What To Do if the Child's Immune System Is Weak?

Many parents have become worried and more focused on improving their child's immune system, especially now that there's a pandemic, according to News 18. 

With different diseases spreading, a strong immune system is essential. Experts suggest parents formulate a nutritious diet for their children with food that can boost their immunity in the long run.

Dr. Negar Ashouri, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, says that the immune system is composed of a series of cells, tissues, and organs that protect from many invading pathogens and helps a person to remain healthy and resist repeated infections.

The immune cells of infants are typically from their mom through the placenta and breast milk. The baby's system matures over time and can eventually fight off infections. A healthy lifestyle that entails enough rest, low stress, a balanced diet, and exercise helps to strengthen the immune system of all ages.

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Weak immune system linked to severe bacterial infection in children

A new study determined that bacterial infection in children is associated with a weakened immune system and can eventually lead to pneumonia or meningitis. An invasive pneumococcal disease could be the beginning of a child's immune deficiency. Delayed diagnoses can cause late specialist referrals and also stress for families. 

Pneumococcal disease is when bacteria infect a major organ in an individual system, leading to serious health problems such as sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections if left untreated. The study showed that the disease causes approximately 826,000 or 11 percent of global deaths in children below five annually.

Despite having optimal vaccine coverage, the research reveals that a group of children may become vulnerable to life-threatening bacterial infection, says Dr. Amanda Gwe from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

Around 70 percent of children with an immune deficiency had experienced two or more bouts of the invasive pneumococcal disease. For kids to avoid the disease, early testing is recommended to ensure a healthy immune system, which allows the children to become healthy and safe from any diseases or infections, per MCRI.

Boosting the child's immune system

One of the ways to keep your kids healthy and avoid a weak immune system is by consuming healthy food, mainly fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet plan must be established and include five servings a day, as recommended by health care providers and experts. This also includes dairy or another source of calcium and healthy fats such as vegetable oils.

Children must avoid processed foods, especially those with added sugar, and foods considered unhealthy fats, such as saturated fats that are normally found in animal products. The Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition has recommendations for making healthier baked goods and another genius way to make a family's diets healthier.

Harvard Health Publishing says that these guidelines do not strictly prohibit a child from eating sweet food but rather provide guidelines for children.

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