What does high immunity in a child depend on?

I would single out four main factors responsible for strong immunity.

The first is a full-term pregnancy. If a child is born on time, it means that his immune system has formed sufficiently to meet the world of viruses and bacteria. The more premature a baby is born, the more immature its protective cells will be and the more difficult it will be for his body to adapt to the characteristics of the environment. nine0005

The second factor is the type of delivery. If the birth ends with a caesarean section, then the child will receive a completely different microbiota: he will not pass through the woman's birth canal and will not "pick up" the mother's bacteria, which form the initial interaction between him and the environment.

The third factor is breastfeeding. The longer the baby receives mother's milk, the better will be his immune response to infections from the outside world.

The fourth factor is timely vaccination. Properly done and with a personal approach to the child, it will form the normal development of the immune response. nine0005

Babies born by caesarean section are several times more likely to suffer from allergies, be overweight and respond less well to vaccinations.

Do all children need to boost their immunity?

Definitely not for everyone. Children have another interesting feature: they do not always show an active aggressive response to some kind of infection. Imagine that a virus or bacterium enters the nasopharyngeal mucosa and an adult develops nasal congestion, snot, and a red throat. Is it good or bad? In principle, it’s good, because it says that our immunity has begun a war against infection. nine0005

On the other hand, this is nothing but a manifestation of a disease. Ideally, the picture looks like this: a virus or bacterium got on the mucous membrane, but the immune system dealt with it so quickly and effectively that we did not notice it. Conclusion: do we want to increase the strength of the immune response indefinitely? Probably not always.

Because if we actively increase the response of, say, a child of the 1st year of life, then instead of calmly reacting to some virus or bacterium that comes to him from outside, he will begin to suck badly, not sleep and put on a little weight, and parents will start to worry a lot. But if, in response to the invasion of a viral agent, nasal congestion appears in a 14-year-old teenager, then nothing terrible will happen: he will blow his nose and still go to play football. nine0005

That is, the same problem can be perceived differently and have different consequences for children of different ages. The difference in adaptive immune response is designed in such a way by nature that it limits the strength of the response in the child until he adapts to the environment. And you should not interfere in this process.

Hardening can help in strengthening the immune system?

I wouldn't use that wording. Any kind of hardening, as well as playing sports, is not a little about immunity. Here we are talking about general physical processes. We, pediatricians, only welcome them, because it instills healthy lifestyle skills in a child. nine0005

However, to date, there is no direct clinically proven link between these activities and the strengthening of the immune response anywhere in the world. Yes, indeed, sports and hardening can theoretically increase the adaptive abilities of the body, but the question is exclusively individual: it will help someone, but not so much for someone. Therefore, I would recommend that all parents treat these things without fanaticism and do not tyrannize children with sports clubs or cold showers "in the name of immunity."

How can parents strengthen their child's immune system at home?

There are two cornerstones: a daily routine and a balanced diet. The daily routine for a child is absolutely essential for strengthening the immune response. Why? Because all organs and systems of the body, including immune cells and bone marrow, are most active from ten in the evening until about three in the morning. Therefore, if a child goes to bed at eleven or twelve, his immune system (especially its "officers" - T-cells) will not be able to recover normally. Therefore, a systematic "torn" regime for a child is absolutely contraindicated precisely from the standpoint of immunity, and not just his mental health. nine0005

As for normal baby food, you need to pay attention to the constant presence of two components in food: vitamin D and iron. It is vitamin D that helps our cells fight viral infection. If earlier its prophylactic dose was considered to be 400 units per day, now at least 1000 units are prescribed. Statistics show that approximately two-thirds of children who live north of 42nd latitude have a decrease in vitamin D levels, and some of them are completely deficient. nine0005

An equally important component for immunity is iron. Its assistance in the efficient functioning of the immune system's T-cells is considered one of its main functions, in addition to the formation of hemoglobin. The ability of the body to respond with the “correct” inflammation to a bacterial or viral infection is impossible without a sufficient amount of iron in the blood. Therefore, it is necessary to raise the question not only of getting more of this element with food (the so-called heme iron in the form of meat, poultry and fish), but also about prescribing courses of iron preparations that are easily absorbed by the doctor. nine0005

There is a dangerous myth in Russia: drink pomegranate juice, eat beets, buckwheat and green apples, and you will have happiness in the form of iron. Will not be! Because the absorption of iron from plant sources is approximately 5% of its total amount in them.

