer to this question could only be contained in one word, it would be: not soon. The process of developing immunity is very complicated, and therefore the immune system acquires its full defense capabilities only around the age of 12.
GOOD TO KNOW: How can you improve the IMMUNITY of a child who constantly has a cold?
Infections are more common among children who go to kindergarten than those who sit at home with their grandmother - firstly, it is easier then to contact another sick child, and secondly, separation from parents is often a huge stress for the child, which makes you more prone to infections. According to doctors, 6-8 fever infections per year are the norm. If there are more of them or the child gets more serious diseases - e.g. pneumonia - it is necessary to visit a specialist who will assess what is the reason why he / she gets sick so often.
How to strengthen a child's immunity?
Usually, the first method of strengthening a child that comes to parents' mind is preparations to support immunity. There are many of them in pharmacies, and the right one is best chosen together with a pediatrician. Often a sick toddler can be given fish oil, preparations with purple echinacea extract or vitamins. Probiotics are also valuable - good bacteria that, among others, seal the intestinal epithelium, preventing bacteria and viruses from entering the bloodstream. You will have to wait several months for the effects of the treatment. It is worth combining it with other methods. Here they are:
- minimum one hour outside a day. It will make the body betterreacted to temperature changes, which will result in less frequent colds.
- hardening. Rapid changes in temperature teach the body to deal with a change in weather. When walking on a cool, but windless day, remove the child's hat - first for 5, after a few days for 10 minutes
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- varied diet. The richer the menu, the greater the certainty that the body does not lack any vitamins or minerals. The child should eat vegetables and fruit every day, dairy products, lean meat, and fish twice a week.
- moist air. Central heating and air conditioning dry the mucous membranes in the throat and nose, which makes it easier for germs to penetrate the body. Ventilate the apartment and moisturize the air several times a day. The mucous membranes can also be moistened with seawater spray.
- additional vaccinations. Vaccines improve overall immunity as the body then produces more antibodies. Often sick children, doctors offer fortifying vaccines - suspensions with particles of bacteria that most often cause diseases. A child's immune system can "train" on them and develop a protective capacity. The child has more than 8 infections a year, has had sinus or pneumonia more than 2 times, has bronchitis 6 times, or takes an antibiotic for 2 months with no noticeable improvement? This may indicate a primary immunodeficiency disease and requires specialist consultation.
GOOD TO KNOW: Food that improves IMMUNITY and protects against INFECTION
Worth knowingIt is worth vaccinating children against meningococci, pneumococci and rotaviruses
Meningococci are bacteria that cause invasive meningococcal disease, with sepsis or meningitis. Pneumococci, i.e. pneumonia, are also dangerous. Pneumococci can cause many diseases. The most common infections, called invasive, are acute pneumonia, meningitis, blood poisoning (bacteremia), generalized blood poisoning (sepsis).
Rotaviruses are also very dangerous pathogens that cause acute, watery diarrhea (administered even several times a day), high fever (up to 40 degrees C) and upper respiratory tract infections. They should not be underestimated, because of rotavirus 20-30 thousand. children are hospitalized each year. Therefore, vaccination is all the more important - it can be performed between 6 and 24 weeks of age.
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