Children start to get colds after about six months of age, when the immunity they received from their mom fades & they have to build up their own immune system.
Babies, toddlers, & preschoolers: 7 – 8 colds a year, school-age: 5 – 6 colds a year, teenagers: 4 colds a year. The normal practice parents do to avoid kids from getting sick is to wash their hands, douse the house with bleach, but every day when they get home from daycare or school, they still get infected from something or someone. At school, they mingle with other children and bring bugs back to the rest of the family. There are a few factors that contribute to this problem:
- Kids immune systems are developing
On daily basis, children mingle with strangers at day-care & school, their immune system is exposed to bacteria & viruses they had never seen before. This makes them fragile, high infectious cold with flu viruses. Children exposed to viruses all the time. 200 different cold viruses & tricky. According to an epidemiologist & professor of pediatrics at John Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Mr. Aaron Michael Milestone said “Children have no pre-existing immunity. They are protected by immunity their mothers passed down to them during pregnancy, but those antibodies go away as they got older and kids become immunologically naïve.” He added. Children younger than 6 get about 6-8 colds per year according to researchers. If they get infected by a virus they never had (any pre-existing protection), the illness going to be more intense and last longer. Build up defenses/ immunity viruses when he/ she exposed but takes time. Rate colds triples in the winter. During a review evidence: 25 days required for an acute cough to resolve, 15 days to clear common cold, 16 days to get rid of nonspecific respiratory tract infection. Children love to stick their hands in their nose, mouth @ diaper and lick toys picked up off the ground and this less than hygienic behavior makes them prone to get sick. Another reason is not because of cold air, but because they tend to spend more time in crowded areas indoors breathing re-circulated air.
- Daycare and school (germ factories) – children spend a lot of time
Children in day-care are around with those little kids with naive immune systems, picking up and spreading bugs in the air or on toys that day, pass germs around, and the cycle of sickness repeats. According to Robert Jacobson, professor of pediatrics at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, explained: “Young children in daycare have more colds than children cares at home. When the daycare children grow older and enter primary school with their peers who did not attend daycare, children who attended daycare, are less vulnerable to colds than those who did not. (same as gastroenteritis – stomach flu). A period of intense exposure to illness at daycare helps strengthen children’s immune system, get sick less often later in life. The school year brings increased sniffles and coughs. According to Michael Lee, M.D., a pediatrician with Children’s Health and Associate Professor at UT Southwestern., “When lots of children confined in closed spaces for long periods of time, everyone’s germ is shared. These ‘germs’ mostly viruses and can linger on classroom desks, tables or doorknobs for fellow students to be exposed to.”
- Parents tired and run down
Parents also can pick up germs from their children, because of the closer contact and have more exposure to germs by changing diapers @ cleaning vomit which their children pick up from daycare. Parents often tired and worn out due to lack of sleep and this heightens the risk of getting sick when they come into contact with viruses or bacteria.
- Is it cold or allergies?
If the children over the age of 2 years old, sneezes a lot, rub the nose, and had a clear runny nose, last over a month, no fever, this shows they have allergies. Allergic easier to treat than frequent cold. Children with an immune problem will have trouble recovering from illness and often hospitalized longer. Serious infection every year, pneumonia/ boils on the skin. A child with a serious disease not gains weight and look well.
How to prevent your children from getting sick?
It is important for us as parents to teach good hygiene to our children. By teaching them how to properly cough, sneezes into tissue or elbow and by regularly Respiratory infection can easily spread through airborne droplets. Practicing regular hand washing is the best way to reduce germs, after sneezing or blowing the nose, touching doorknobs, desks & handrails, after using the bathroom, before and after eating.
How to boost children immune system
The immune system is important for our bodies to fight infection. According to Dr Lee, there are 4 tips for child immune system so that they can stay healthy and avoid illness:
- Children need rest and recommended amount of sleep
This recommended amount of sleep varies by age. Lack of sleep can affect the immune system and the ability to fight infection.
| Age | The recommended amount of sleep (hours) |
| Pre-schoolers | 10 – 13 |
| 6 – 12 | 9 – 12 |
| Teens | 8 – 10 |
- Parents need to put children stress at a minimum
By addressing children’s feelings, concerns or nerves will ease their minds about what’s leads ahead. With their busy schedules, it is important to give kids free time. Children choose their own extracurricular activities & set realistic expectations around athletics, activities and school work.