Today even doctors often argue about the importance of vaccination for children. What is your opinion on this matter?

Vaccinations are not meant to please doctors or drug companies. By and large, healthy immunity begins precisely in the maternity hospital, when a newborn receives his first vaccinations, and comes into this world already protected. nine0005

Vaccination was invented either for those diseases whose consequences are fatal, that is, from them there is a high risk of death (for example, with meningitis, rabies, tetanus). Or for those for whom there is no therapy (hepatitis B, mumps, measles, rubella, or the same covid). Yes, a person can easily get sick with them, but no one guarantees this.

Case in point: 10% of boys who recover from mumps become infertile. In this regard, I always have a question for “refusenik” parents: who gave you the right to doom a child to such a fate?! nine0005

There is a popular belief that only healthy people should be vaccinated. No! Immune-compromised children, who have peculiarities in the development of the immune response, need it more. For them, the infections that vaccination protects against are more difficult to tolerate.

I categorically do not support the modern craze among parents, when, for example, one child gets chickenpox and several mothers bring their children to visit him for a “chickenpox party” (“rubella party”, etc.). I consider this to be deliberate harm to the health of a small person. After all, the consequences are unknown: if everything can go easily for one, then for another it will be a difficult process that requires hospitalization, and in rare cases (for example, with meningitis) lead to death. And at the same time, parents remain unpunished, which, in my opinion, is unfair. The child is not a thing. And in the new version of the Constitution, the priority of the state in protecting the health of children is just a red thread. nine0005

Immunity of the child. How to increase the child's immunity? › Clinic "Forpost"

Before you think about how to increase the immunity of a child, make sure that this is not a congenital disorder!

In children, before trying to increase immunity, it is necessary to determine whether this disorder is congenital. It is in childhood that a disease such as congenital immunodeficiency manifests itself. Parents often noticing some problems with the baby’s health (frequent colds in a child, it takes a long time to recover, weak, etc.), assuming that weak immunity is the culprit of all this, they try by all means to increase it. And if you stimulate the immune system against the background of some kind of congenital pathology, then this can lead to unforeseen consequences. And not only will it not strengthen the immune system, but it will also harm. Stimulating and spurring a child's weakened and depleted immunity will only lead to even greater exhaustion and failure in his work. nine0005

Indications for visiting an immunologist:

• the child has ARVI more than 6 times a year;
• complications occur after colds;
• baby suffers from allergies;
• a child has a rash of herpes on the lips;
• more than once the child had purulent otitis or pneumonia, etc.

If for more than half a year or a year permanent violations are repeated, then it is important for the child to make an immunogram. It is advisable to conduct an immunogram for a child after 3 years, then it already better reflects the state of the child's immunity and becomes informative. nine0005

How to raise immunity in a child with acquired immunodeficiency

So, the first thing to do in childhood is to determine the congenital or acquired functional insufficiency of the immune system in a child. In the case of a non-congenital, but an acquired disorder, more emphasis should be placed on increasing the non-specific factors that strengthen the child's immunity. There is no need to give some strong immunostimulants, immune preparations to children, as adults. Children should be approached more subtly, because children have more physiological immunodeficiency. So nature itself came up with the idea that the child's body should get acquainted with all infections and it is easier to endure them in childhood. Everyone knows that it is better to get chickenpox just in childhood. After all, children are much easier to tolerate high temperatures than adults. nine0005

Recommendations: how to strengthen the child's immunity

After examination and laboratory tests, if the immune system is stimulated, then more by physiological methods. This applies to the daily routine, child nutrition, hardening, drugs that provide additional protein for the immune system.

