First published: 29 November 2021 @ 6:00 am
Immunity is one of the most important factors in the overall health of a child. It plays a role in both preventing illness and in providing protection against illness when it does occur.
What Is Immunity?
Immunity is the body’s ability to fight off infection and disease. The body’s immune system has two main parts: an innate (built-in) immune system and an adaptive (learned) immune system.
The adaptive immune system is the second line of defence against foreign invaders. It works in a different way from the innate immune system.
The antibodies generated by your body during an infection will recognize and destroy any bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites that have been released from the germ or virus you have just encountered.
In this way, you prevent your body from becoming infected with new germs or viruses. If you do become infected with a germ or virus after exposure to it for the first time, your body’s adaptive immune system will make antibodies that recognize and destroy it as well.
In addition to preventing illness and healing damaged tissues after an infection has occurred, immunity also plays an important role in preventing infection from occurring in the first place. This is because some germs are able to evade detection by our immune systems.
This is called “innate immunity” because it can be called into action without outside help—as soon as we are exposed to a germ or virus, our innate immune system can respond and provide protection.
There are many types of immune cells, each of which plays a different role in the body’s defence against germs and viruses. These include:
- B cells (B lymphocytes) make antibodies.
- T cells (T lymphocytes) help control infections.
- Natural killer cells help fight off viruses and cancerous cells.
- Phagocytes (also called macrophages) destroy invading germs and parasites.
- Neutrophils (also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes) remove dead cells and damaged tissues.
- Lymphocytes (also called lymphocytes) are part of the adaptive immune system. They can also be found in other parts of the body, such as the liver, spleen, and bone marrow.
How to Boost Your Child’s Immune System
To strengthen your child’s immune system, it is important to build it up in the first place. You can do this by providing them with the right environment for good health.
#1 Provide a Healthy Diet
It is best to provide a healthy diet for your child. Make sure they eat enough fruits, vegetables, and other healthy food.
But even if they eat junk food, you should ensure that they are getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals.
The more nutritious food and vitamins they eat, the better their immune system will be able to function. This will in turn protect them from infections and disease.
#2 Make Sure They Have Enough Sleep
Another thing you can do is make sure that your child gets enough sleep time. Getting enough sleep means ensuring that your child gets between 8-10 hours of sleep each night. The more hours of sleep they get, the better their immune system will be able to function.
#3 Limit Stress
It is also important to limit stress in your child’s life. A stressed out child will have a hard time sleeping and this can affect their immune system.
Make sure that your child has a good balance of rest and play time each day. They should also be allowed to express themselves without having their feelings hurt or insulted.
This will help them feel more relaxed and, therefore, they will sleep better at night.
#4 Limit Screen Time
You should also limit your child’s screen time. If they spend too much time watching TV or playing video games, it can interfere with their sleep patterns and make them more susceptible to illness and disease in the future.
If you think your child might be getting too much screen time, consider limiting it during the school week but allowing them to have a little bit of screen time during the weekend.
Give them an alternative hobby, like reading books or playing outside with friends instead of watching TV all day long with you.
#5 Keep Them Active
You should also make sure that your child has regular exercise sessions to help strengthen their immune system as well as providing them with mental stimulation so that they are able to think about other things than what is going on around them when they are at home or school.
You should encourage them to play sports or do other physical activities so that they get plenty of exercise, which will also help them stay healthy.
#6 Be On the Lookout for Symptoms of Illness
It is also important to be on the lookout for symptoms of illness so that you can take them seriously and provide them with the appropriate treatment. If your child starts to feel feverish, they should be checked out by a doctor right away.
They should also be monitored closely if they start to get sick with symptoms like coughs, colds, and sore throats, because these could be signs of a serious illness that needs to be treated right away.
Is Staying Home Harming Your Child’s Immune System?
You might think that if you keep your child home all day, then they will not get sick more often. This is not necessarily true. Staying home does not necessarily mean that your child will not get sick more often.
The real problem is that children are not given the opportunity to get exercise. This means that they are not getting enough physical activity, and it makes them more susceptible to health problems.
It also means that they are not getting enough sunlight, which has a positive effect on their immune system.
They might feel isolated and depressed, which will make them more susceptible to illness and disease. It can also lead to obesity because of the lack of physical activity.
Be the best parent for your loved ones; Mature Parent is here to help you connect with your family, providing informative articles as well as parenting tips and tricks!