- Parents need to keep up an update with their child’s vaccinations
Vaccines can help children develop immunity to number of serious diseases and infections. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention advise parents and doctors to follow the vaccination schedule. According to Dr Lee, “Influenza, or the flu, can be easily transmitted at school. Vaccines can help to prevent it.”
- Give your children healthy food choices
A healthy, well-balanced diet very important for growing kids and busy students. Parents need to offer 5 important food groups that consist of a mix of vitamins, mineral, & nutrients to stay healthy. The immune-boosting options include eating a lot of fruits & vegetables that were loaded with Vitamin C, yogurt that are rich with probiotics that are good for digestive health. Eating whole grains & healthy proteins help to provide fuel and energy for active children.
Vitamin C and Why children need it
According to pediatric gastroenterologist Kadakkal Radhakrisnan, MD said Vitamin C is necessary for supporting the body’s immune system. “Vitamin C is antioxidant and vital to maintain overall health, it actually helps boost children’s immune system if they have the sniffles, “says Dr. Radha Krishnan. Antioxidants reduce damage to cells from free radicals in the body. Highly concentrated in immune cells, as the immune-boosting agent. The child needs to eat a variety of colorful fruits & vegetables every day. If they are picky eater, parents can choose supplements.
Another benefit of Vitamin C for body:
The other benefit of Vitamin C is to help maintain many body tissues, collagen, blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and include skin. Aids with connective tissue repair and wound healing. It is good for neurotransmitters an important chemical for signaling the nervous system. Carnitine, the chemical supports the transport & breakdown of fatty acids to generate energy. For healthy bones & teeth, important during the child’s formative years. “A child’s body needs rest and time to heal,” says Dr. Lee. “Keeping a sick child home gives their immune system a chance to do its work. You’ll also keep your child from spreading illness to others.” Prevent children from going back to school cannot avoid children from sickness. Parents need to prioritizing bedtime, teaching kids to wash hands regularly, eating and avoiding overscheduling their daily activity.
The benefit of Probiotics for Kids
Gut health can affect immunity. Our gut lives a dynamic population of microorganisms known as gut microbiota that include both “good” bacteria that protect our body and the “bad” bacteria that cause diseases. The balance of gut microbiota determines our gut health as well as our immunity. About 70% of our immune cells stationed in our gut to fight against pathogens invade our body. Poor gut health can reduce the ability of the immune cells to fight against infection giving pathogens a chance to multiply in number causing infections. Infants developed allergic have less Bacteroides & bifidobacterial (good bacteria) and a lower ratio of bifidobacterial to clostridia (bad bacteria).
H-Bay Shield suitable for:
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), like abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, constipation
- Long term antibiotic users
- A kid who has a weak immune system
Probiotic is a live microorganism that provides health benefits to the host when consumed in an adequate amount.
Bifidobacterium longum BB536
- Proven Safety & efficacy in more than 100 scientific papers
- High stability due to proprietary culturing developed by Japanese scientists.
- Human Residential Bifidobacteria (HRB), Bifidobacteria originate from human intestine
- Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) under the US Food & Drug Administration (US FDA)
Benefit
- Improves Digestive Health
- Prevent Fever & Flu Infection
- Prevention of Infection – A Local Study
Bifidobacteria breve M-16V
- Efficacy & safety supported by more than 40 specific studies
- High stability due to unique culturing method developed by Japanese scientists
- Human Residential Bifidobacteria, bifidobacterial species originally found infant intestines
- Used in more than 100 NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) in Japan
Benefit
- Improves Allergic Symptoms in Infant
Human Residential Bifidobacteria (HRB)
- HRB was compatible with breast milk, because it is capable of utilizing human oligosachharides (HMO), highly tolerant to lysozyme (anti-bacterial enzyme in breast milk)
- HRB to produce more I indole 3-lactic acid (ILA) compared to other species.
- ILA is a tryptophan metabolite involved -immune development on infants
Prebiotics
Galacto-oligosacharides (GOS)
- A unique present in breast milk
- From lactose in cow’s milk
Fibregum Acacia Gum
- A Natural & GMO free with minimum of acacia gum, a type of resin exuded from stems & branches of Acacia trees
- Exceptionally good for intestinal tolerance – did not give flatulence & abdominal cramp
- Acacia gum was fermented in transverse colon and partly in distal colon
- Less gas was produced and retained in the bowel, contribute to fewer occasion of abdominal distention & other digestive symptoms.
References:
- https://www.vox.com/2016/8/31/12714028/why-parents-kids-get-sick-viruses
- https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/shows.php?shows=0_5nzgsffm
- https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/preventing-back-to-school-sickness
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