In early spring, children – and preschoolers, young students and adolescents – especially often catch a cold. It literally happens in the “one week in kindergarten – one month at home on sick leave” mode. How to strengthen children’s immunity and spend more active time, rather than bed rest, says pediatrician, allergist-immunologist Irina Farber.
She noted that preschoolers can catch colds up to 10 times a year, primary school students – up to 5. And that’s normal – this is how immunity is formed. ‘child. However, attention should be paid to the severity of the disease. If the symptoms are severe and do not go away for a long time, it is worth dealing with the immune system.
There are two types of immunity – innate (her child receives with breast milk, thanks to the substances contained in it) and acquired, accumulating over the years. The latter is produced precisely due to the collision with bacteria and viruses. “Therefore, getting a runny nose, coughing, having a fever from time to time is normal for children, and ultimately even helpful,” says the doctor.
Mom with newborn
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Mechanism of formation of immunity
There are periods when the child’s body is especially vulnerable to various diseases. During these periods, immunity is formed especially actively: the first month of life, the time from 4 months to six months (the baby’s body begins to produce its own antibodies), the age of two (the immune system has strengthened, but still remains vulnerable under conditions of frequent and close interactions with peers during outdoor play with other children if possible), age four to six years (the body is vulnerable to infections with parasites – this can cause allergies in the future), age 12 (the vulnerability of the body is caused by hormonal changes).
Irina Farber debunked the myth about the benefits of ascorbic acid for immunity: “There is evidence of the harmful effects of high doses of ascorbic acid: even a single use can cause an allergic reaction, and if it is regularly used in large amounts (more than 60 -75 mg per day) – lead to kidney disease”.
Useless and vitamin D – it does not increase the body’s ability to “defend itself”. It should only be taken in case of deficiency, as prescribed by a doctor.
vitamins
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How to strengthen
The expert named several factors that affect the strength of immunity. It is compliance with the daily routine – “Daytime sleep for babies under 7 years old is desirable, but if the child sleeps at least 10 hours at night, it is not necessary to put him to bed during the day , especially against his will “, lack of stress, walking in the fresh air, maintaining cleanliness at home and timely vaccinations.
However, in order to strengthen immunity, one should not a) bring cleanliness to sterility b) wrap the child unnecessarily or harden it too extreme c) self-medicate colds by taking antibiotics without a prescription or using folk remedies (both are equally useless) .
The material is for informational purposes only. Before applying the site’s recommendations and advice, a full-time consultation with your doctor is necessary.
