Health

Boosting Immunity in Children: Essential Tips for Parents

2023-12-18 10:16:08

The weather is getting colder, and viruses and bacteria are coming once more in winter. As a result, school-age children are always getting sick at the same time, or they are just infected with the next germ. Pediatricians point out that children are very susceptible to illness, especially when they enter kindergarten, but immunity needs to be built up over time. Therefore, only by learning and practicing the correct methods to enhance immunity can your baby become healthy.

When children enter kindergarten and get to know the new environment, they will also be exposed to various viruses and gradually accumulate antibodies in the process. However, the children will inevitably need to constantly travel to and from medical institutions, which makes parents full of helplessness and reluctance.

Huang Shilun, an attending physician in pediatrics at the Department of Emergency Medicine at Xiu Chuan Memorial Hospital, pointed out that the immunity of young children will not gradually improve until they are in the senior class.

Huang Shilun also found that there has been a significant increase in the number of children hospitalized with colds recently. There are usually 10 or so children waiting for a bed in the emergency room. It even takes 2 to 3 days to get a ward in the hospital, and the age group is concentrated in the preschool stage. Therefore, it is very important to find ways to improve immunity during this period to reduce infection and avoid hospitalization.

However, the strategies to enhance immunity are different for children of different ages. Here are 9 methods that parents can choose according to age.

infancy

Method 1: Reduce exposure to pathogens

Tips1: Wash your hands frequently, change clothes before coming into contact with children

At this stage, children have little contact with large groups of people and usually get colds or gastroenteritis, which are mostly infected by adults. Therefore, if your family members go out, remember to change clothes and wash your hands before holding your child. It is better to take a shower for those who have been in and out of the hospital.

Tips2: There are many ways of infection, avoid them as much as possible

In addition, it is not recommended that adults kiss children. Common saliva infections include tooth decay bacteria, Helicobacter pylori, and Epstein-Barr virus; contact infections such as herpes virus, rotavirus, and norovirus can all be spread through kissing. Not only that, flu or a small number of adults with weak immunity may have thrush, and there is still the possibility of transmitting it to the baby.

Huang Shilun emphasized that sometimes adults may be sick or carry the virus and may not have obvious symptoms, but they may still infect their babies. Kissing is only one possibility. There are many other ways of infection, such as sharing spoons or chopsticks with adults, not washing hands with soap following going to the toilet, babies touching things everywhere and then putting their hands in their mouths, and touching the face of adults with wounds on their skin. Sticking on the face, etc., so it does not mean that “if the adult does not kiss the baby’s mouth, the baby will not be infected by these germs.”

Method 2: Nutritional supplements to enhance antibodies

First of all, pay attention to vitamin D supplementation: studies have found that exclusive breastfeeding can cause vitamin D deficiency and rickets. Therefore, in order to maintain the serum vitamin D concentration of infants, the Taiwan Pediatric Medical Association recommends that infants who are exclusively breastfed until 4 to 6 months of age should be given 400 IU of oral vitamin D supplements daily starting from 4 months of age until the introduction of solid food.

In addition, you must also remember to supplement iron and zinc. Non-staple foods containing iron and zinc can be added starting from 4 to 6 months. After 4 months, before using non-staple foods, oral iron supplements can be supplemented every day.

preschool children

Method 1: Pay attention to nutritional balance

Basically, let your children eat three full meals, and remember to prepare “3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits” every day; take in enough protein, and pay attention to whether your child has picky eating habits.

Method 2: Take good care of your body

For example, children with allergic rhinitis should take care and control on daily basis; those with poor gastrointestinal function must establish good intestinal bacteria to ensure smooth defecation and good metabolism.

Method 3: Develop good hygiene habits

Develop good habits of washing hands before meals, washing hands following playing games in public places, and wearing masks in crowded places.

Method 4: Get routine vaccinations on time

Huang Shilun said that routine vaccines are like guardian angels for children, especially in the post-epidemic era, when viruses are competing once morest each other. Therefore, before winter comes, sufficient antibodies should be reserved to fight the virus. Influenza vaccines, meningitis vaccines, etc. cannot be ignored.

Junior high school stage

Method 1: Nutritional balance

Compared with preschool, let your children eat three full meals, and remember to prepare “3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits” every day. Protein is a raw material for making antibodies, so it should be taken in adequate amounts and is indispensable.

Method 2: Get more sun and exercise

Enough outdoor exercise and exposure to the sun can increase the body’s synthesis of vitamin D3. Children should engage in moderate to heavy-intensity physical activities for at least 60 minutes a day, including heavy-intensity physical activities, resistance exercises and bone-loading activities, such as skipping, at least 3 days a week. It is the best exercise to promote height growth.

Method 3: Get enough sleep

Growth hormone peaks between 10 pm and 3 am. Children who go to bed late will miss out on the growth spurt effect. Different age groups have different sleep times. Preschoolers (3 to 5 years old) have 10 to 13 hours of sleep; school children (6 years old) to 12 years old): 9 to 12 hours; finally teenagers (13 to 18 years old) need 8 to 10 hours.

????This article is written by【Heho parent and child】Authorization
arts/Winter germs are coming! 9 techniques can enhance the immunity of infants and young children. Doctors remind: the methods need to be adjusted according to different ages.
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Boosting Immunity in Children: Essential Tips for Parents