Navigating Cold and Flu Season :: How to Boost Your Child’s Immune System

0

As we find ourselves in the midst of an unprecedented cold and flu season, many parents are wondering, why is my child always sick? Is this normal? What can I do?

To start, if you feel like your child is always sick, you are not alone. Office visits and hospitalizations for common pediatric illnesses are at the highest we’ve seen in years; certainly since before the pandemic began. 

What is normal anyway? 

In a typical year, most parents can expect a child, who is in their first one to two years of daycare or school, to get sick with about 10-12 viruses per year (on average), including GI, respiratory and other viral illnesses. This averages out to about once per month. These numbers improve over time, with repeated exposures, as a child gets older and their immune system has been primed for these common illnesses. Over the last one and a half years, and especially the last few months, parents are experiencing back-to-back illnesses for their children. It has made it seem like their kids are always sick.  

This current reality has come to us as a result of many factors, but this article is going to focus on what you can do as a parent to best support your child’s immune system in its current state. Immunity is a very complicated topic, that I will not pretend to be an expert in. However, there are some basic interventions that will most certainly support the immune function of any child, no matter their current health status or underlying health conditions. 

How to boost your child’s immune system

Sleep

Sleep is a keystone of immune function and support. Sleep and our immune systems have a bidirectional relationship. Meaning, high quality sleep contributes positively to our innate and adaptive immunity, and chronic sleep loss is associated with suppressed immune function. Therefore, getting an adequate amount of high-quality sleep in 24 hours is key to optimal immune function. 

Nutrition 

Offering your child a diet rich in whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, is the best immune support you can offer. Don’t forget to offer an adequate amount of water, protein and healthy fats in the diet as well. I typically don’t recommend many supplements, but if you feel that your child is extremely picky, I recommend speaking with your child’s pediatric provider about multivitamin and other supplement options. 

Vaccines 

Some childhood vaccines are intended to protect a child for life once the primary series is completed. Others, like the influenza vaccine, require yearly boosters to keep the immune system properly primed to fight severe infection. If you have questions or concerns about vaccines for your child, please have a conversation with your child’s pediatric provider. The CDC is also a great resource. 

Hand Hygiene 

Basic and proper hand hygiene is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection. Proper handwashing, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds, adequately removes germs from hands. Another safe and effective removal method is using an alcohol-based sanitizer, with at least 60% alcohol. According to CDC, proper hand hygiene can prevent up to about 30% of GI illnesses and 20% of respiratory illnesses. 

Stress Reduction

Certainly exercise, laughter and play are important factors in stress reduction, improved sleep and improved immune function as well. We are still learning the mechanisms behind these important lifestyle factors, as they relate to immunity. 

You won’t be able to protect your child against every virus out there and really, you don’t want to protect them completely. Exposure to illnesses is an important part of developing a healthy and well-functioning immune system. However, know that there are things that you can do to support your child’s immune function when they are exposed, and possibly mitigate severe illness. 

Please know that you are not alone, even when it feels like it. This is a season that will pass. Ask for help and use the resources available to you. You are the best parent for your child, and you are doing a great job taking care of your child, using the knowledge and skills you have available to you at this moment. 

What tips would you add to this list? 

Previous articleAdvice for New Moms from a Physical Therapist
Next articleMoms to See in the 803 :: Tammy Colleu
Heather Blanton Burns
Heather Blanton Burns lives in Columbia with her husband and daughter. Natives of South Carolina, they love taking road trips to visit family, as well as spending time at the lakes, beaches and mountains nearby. Heather is a Board Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Certified Gentle Sleep Coach. She received her undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston and her doctoral degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She cares for children of all ages at a small pediatric practice locally. She founded a small business, Cultivating Bright Futures, in 2020 to support mothers through education and provide encouragement for mothers at every step along their motherhood journey. When she’s not working, Heather enjoys reading, spending quality time with family and friends, staying involved in the community through Junior League, eating delicious food at local restaurants, checking out local events in Columbia and staying active through walking, yoga and barre.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here