Initially, a newborn has a good immune system (provided that pregnancy and childbirth were normal and a child was born healthy and with no abnormalities), which he gets from his mother. When being breastfed, a baby has a strong immune system up to six months. But if a baby is fed baby formula, he starts being ill earlier.
In any case, a baby initially has a strong immune system. The task of parents is at least not to weaken it, or better to boost it greatly. The best way to stimulate the immune system is to constantly train it, i.e. it should be forced to always work (but not with full strength).
To maintain immune system in a constant state of readiness to work against diseases, you can do the following actions:
Put few clothes on your baby. This does not mean that the baby has to feel cold. If the body temperature between the shoulder blades on the back is normal, then the baby is warm, even if his hands and feet are cold. Overheating is more dangerous for babies.
Walk as often as possible or at least put your baby on the balcony. You can walk in almost any weather and temperature, but do not turn this into a cult. If you feel ill, tired, or just don’t want to – you don’t have to go for a walk. Your baby needs healthy and happy mom even more than fresh air. The regular walk while the baby is sleeping is far from ideal, because there is no social development of the baby, as well as baby’s eyes don’t receive necessary amount of work. The latter is very important because baby sees all the objects close up at home, and he focuses his eyes in different ways outdoors, thus developing vision.
Do massage and gymnastics. The baby is rapidly growing and developing within the first year of life, so any activity really contributes to his proper development. Physical exercises improve blood flow throughout the body including the brain, and help immune system strengthen. 10-15 minutes of daily exercises will bring not only joy to your baby, but also will boost his health and promote physical and intellectual development. You can perform massage in the evening before bath in order to relax your little one for him to sleep better.
Bathe every day in the cool water. Bathing is another powerful way to prevent diseases. But you shouldn’t put your baby in cool water immediately – this can permanently discourage him from bathing. You can start with 37 ° C, and gradually reduce the temperature - one degree per week. The baby will not notice this, but there will be a remarkable effect of hardening. Cool water also helps baby to be active while taking a bath and to get well tired and as a result he will quickly fall asleep.
Cool temperature (18-22 ° C) in the rooms where the baby spends the most time or sleeps. Baby's body temperature is slightly higher than of adults’ one and his body cooling systems are not yet developed, so it is important not to overheat the baby. Young children cope with cool temperatures easier than with hot ones.
Sufficient humidity (50-70%) in these rooms. Humidity natural to a human promotes proper operation of all systems and functions of the body, including the immune system. Mucous membranes don’t dry up, don’t crack and are not damaged thus opening the way for infections, and the baby does not also suffer from a lack of water in the body. You can increase the humidity of the air with a home humidifier or simply by placing water containers in the apartment and putting wet towels on the battery.
Careful hygiene in these rooms is very important.
Healthy sleep strengthens a newborn’s immune system. If your baby’s sleep in healthy he will then have less health problems.
But the most important thing is to remember that all these activities and procedures should be enjoyed by both you and your baby.
In what ways do you strengthen the immune system of your little one? What could you advise other parents?
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