How to Boost Immunity In Kids

All new parents who have children below the age of 6 years are always worried about their child’s immunity and frequent doctor visits. This is the phase of the child where they fall ill very frequently. these 6 years of their life is also very important for other body developments. Since kids have a very low immunity by birth, and they gain immunity as they grow. So, it’s very normal for them to fall sick frequently. This has nothing to do with parent’s mistake and not taking care of the child like elders or other people say to the parents. What i have observed around me, is that whenever a child falls sick, the mother is blamed for his sickness. People taunt her that she is not taking care of the child properly. What you should know is that a mother is the only human being in the whole world and in the whole family, who takes proper care of her child. Because she doesn’t like to see her child falling ill, crying, getting hurt, or weak. A mother feels the pain of her child more than the child himself. So, she tries each and everything to keep her children healthy sacrificing her own health, sleep, career, friends, family, hobbies, and many other things. We never see these sacrifices. We think she is doing it as it is her responsibility. I believe that it is her responsibility to take care of the child, but who sacrifices her own well-being to raise a kid. She can also leave the child with his father or other family members and go on a holiday. But she doesn’t, because she doesn’t think it as a duty or responsibility. She does all this because she loves her children and to see all of her family members feel happy by watching how her kids are growing. So, the next time, your child falls sick, please don’t blame the mother. There are many other environmental factors that affect the child’s health like schools, playing in parks with other kids, gatherings, weather, viruses, unbalanced diet, and unhealthy food.

As parents we try our best to keep our child healthy and fit. But still, something or the other attacks our child’s immunity system and we lose. So, its ok if your child is falling ill frequently. Don’t be frustrated or lose hope. Every child is going to come out of it someday or the other. One thing we need to observe is that nowadays children’s immunity is not like when we were kids. Our immunity was much stronger than today’s gen z kids. Our children are suffering more due to unhealthy food, vitamin d deficiency, less outdoor activity, less exposure to sun and fresh air, and unhealthy foods injected with hormones and other chemicals.  My son also suffered with this low immunity when he was below 6 years old. After 6 years, his immunity became stronger, and he used to fall sick very less. In this article, I will tell you what you can do as a parent to boost your child’s immunity and trust me it works like magic. This was advised by my son’s pediatric doctor, and this was the best advice I got for my child’s health till now.

What is immunity?

Immunity is the body’s ability to resist or fight off infections, diseases, and other unwanted biological invaders like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and toxins. It involves a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together collectively known as the immune system. There are two types of immunity. Natural immunity and Acquired immunity.

Natural immunity is present from birth and provides immediate but general protection against many types of diseases. It includes physical barriers like skin, chemical defenses like stomach acids, and immune cells like macrophages and neutrophils. This type of immunity is not fully developed, and it can protect only against some diseases. That why newborn babies and young children are more prone to infections as they have natural immunity in them which is still developing. And that is why they need vaccinations to prevent other harmful diseases. These vaccines help in preventing or reducing the symptoms of the diseases even if they get one.

Acquired immunity develops over time as you are exposed to diseases or through vaccinations. It is more specific and has memory as it remembers the previous invaders and responds faster the next time it attacks the body. It involves B cells which produce antibodies and T cells which kill infected cells or help other immune cells. This type of immunity is seen in children above the age of 6 years old and in young people.

How to boosts immunity in kids?

