The ABCs of Children’s Immunity

Article

Dec 10, 2024

3 mins

Understanding your child's immune system is the first step towards ensuring their well-being.

Understanding your child’s immune system is the first step towards ensuring their well-being. After all, a strong immune system is key to ensure healthy growth and development. Here are some of the basics you should know.

Getting to Know Your Child’s Immune System

Knowing how your child’s immune system matures, the types of immunity they have, and when their immune system is fully developed can help you better support their overall health.

The first thing you should know is that your child’s immune system is not fully matured at birth. It gradually develops over time. As they grow, the immune system learns to identify and combat various pathogens like bacteria and viruses. Because of this, exposure to diverse environments and interactions with other people can help fortify their immune system.

Children possess both innate and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is the first line of defense, and it includes physical barriers like skin, mucous membranes, and cells that attack pathogens. Adaptive immunity, which develops over time, involves the production of specific antibodies to fend off specific infections. Vaccinations play a pivotal role in nurturing adaptive immunity by introducing harmless parts of pathogens to trigger an immune response.

Strengthening Your Child’s Immune System

How can you ensure that your child’s immune system develops well? The answer lies in a nutritious balanced diet. Certain nutrients are known for their immune-enhancing properties, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and zinc. As such, a healthy diet should consist of a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grain, lean proteins and healthy fat.

Aside from balanced meals, consuming the right formulated growing-up milk is also important to your child’s diet. If your child is already drinking formulated growing-up milk, look for one that is formulated with Immunity Guardians, like NANKID OPTIPRO. Immunity Guardians consist of 2’-FL and Probiotic B. lactis to support your child’s immune system. NANKID OPTIPRO is also formulated with Optimized Protein, DHA and ARA for your child's development needs.

Healthy Habits for Stronger Immunity

As you help them build a strong foundation for their immunity, it’s also important to help them develop habits that will help maintain that strong immunity.

Sufficient sleep is important to help your child function optimally. Immunological signaling molecules, termed cytokines, play a crucial role in sleep regulation. Elevated levels of these cytokines are also associated with numerous chronic diseases and may provide a pathway linking poor sleep with health outcomes. So, make sure your gets the right amount of sleep recommended for their age.

Regular physical activity can also be beneficial for their immune system, as it helps enhance blood circulation and promote the production of antibodies as well as white blood cells, which are crucial for fighting off infections.

Lastly, good hygiene is also key. Teach them the importance of washing their hands before and after meals or using the restroom. Encourage them to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

By incorporating these healthy habits into your child’s routine, you can support their immune system for healthier growth and development.

References:

Olson, E. J. (n.d.). Lack of sleep: Can it make you sick?. WebMD.
Motivala, Sarosh J., and Michael R. Irwin. Current Directions in Psychological Science 16.1 (2007): 21-25.

BOILERPLATE:

When it comes to safeguarding children’s immunity, there's only one choice that stands out. NANKID OPTIPRO, with its Immunity Guardians* comprising of 2’-FL Oligosaccharide and Probiotic B. lactis is the ideal formulated growing-up milk to support your child's immune system. With the highest levels^ of 2’-FL Oligosaccharide and 100 million+ Probiotic B. lactis, NANKID OPTIPRO helps to strengthen their immune defenses, reducing the risk of infections while promoting healthy growth and development. Make the right choice for your child's immunity - choose NANKID OPTIPRO

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