Immunity and immunity building are terms you hear right from the time you conceive a baby. And these terms hound you for a long long time ahead too. There has always been concern over how weakened immunity could cause trouble in babies, during their growing up years. As a result, there are nuske, tips, medical supplements and so much more which sell like hotcakes.
When you bring a baby into the world, you entirely enter into a phase of perpetual struggle. The struggle to rear the baby, to keep him at peace and above all, to make the baby strong and healthy!
However, while medical experts and experienced parents opine how immunity can be footed up, the fact of the matter is every baby will have low immunity. In addition, every baby needs some help in converting this into a strong immune system.
Especially during monsoons, newborns and toddlers stand the risk of being exposed to more germs. The ailments such as common cold and flu dominate this season. Instead of worrying, focusing on a few easy things will help you sail through the season while having bettered your child’s immunity scale.
Watch What’s Around
Keep your surroundings clean. No matter if your MIL tells she did well minus the OCD, it is better being safe than sorry.
Keep the room clean and ensure basic hygiene. For toddlers and older children teach them to wash hands before eating, avoid keeping them wet even if it happens by accident, and direct or control them from fiddling around excessively.
Now the rule of thumb here is to NOT RESTRICT children activity. You must not stop babies from exploring around or toddlers from playing in the dirt. The rule is to monitor what the baby is putting in mouth and also keeping everything tidy. For toddlers, you can simply give them a bath post outdoor play and scrub well.
Immunity Building Foods
The best way to beat those scares during monsoon is to have a better gut. As a parent, you cannot gift the perfect gut overnight to your kid. Over time, however, if you feed healthy and serve superfoods, the child gets better immunity.
Eggs, legumes, fruits and green veggies, as well as vegetarian or non-vegetarian proteins, help in developing stronger levels of immunity in your child. Ensure a balanced diet and keep serving such foods on a regular basis.
Don’t Be Too Protective
While you will be anxious about the safety of your child, it is easy to go overboard too. Do not stop your kids from playing in rains or exposing them to mud or slime. Over time, these activities if done moderately and taken care of, by thorough cleanups will actually build up immunity levels. Instead of being super protective, let your children go ahead and slush down the puddle.
Pooch buddies
While it will take a longer time for households as a whole to develop an affinity towards pets, this actually betters immunity in kids. Especially, babies who are exposed to pets specifically dogs, as newborns; have better immunity. And yes, while you have to be on guard, you need not be super conscious when it comes to your baby touching pets or playing with your dog. As long as health and hygiene issues aren’t involved, a pat on the Lab’s back and some mingling won’t do your baby harm.
Limited Dependence on Antibiotics
Make sure you settle your kid up using home remedies during the early years. For minor colds and the like, make sure you stop hounding your child’s doctor for antibiotics.
Sure, it is difficult to see the runny nose and disturbed kid rejecting food but it helps to be a little patient.
Building immunity is also a process that occurs even while the kid goes through cold and bouts of related symptoms. Therefore, going in for steaming, feeding fluids and similar home remedies will trigger immunity building functions of the body.
Vaccines Matter!
Vaccinations must be followed as per schedule. It is advised not to miss the same. However, in case a dose is skipped, you can always discuss the same with your paediatrician.
Of Matters Dry and Wet
- Ensure that you introduce dry fruits as part of kids’ diet at around a year or so of age. The introduction must only be done on a doctor’s advice. Dry fruits, especially almonds and walnuts, boost up immunity levels like nothing else and also build up weight.
- Breast milk has been a classic immunity booster. Therefore, it is high up on priorities as a new mom. However, moms who aren’t breastfeeding need to shatter those tall ceilings of guilt. There are so many other ways too. Relax.
One common mistake parents commit when it comes to building their children’s immunity is to not pay enough attention to the sleep routine.
Uninterrupted sleep for 10 to 12 hours is needed in babies upwards of six to eight months. And the need for the same continues later on too. This needs to be implemented with the right mix of foods, playtime and other activities.
Make Smaller Changes, for Bigger Impact
Ensure that you do not expose your kid to passive smoke. This lowers immunity levels faster than you realize. Seal your child’s early immunity development and later solidifying with providing a healthy lifestyle at home.
Avoid junk and pile up on healthy foods. Develop healthy habits as a process that each of you follows at home. With time, introduce mild exercise regimens for kids. It is never too early but it could suddenly get very late!
A mom, and now, grand-mom actively helping her daughter with her year-old child, Lipika B., from Kolkata says, “The best way to develop your child’s immune system is to be less anxious, feed healthy yet simple and avoid going to the clinic for every other thing.” This statement, in essence, sums up the best way ahead for building immunity in kids, this monsoon!
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