1. Give them a well-balanced diet that focuses more on Vitamin C (citrus fruits, bell peppers), Vitamin D (sunlight, fortified foods, and supplements), Zinc (nuts, seeds, legumes), Antioxidants (berries, leafy greens). Their diet should include fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, and whole grains in their everyday meals. Nowadays so many fruits and vegetables are grown by adding harmful chemicals on them which decreases their natural nutrient and vitamin content. So don’t fall for big and colorful fruits and vegetables. They all are hybrid and are grown by using chemicals. According to my experience, legumes, nuts, green vegetables, and protein rich foods like eggs, dals, chicken, beef keema, fish, soya chunks, and dairy products like curd, paneer, healthy cheese, and butter are a better option instead of giving only fruits to your child. Avoid giving packaged foods or junk foods frequently. They can have it once a week or twice in a month. Whenever you go out with your children, carry some fresh fruits or dry fruits to give them when they feel hungry instead of buying packaged foods from shops on the way. Include egg whites, fresh cow milk, and dry fruits in your child’s diet everyday.
2. Make sure your child gets enough sleep. Sleep is very important for all ages. It helps in recovery of the body. Poor sleep reduces infection fighting immune cells. Adults should sleep 7 to 9 hours at night. Toddlers who are around the age 1 to 2 years should sleep 11 to 14 hours a day. Kids around the age of 3 to 5 years should sleep 10 to 13 hours a day. Children around the age 6 to 13 years should sleep at least 9 to 11 hours at night. If your child is above 5 years old and school going, then avoid making them sleep in the afternoon or after lunch. Instead, give them early dinner at 7.30 or 8pm and make them sleep by 8.30 pm. In the morning, they will wake up on their own at 7 or 8am. In gulf countries, the school timings are very different. The school here starts at 8am, so they need to get ready and go in school bus at 6.30 am, 6.45 am, or 7.00 am. This depends on how far your house is from school. My son goes to school at 6.45 am in morning in school bus. So, at night he sleeps around 8.15 pm and wakes up at 6.20am in the morning. He doesn’t eat his breakfast in home as there is a breakfast break and a snack break in school at 9am and 11am.
3. Encourage your kids for an outdoor physical activity. This is very important for all people. My doctor also told this when i asked him how to boost immunity in my school going son who falls ill very frequently. People think physical activity makes you tired but it’s actually the opposite. Our body is built to do some work. If you give rest to it all the time, it will become numb and you will also feel lazy, weight gain, tired, and sleepy. Nowadays, children are also staying at home with their iPad and screens. They are also avoiding outdoor activities which is very dangerous for your kids both mental and physical activity. Buy a house that is near to the park or a house with big balcony. Everyday try to spend 1 hour in park. Make your kids paly different types of games like running, jumping, sliding, climbing, biking, and walking. You can also play along with them or just do some walking when they play. For this one hour, don’t use your phones or any type of screens. You will feel the nature and its beauty when you take out this time. Your mind and body will become relaxed, and your children will also feel very happy. When they play a lot, they get very hungry, and they will eat whatever you give them.
4. Get vitamin D from sunlight. Vitamin D is very essential for the immune system. If you don’t have enough vitamin D in your body, your bones and immunity will become very weak. You children may fall ill frequently. Their bones become so weak that just a slight hurt can cause bone fractures and cracks. Nowadays since all homes are closed and we don’t get enough sunlight in our homes, it’s very important to go out in sunlight for 15 to 20 minutes early in morning from 7am to 10am and in the evening after 4.30 pm. Or at least take vitamin D supplements recommended by your doctors or pediatricians.  Vitamin D should be taken daily or weekly according to your age. Normally vitamin D is recommended for kids under the age 2, but you should continue giving vitamin D even after 2 years with your doctor advise. If your doctor doesn’t give your child the vitamin D supplement, you ask them.
5. Keep your children well hydrated. Water is very essential for the body. Our body contains 70 percent water. If your body doesn’t get enough water, your body will slow down all its functions. You and your kids should drink one glass of water every 2 hours to keep your body well hydrated. Remember that juices and other liquid items will not give you any hydration. They are considered solids. Water and some fresh juices like coconut juice, sugarcane cane juice, orange juice, buttermilk, and natural watermelon juice can provide you hydration.
6. Teach your children good hygiene methods to apply in their day-to-day life. Like frequent handwash before and after meals, bathing every day and when they sweat a lot or play in mud, washing hands with soap after using washrooms, keeping a tissue or hand while coughing or sneezing, head bath twice a week, keeping their surroundings clean, cleaning their toys or other things, washing fruits before eating, washing utensils before using them, etc. These all develop in your kids when they see you do all these things a children learn so many things from their parents.
7. Limit screen time. 1 to 2 hours of screen time is ok for your kids that too if they are watching from far away in tv. Never give phones or games to your kids. In phones they use YouTube to scroll down and play games which is very bad for their eyes and hands. Even when they watch tv, you should always keep an eye on what they are watching. Games make your child addicted. And addiction causes irritation, anger issues, and disobedience if you don’t give them the game. Cartoons and animation movies are much better than scrolling, games, social media, and movies for children. There are many knowledgeable videos available on YouTube which your kids will love if they don’t like watching cartoons and animated movies like craft videos, car mechanic videos, food factory videos, and funny videos.  Just make sure they don’t watch any vulgar or inappropriate videos on YouTube.
8. Stay up to date with all the vaccinations. Vaccinations help your body to fight off diseases and prevent them from coming. There are so many vaccines available nowadays for children up to 10 years of age. Make sure you get your child vaccinated according to their age. And give flu vaccine every year especially in winters to prevent flu and frequent fevers.
9. Limit processed food and sugar. Avoid junk food consumption frequently. Your children can have it once or twice a month. Don’t stock up your house with candies, chips, snacks, or any other packaged food. The presence of these types of food in home, will make your child crave for those items frequently. Buy them these foods only when you go outside. You can also take a box of fruits or dry fruits when you go outside so that they eat more fruits when they feel hungry and less junk food.
10. Give health supplements like iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C, and probiotics, if your doctor recommends or if they have these deficiencies in their body. Because nowadays foods don’t contain enough nutrients like before. As they are grown by adding harmful chemicals that kill the nutrients inside and they are dipped into some chemicals that make them look fresh for long. According to me, vitamin D is compulsory for all. It’s better to take this supplement once a month, even if your vitamin d levels are normal.

You can easily understand your child’s immunity system. If they fall ill very frequently, get cold and coughs easily, feel tired very easily, get muscle pains or body pains after playing, fall sick after eating all types of outside food, complain about stomach pain and headache very frequently, that means their immunity is very low. Make a healthy routine for your child by following all the above steps and with lots of love and patience. Children listen to you when you praise them. Don’t give any type of immunity booster supplements or syrups to your child that are now very easily available in supermarkets and pharmacies without consulting your child’s pediatricians. I have seen many pharmacies selling calcium, iron, vitamin c tablets in different form. Don’t take it without your doctor’s advice. Here are the tablets and drops I use for my kids and myself.