Children’s Health – Immunity

One simple fact is for certain; kids do have special health requirements. Children are not simply smaller versions of adults. Have you noticed that kids suffer different health problems to adults? For example glue ear, or ear infection is common in children, but less so in adults. When was the last time you heard an adult complaining of how annoying their colic or cradle cap was?

There are several issues that could be discussed regarding children’s health, such as the rising incidence of anxiety in children, learning difficulties and hyperactivity, food additives, childhood obesity, and more. However this winter it seems that every second person you speak to has a cold. And this year has brought in some very nasty bugs, with most colds lasting for weeks. With school holidays coming up, now is a perfect time to start building up your children’s immune system.

The Development of the Immune System

The immune system can be thought of as an army, made up of white blood cells with different roles (such as generals and soldiers). They are constantly working to protect us from foreign beings like bacteria and viruses and it is only when a bug is failed to be ‘neutralised’ that we become aware of our immune system. It’s normal to get a couple of colds a year, but it’s when the cold turns into a secondary infection that your immune system isn’t doing what it’s supposed to.

Our tissues, organs and cells are covered in a type of protein which our immune system recognises and knows not to attack. A pregnant woman’s immune system adapts so as not to attack her baby (which is a foreign body) and this is why many women who are pregnant notice their allergies or auto-immune conditions improve, but are more prone to getting infections. The baby’s immune system is not fully developed so as not to reject mum, and stays immature for a while after birth, too.

It can take about two years for baby’s immune system to fully mature, and during this time they will often rely on the immunity taken from mum. They get this is a few ways: from the placenta in utero, by being coated in the beneficial bacteria from the birth canal and then from colostrums first and then breast milk, two to three days after birth.

As your children’s immune system develops it learns to recognise what is foreign. The more it gets to flex its muscles by mounting an attack and winning the battle, the stronger it becomes. If it doesn’t get the chance to practice, then things can go wrong. Hyperresponse, or the immune system reacting to something that isn’t foreign (e.g. a food intolerance) can lead to a constant runny nose as the immune system keeps trying to capture the invader.

There is a lot of debate about the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ contributing to the growing incidence of children’s immune problems. The theory of this is that excessive sterilisation prevents children’s immune system from getting practice which has increased the rate of allergies and chronic infections in children. While hygiene is important, some dirt and germs put the immune system through its paces, increasing its strength each time.

As every parent knows, having a sick child is certainly not fun and on top of that, it can impact on the health and wellbeing of the whole family. Whether it’s due to sleepless nights, sickness spreading through the whole family, or needing time off school or work, sickness can take its toll.

The Digestive System is friends with the Immune System

Over 70% of our immune system lives in and around the gastrointestinal tract; therefore having high levels of good bacteria in the digestive system is essential for building a strong immune system in growing children. The beneficial balance of ‘good bugs’ in the gut is easily upset by many factors, including antibiotics, high sugar diets and stress. This can lead to an increased risk of colds and ‘flus for your kids.

During the first two years of life, the immature immune and digestive systems are still developing. During this time, the integrity of the digestive tract can be reduced (sometimes known as “leaky gut”), and may allow undigested foods and toxins to pass through this barrier and cause an immune reaction. In this way, “leaky gut” may contribute to the development of allergies and poor immune defence against colds and flus. By strengthening the gut barrier, the immune system is able to respond with greater effectiveness.

Boosting the Immune System

Good nutrition is very important to fuel the immune army to encourage the production of the white blood cells. Imagine sending the troops to war without any food!
Below is a list of good fuel for the immune system.

• Bright coloured vegies are rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C, which are important or immunity and wound healing.
• Some foods which are rich in zinc and iron include meat, seafood, beans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, brown rice, lentils, figs, dark green leafy vegies and beetroots. Zinc and iron are needed for healthy immune function and red blood cells.
• Probiotics are supplements containing friendly bacteria that help the immune system in the digestive tract.
• Raw garlic is fantastic for beating colds and ‘flu. Mix a crushed garlic clove with some lemon and honey in hot water and sip on this throughout the day. It’s a good idea to have the rest of the family eat garlic too, to reduce the chance of them getting sick. If you’re home sick in bed, then it doesn’t matter if you have garlic breath!
• Adequate protein is important for a healthy immune system. Protein can be found in meats, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
• Herbal medicine can do marvellous things to improve the immune system, which can be taken to help prevent infections. If you’ve already got a cold then herbs can be used to reduce the duration and severity of the illness. Children have a different metabolism to adults so require different types and doses of herbs than adult. It is always best to talk to a herbalist or naturopath to get quality herbs prescribed.

Similiarly, the wrong type of food can slow the immune system down. One teaspoon of sugar can suppress the immune system for up to 8 hours. So it’s important to avoid all sugar and junk foods while you’re sick or if a bug is going around.

The whole family can benefit from eating plenty of immune boosting foods this winter. If you think your child has an issue with their immune system such as frequent infections or allergies then try following the tips above and book in for an appointment to get to the bottom of the issue. When given the right building blocks a child can develop a healthy and robust immune system, which is something the whole family will benefit from.

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