How to build a healthy immune system in your child?

How to build a Healthy Immune system in your child? Breast milk plays an important role in developing immune system. Apart from this outdoor games and moderate exposure to sun is also essential.

Is your child falling sick frequently? Do you have to visit your child’s pediatrician frequently? You are right; there can be problem in your child’s immune system. Immune system does a remarkable job of defending you against disease-causing microorganisms. But sometimes it yields to the invader, that is, a germ which when gains entry makes you sick.

We see often that children are the victims of such a weak immune system; it may be partially due to the incomplete development of their immune system. There are so many other factors which contribute to lowering of immune system and that causes your child to fall sick often. Many parents have a misconception that giving healthy food, vaccinating their child, hygienic measures, immediate medical care can keep their child healthy and immune against any diseases.

Why then are children who are always protected against cold, rain, dirt, who are grown in ultra clean surroundings, in houses with clean floors, where air purified and conditioned (A.C) , kept away from germs as much as possible and are given best possible and immediate medical care, frequently fall sick and need frequent medical care, compared to those children who are devoid of all such facilities, who live in rural areas, who in contrary expose themselves to rain & cold winds, play and roll in mud and hardly use hand wash, thus exposed to lot of germs still remain healthy ??

Don’t you think we are preventing the child’s body to develop a strong immune system which is only possible by repeated exposures to germs, bad weather etc?

Development of Immune system in child:

1. Mainly two types of immune system, Innate & Adaptive start developing during fetal life itself; the immune components are transmitted through placenta during fetal life and through mother’s milk during infancy. The immune system of the baby keeps maturing at different stages.

2. In childhood, the immune system is not fully developed, so the child is prone to get frequent infections.

Role of Vaccinations:

1. Immunity is also provided through vaccination, the basic vaccines like Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Polio vaccine, DPT vaccine etc sensitize baby’s immune system against those infectious diseases for which they are given.

2. Too many vaccines are added these days, and a question arises, by giving so many vaccines are we not weakening body’s own immune system? If you feed everything from outside how does body’s immune system develop?

3. The adverse effects of certain vaccines are still debated in developed countries.

What hampers your child’s immunity?

1. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics and steroids: In countries like India where over the counter (OTC) medicines are easily available and so many quack (unqualified) doctors prescribe antibiotics and steroidal medicines, immunity is at great risk.

2. Ultra clean environments, extreme hygienic measures, over protection of children against germs, cold, sunny, rainy climates, too much hand washing (Bunti Tera hand wash slow hai kya?) Etc can weaken the immune system of children.

3. There are studies done by American scientists and Harvard medical school researchers which state that ; Asthma, eczema, hay fever and childhood diabetes are all being fuelled at childhood in which youngsters rarely roll in the mud, splash in puddles or play with animals.

4. It is said that without exposure to dirt and germs early in life, the immune system doesn’t learn how to control its reaction to everyday invaders such as dust and pollen.

5. Asthma, eczema, hay fever and diabetes is being fuelled by indoor lifestyles

Role of Homeopathy in building Healthy Immune system:

1. Homeopathy helps in building healthy immune system by augmenting the body’s own defenses. The homeopathic medicines are both considerably smaller and safer in dose and more individualized to the person they are being used to treat.

2. Although homeopathic medicines are thought to stimulate the body’s own defenses, how they do so remains a mystery. One study published in the European Journal of Pharmacology showed that a homeopathic medicine, Silicea, stimulated macrophages (macrophages are a part of the body’s immune system which engulfs bacteria and foreign substances). How or why Silicea was able to have this action or why exceedingly small doses of it are so active is unknown.

3. Homeopathy is a gentle yet effective healing system of medicine which doesn’t interfere with body’s natural immune system but it strengthens it.

4. Thus homeopathy helps in protecting and strengthening the natural immune system of the child, so that the child’s body itself develops the ability to fend off or fight against the infectious germs and diseases.

How to strengthen Immunity?

Parents should understand that, as the child grows its immune system is conditioned (designed) according to the threats (germs, bad weather, infectious diseases) it faces. These threats act as stimulants to the immune system to grow accordingly. It is just like a new car which has to overcome the challenges before it is Okayed, before it is launched in the market. The designing engineer has to modify, redesign the car, trial run has to be conducted many times till the car is able to overcome all the threats or challenges. In a similar way child’s immune system gets modified, redesigned only after repeated attacks of infections in childhood.

1. Avoid keeping children too clean, bringing them up only in ultra clean, indoor based life styles can wreak their immune system.

2. Allow your child to play out door, let them walk bare footed, play in mud.

3. Don’t restrict them indoors, even though there is cold weather, sun or rain, allow them to play at least for some time.

4. Let them get some sun: moderate sun exposure is essential for synthesis of Sunshine vitamin (Vit-D) which is very much essential for growth of bones and also helps in development of immunity.

5. Mother’s milk is the best: The formula foods can’t replace breast milk; mother’s milk is rich in immune components, essential nutrients which are must for the healthy development of child’s immune system.

6. Making child drink ultra filtered and boiled water is not good, such children get frequent stomach upsets, diarrhea.

7. Avoid giving junk foods, over feeding the child etc….

8. Don’t worry if you are child has lost few kilograms and jump into giving all the supplements, tinned foods. Don’t go by the advertisements. Remember nothing can replace naturally available food.