In extreme cases, with more persistent disorders, immunomodulators or immune preparations with a substitution purpose are appropriate (viferon is a ready-made interferon for a certain period of time to support the child's immune system, nucleinate is a protein donor, etc.) There are many immunomodulators , which increase the activity of the immune system and strengthen the body's ability to resist infections. nine0005

However, the main thing that parents should understand is that immunotherapy should not become a platform for experiments on their own child. You can take such drugs only as prescribed by a doctor and after the fact of immunodeficiency or any disorder in the immune system is established on the basis of an examination of the baby and a study of the results of his laboratory tests.

Natural stimulants of the child's immunity

These are hunger, cold and physical activity. Extremism is unacceptable in none of the three indicated directions - there is no need to deliberately starve a child, overload it with physical exercises or force it to freeze. But something else is more important: the opposite actions (excessive food and heat, restriction of motor activity) very quickly lead to suppression of the immune system (frequent infectious diseases) or to perverted immune reactions, that is, it seems to react, but not as it should (allergic or infectious-allergic diseases). nine0005

The correct daily routine will help increase the child's immunity

It is important that the child is not exhausted and not overtired.

Every child has a significantly accelerated metabolism compared to adults. Therefore, on the one hand, the child is depleted faster, and on the other hand, it recovers faster than an adult. The excretory organs work better, everything in the body of children works faster, burns out faster, but new things are born faster.

Sufficient sleep helps to strengthen the child's immunity

For strong immunity, a child needs to sleep twice a day: at night and during the day, and sleep longer at night than adults. During sleep, children grow better because the metabolism during sleep in children remains faster than in adults. Proper rest affects the cells of the immune system and helps to increase the immunity of the child.

Rational and proper nutrition will strengthen the child's immunity

The child's nutrition should be more frequent, because the enzymatic system is still immature, it cannot digest and assimilate a lot of food at one meal. Therefore, the child should not be overfed, he must be given food in small portions, but more often than an adult. And food should be more varied, contain more vitamins, because of the same accelerated metabolism. Therefore, to strengthen the child's immunity, it is necessary that the body has enough vitamins, trace elements, proteins and other useful and necessary substances. Remember that the child is also still growing and he needs to add in body weight. nine0005

Good functioning of the digestive system is directly related to a strong and healthy immune system. After all, about 60-70% of immune cells are in the gastrointestinal tract! It becomes clear that proper nutrition in the formation of powerful immunity in a child plays an important role.

Hardening is an excellent way to increase the child's immunity

In children, as in adults, there are a lot of receptors on the ears, palms and soles, which are connected with the whole body. If you irritate and create some extreme conditions for these receptors, they will give a message or impulse to combat readiness in all organs and systems, including the immune system. nine0005

What is the essence of hardening in strengthening the immunity of a child

Most people are sure that hardening is accustoming to the cold. For example, walking in the snow in shorts, etc.

In fact, the essence of hardening is to train the mucous membranes to quickly respond to a sharp change in temperature. After such training, the mucous membranes become a serious obstacle to a viral infection.

How to harden a child in order to strengthen the immune system?

Simple workout - alternating "treatment" with cold and hot water of the forearms - from the hand to the elbow, from the feet to the knee. Let's define the water temperature: cold - +20 °C, hot - +35 °C. Both of them cannot cause negative feelings in the child. And contrast plays a role in hardening. In this case, the same “tolerable” difference of 15 ° C. Douching should be done daily - 5-7 minutes a day. It doesn't matter if it's morning or evening. But for a very long time - from autumn to the end of spring. nine0005

During such combat readiness, stress hormones are produced. These hormones tone the blood vessels and the entire body to combat readiness. Constantly the immune system and the body cannot be in this state and produce stress hormones. But there are people who have a lack of these hormones, and it is also useful for people who sleep for a long time, move little and are emotionally sluggish.

The psychological state of the child is an important factor in healthy immunity

The psychological factor is very important, the mood greatly affects the state of the child's immunity. Again, through stress hormones: positive emotion is also stress, negative emotion is also stress. When a child is not noticed, not given food for development, this negatively affects his immune system. It is important to train the child's resistance to stress, which will later affect the stability of the immune system. This is also a kind of immune stimulation. nine0005

Aiming at health will increase the child's immunity

By elevating an ordinary acute respiratory disease to the rank of an emergency, one can involuntarily instill in a child that he should be sick.

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