- The baby's immune system: progressive protection
- 5 elements to strengthen your baby's immune system
- Support from natural medicines
- Postpartum: how to protect and strengthen your immune system?
- Focus on cuddle therapy!
It's cold and damp, night falls quickly... It's a time of stubborn germs and sudden bouts of fatigue. Bronchiolitis, colds, ear infections and gastroenteritis are too often on the agenda for children, while parents have just as difficulty coping with the flu, a cold or sinusitis. Fortunately, the waltz of bacteria only lasts a while, while a certain number of simple and natural tips help to boost the immunity of babies, children and yours.
The baby's immune system: progressive protection
Immune system protects the body and allows it to stay healthy . To do this, it uses several successive lines of defense against harmful microbes and viruses.
- Innate immunity (also called congenital immune defenses), present from birth, is the body's first major line of defense. It revolves around the skin barrier and mucous membranes, the inflammatory response and cells responsible for phagocytosis (destruction of foreign bodies),
- Acquired immunity (it is also a question of adaptive immune defenses) is the second, deepest defense of the body. It sets in gradually during the first years of childhood thanks to the development of immune defenses (T lymphocytes) and specific antibodies (B lymphocytes), which allow the body to gain resistance.
At what age does baby benefit from full immunity?
To the birth , the baby's immune system exists, but it is immature. Throughout pregnancy, the placenta passed its antibodies to the baby and in particular immunoglobulins G whose role is to fight bacterial, viral or fungal infections. We talk about passive immunity , thanks to which the baby is protected during his first months.
After birth , breastfeeding maintains regular and efficient transmission of maternal antibodies , immunoglobulins A, M and G. For their part, the Infant milks contain vitamins and nutrients which participate in the proper functioning of the immune system and the establishment of a healthy intestinal microbiota.
Over the course of colds and bouts of fever, the A child's immune system is not complete and effective until around the age of five . During this period of time, thanks to the memory of the immune defenses, certain illnesses contracted can no longer be caught - the child will be immunized - while vaccines and a healthy lifestyle will provide additional insurance against illness.
Since 2001, the WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life and its continuation in parallel with dietary diversification, until the age of 2 years or more. This is particularly the case because breast milk is rich in antibodies. On a daily basis, breastfeeding or breast pump therefore promotes the good health of babies.
5 elements to strengthen your baby's immune system
Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, in addition to feedings or bottles of milk drunk every day , good habits and a healthy lifestyle can considerably increase your baby's immunity. Food is the keystone of a functioning immune system. First by the breastmilk _ or thanks to a powdered milk adapted then through the food diversification Around 6 months, foods, solid or liquid, provide your baby with the vitamins, minerals and nutrients necessary for good health. Besides, did you know that the bibROND Elhée accompanies you, whatever the type of food consumed by your baby? From a bottle for milk and water, it transforms into a small pot of compote or puree!An up-to-date vaccination record is another way for you to support the proper functioning of your baby's immune system. By exposing the body to a low-dose pathogen (measles, mumps, rubella, etc.), the vaccine helps with its recognition and the development of the necessary antibodies.
Support from natural medicines
Traditional and ancestral medicines have demonstrated for centuries that health is in plants. For your baby too, it is possible to use their benefits as an immunity booster.
Plants
Aromatherapy offers a wide range of essential oils and hydrosols , while herbal medicine focuses more on plants prepared in herbal teas and decoctions . Homeopathy uses various dilutions of plant, mineral and more rarely animal strains used for the preparation of granules.
- For babies
THE essential oils before 3 years should be used with caution and are strictly prohibited before 3 months. In diffusion or massage, incorporated into a vegetable oil (sweet almond, apricot, avocado, etc.), linalool or thujanol thyme, true and fine lavender or even eucalyptus radiata, tea tree or ravintsara, can be beneficial from the first cold weather.
THE hydrosols can be diluted in the bath, sprayed or applied to the skin using a cotton pad. The essential linalool or thujanol thymes are also used here.
THE herbal teas can be given by bottle, warm or cold, from 6 months and even for some, consumed while breastfeeding for a sharing of benefits between the mother and her child.
Homeopathy can generally be used from birth under medical advice. Among the best-known remedies, echinacea angustifolia helps strengthen the immune system throughout the winter.
- For kids
THE essential oils authorized for children between 3 and 6 years old are more numerous. Ginger and myrtle, for example, can be added to other plants to help your child stay healthy.
THE hydrosols can, from 3 years of age, be used orally. Savory, myrtle or geranium floral waters are consumed, for example, diluted in a little water.
Probiotics
Those we call probiotics are in reality live bacteria, naturally present in certain foods such as fermented yogurts, pickles or raw sauerkraut, but also in medicines and food supplements. They contribute to the good health of the body and maintain the balance of the intestinal flora , which has a direct impact on digestion and immune function. Probiotics can therefore be useful in the event of dietary changes, after gastroenteritis or taking antibiotics.Do you know what the intestinal microbiota is? With nearly 10 billion bacteria, fungi and yeasts, it naturally populates our intestines. Also called intestinal flora, the microbiota is formed from birth, supports the digestion of food, protects the entire digestive system and helps the immune system to develop and function well. As the “second brain”, the intestine and the microbiota it hosts also have an impact on mood and stress levels.
Postpartum: how to protect and strengthen your immune system?
To pamper yourself and naturally strengthen your protection against winter ills, apply the same recommendations as those made to your child. Massages with essential oils, protective herbal teas or targeted homeopathy , while keeping these three pillars in mind. Eat well : food is your first medicine . It is by offering yourself a varied plate of meat, fish, vegetables or colorful fruits every day that you ensure better health.
Superfoods that are good for you
Whether it's strengthening your baby's immunity or your own, eating well is one of the first keys to take advantage of. Also, there are some superfoods to always have on hand to boost your defenses:Also, think about yourself, pamper yourself and take care of yourself. Sleep during your baby's naps, read an exciting novel, massage yourself (your feet feel great!) or let your thoughts run wild. Well-being is one of the solutions to support your immunity.
Focus on cuddle therapy!
Hugs, everyone needs them. The various #freehugs campaigns bear witness to this.
- THE cuddles are good for morale : cuddling and being cuddled releases oxytocin, the love hormone, endorphin, the well-being hormone and dopamine, the pleasure hormone.
- Hugs strengthen self-confidence .
- Hugs do lower stress and anxiety levels capable of reducing immunity alone.
- Hugs participate in the effectiveness of immune defenses .
If calming is immediately visible when you cuddle your baby, scientific data supports the fact that tenderness alleviates the symptoms of the disease. For what ? Because hugging connects humans to each other and naturally acts as a form of “prevention” against certain bacteria .
