Boost your child's immune system with 4 simple tips

The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues and organs that work together. The strength of this system varies from person to person due to factors such as age, diet and lifestyle.

A strong immune system can reduce the risk of viral and bacterial infections, fight pathogens, reduce treatment time and speed recovery after illness.

When a child is born, his body is still weak, his immune system is not yet complete, so his resistance is still weak. At the same age, with the same care conditions and living environment, but when faced with external pathogens such as epidemics, changes in weather, some children get sick, some do not.

This is due to differences in the immune system. Children who are often sick and susceptible to infections are a sign of a weak immune system and poor nutrition.

Many studies have shown that a lack of protein or amino acids in the diet can impair immune function, reducing the ability to fight off the invasion of viruses and pathogenic bacteria.

Amino acids absorbed into the body from protein play an important role as the main component of antibodies that help the body fight infections, perform immune functions, and are components of enzymes and hormones in the body's metabolic activities.

Thus, to have good resistance, less illness, and good body development, children need a sufficient, diverse, balanced and reasonable diet according to age needs.

Breastfeeding

Mothers should breastfeed their babies immediately after birth, and exclusively breastfeed for at least the first 6 months. Breastfeeding until 24 months of age or longer and vaccination are the best ways to protect the health of infants and young children.

Breast milk is the best natural food source for children, containing all the nutrients in a balanced ratio suitable for the child's digestive and absorption system. Breast milk also contains antibodies that help the baby increase resistance and fight against infections. Breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months also helps provide antibodies from the mother to the child, helping the child to be less sick.

Eat the right supplements

In addition to breast milk, children should be supplemented with other foods. The World Health Organization recommends that the time to start giving children complementary foods (solid foods) is when they are 6 months old (due to the increased needs of children, breast milk is not enough to meet the needs of children's development).

We should note that we should not let children eat supplementary foods too early or too late, or eat foods that are insufficient in quantity or quality, or that are unhygienic, leading to malnutrition and illness, because the period from supplementary foods to weaning is the period when children are most at risk of malnutrition. The principle of feeding children with supplementary foods is to eat from little to much, from liquid to solid.

During the first 6 months of life, babies are provided with antibodies through breast milk, so they rarely get sick. However, after 6 months of age, the amount of antibodies in the baby's body is self-produced, so the baby's immune system is still lacking and weak. Any supplementary food needs to be preserved and processed to ensure food safety and hygiene.

Depending on age, supplementary meals must ensure adequate provision of essential nutrients from 4 food groups:

- Carbohydrate group (glucid), mainly rice, wheat flour, cereals, potatoes, cassava...

- Protein group, mainly meat, fish, shrimp, eggs, milk, beans, peanuts, sesame...

- Fat group (lipids), mainly oil, fat, butter...

- Vitamin and mineral groups, mainly vegetables, tubers, fruits...

Feeding children enough and balancing nutrients will help them develop well. On the contrary, if they eat too little or too much, they will be at risk of malnutrition, being underweight, stunted or possibly overweight or obese.

We need to feed children enough protein-rich foods, especially protein-rich foods with high biological value such as meat, fish (carp, snakehead fish, basa fish, salmon, herring, etc.), eggs, milk, seafood. In addition to protein, vitamins and minerals will enhance the body's immunity and resistance, helping to treat diseases more effectively.

In particular, B vitamins (B1, B6), vitamins C, D, E and zinc play an important role in enhancing the body's immune system.

At the same time, increase children's intake of vegetables and fruits to provide more vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A, C, E, iron, zinc, selenium... to help strengthen immunity, fight infections and heal injuries quickly.

Fruits and vegetables rich in this vitamin are often yellow or red in color, such as carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, papayas, watermelons, etc. Vegetables with dark green leaves such as water spinach, Malabar spinach, red amaranth, spinach, broccoli, etc.

Give enough water

Drinking enough water is one of the ways to increase children's resistance. Water helps transport white blood cells throughout the body and at the same time, eliminates harmful substances through sweat.

A sufficient amount of water each day will help increase metabolism, providing necessary nutrients for cells. The amount of water needed to drink each day depends on the age, weight and intensity of physical activity of the child.

Get enough sleep

A deep and long enough sleep is essential for the development of the baby, supporting increased resistance and helping to develop intelligence, height, weight as well as creating a comfortable spirit. Therefore, parents need to ensure that their children have a deep sleep of 8-11 hours depending on their age.

Sleeping time is as follows:

- Children 4-12 months: sleep 12-16 hours.

- Children 1-2 years old: sleep 11-14 hours.

- Children 3-5 years old: sleep 10-13 hours.