Frequent colds in children - ways to prevent and strengthen the immune system

• Frequently ill children - CHBD
• Why do some children get sick often?
• Prevention of colds

The older a person gets, the more he realizes the importance and value of good health. Of course, everyone gets sick, but for those people who have already become parents, the most unpleasant and worrying thing is when their children get sick. Even a “common” cold can cause a lot of trouble. What to do if a child often suffers from colds, how to strengthen his immunity?

And it doesn’t matter whether he sits at home, goes to kindergarten or school. Why do some children rarely get sick, while others are constantly on sick leave? What explanations exist, what is the secret and what to do if your baby is prone to frequent colds - read on.

Frequently ill children - CHBD

A child’s illness (regardless of its severity) is a serious challenge for everyone: both for the child himself and for his parents. Some parents are not even always able to objectively assess the situation and experience severe anxiety about the health of their offspring. All children, without exception, are prone to getting sick, but how can you tell if a child gets sick often? Is this a permanent condition or is it due to age or change of environment? If you discard all subjective opinions and turn to medical practice, you can get all the necessary answers.

Frequently ill children (FCH) are a separately identified category of children of different ages by doctors. If before one year or after 5 years a child suffers from colds more than 4 times a year, or between one and five years - more than 5-6 times, then he is considered to be “frequently ill”.

According to statistics, about half of all children in the world fall into this category. Of course, this is a rather relative and variable concept, and not a definitive diagnosis. Children can outgrow this condition over time, acquiring lasting immunity to many diseases.

Causes of frequent colds

Pay attention to the main factors that reduce the body's immunity and resistance. Frequently ill children often face complex effects, the harm from which is much greater.

The main causes of frequent colds in children:

• secondary immunodeficiency;
• an incompletely cured cold;
• constant action of negative factors that reduce the body’s defenses;
• congenital immune disorders

Doctors have found that most young patients in the CBD category have secondary (acquired) immunodeficiency. Most often, defenses weaken under the influence of a complex of negative factors.

It is more difficult to correct the situation when the baby lives under constant stress on the immune system. Unfortunately, one of the reasons for frequent colds is the incorrect behavior of adults, ignorance/unwillingness to follow basic rules.

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Weak foundation for immune defense

In the first years of life, immunity is formed in the intestines. Breast milk is the basis for the development of beneficial microflora. Early breastfeeding will give the baby drops of a valuable product - colostrum, which contains biologically active substances that “trigger” the mechanism of immunity formation.

Adviсe:

• breastfeed for at least one year, ideally up to one and a half years;
• If the mother does not have enough milk, carry out mixed feeding for as long as possible, do not immediately switch to infant formula;
• prevent intestinal infections;
• You shouldn’t give your baby dishes from the “adult” table too early;
• Introduce complementary foods gradually to reduce the load on the fragile stomach and intestines.

Poor nutrition

Frequent mistakes of children and parents:

• feeding strictly according to the schedule (at the mother’s request), even if the child is not hungry. You cannot force your baby to eat if the body resists. Consider the physiological norms for each age, do not overfeed. Do not “stuff” food if the child says he is full: you provoke stress and suppress the immune system;
• snacks between meals, replacing a full breakfast or dinner with sweets and tea, soda with dyes, preservatives, addiction to fast food;
• reluctance to rinse your mouth after eating. Food debris that accumulates on teeth and gums is a suitable environment for the development of decay bacteria that cause caries. Swallowing saliva with harmful bacteria worsens the condition of the stomach and intestines;
• lack of fiber, which enhances peristalsis and prevents the deposition of rotting residues on the intestinal walls;
• rare consumption (insufficient volume), constant heat treatment of vegetables and fruits, destruction of vitamins;
• consumption of age-inappropriate foods. For example, many parents give their baby chocolate when he is one and a half years old, although pediatricians recommend abstaining from this product until he is three years old.

Increased loads

Common mistakes:

• parents enroll their child in two or three sections, without taking into account the desires/physical capabilities of the little person;
• lack of time to rest after classes;
• improper planning of free time. One day – walks, lack of additional activities, another day – too tight schedule, great physical/mental overload;
• high academic loads combined with attendance at clubs and sections.

Frequent parasitic infections

The problem of helminthic infestations is familiar to many parents. Pinworms and other types of worms often appear after visiting kindergarten. The danger of parasites is poisoning the body with toxic waste products. The child does not receive enough vitamins from food: all the most valuable things are “taken away” by parasites.

Pay attention to the symptoms of helminthic infestations:

• grinding teeth at night;
• irresistible craving for sweets;
• poor appetite;
• increased sweating in a child;
• weakness, irritability;
• often rubbing the anal area;
• coughing without other cold symptoms.

Find out more about the symptoms and treatment of scabies in children of different ages.

Instructions for using Nurofen baby syrup are described on this page.

Read here about how to quickly relieve a child’s toothache at home.

Why do some children get sick often?

Knowing that you are not the only one who is so painful, and that there is a prospect of simply outgrowing this period, is a little reassuring. But still, what is the frequency of diseases associated with, why do some children get sick often, while others rarely? Most often you can hear one explanation for this - the child has a weak immune system. This opinion in itself is correct, but the correct essence is not always put into it.

Human immunity is formed in the womb and its development is influenced by many factors: the course of pregnancy, diseases suffered by the mother, features of fetal development, etc. But it cannot be said that a baby is born with “weak” or “strong” immunity. Of greater importance is the so-called “secondary” immunity, which depends on the conditions in which the child is located and his lifestyle.

As possible causes and factors that depress and weaken children's immunity, which leads to frequent colds, experts tend to include:

• artificial feeding;
• poor nutrition;
• violation of the regime and overload of the child;
• high sensitivity of the body to infections;
• a change in the usual environment with an increase in social contacts (starting to attend kindergarten, school);
• the presence of other background conditions (dysbacteriosis, vitamin deficiency, rickets, etc.), chronic or untreated diseases (adenoids, tonsillitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis, etc.);
• the presence of parasites in the body;
• disruption of the endocrine system;
• long-term use of medications (immunosuppressants, antibiotics, hormonal drugs);

As you can see, the reasons for the frequent occurrence of colds are very different. Some of them can be determined independently (change of regime, unhealthy diet), while others require special tests. Determining the main factors that provoke frequent colds is of utmost importance in their treatment.

Reasons for the imperfection of children's immunity

If we systematize the main factors that result in disturbances in the functioning of the immune system, the most common of them will be:

• Congenital deficiency, which causes the weakness of the body's defenses. This applies to metabolic and other disorders that appear at an early age, often malnutrition and other unfavorable factors that initially prevent the formation of complete protection against infection, for example, disorders of protein synthesis make it impossible to form antibodies, either qualitatively or quantitatively.
• Immaturity and insufficient functional activity of cells of the immune system. Cells either initially cannot properly process and assimilate the pathogen, or do not do so fully, which negatively affects all other parts of the defense.
• Low or insufficient level of synthesis of necessary antibodies. There are times when the body simply does not have time, for various reasons, to form the required level of protective proteins, both in the blood and at the site of infection.
• Imperfect regulation of protective processes by the neuroendocrine system. The immune system is under a complex system of control from the central nervous system, both directly and through the regulation of certain organs. If control is initially imperfect, then developing full-fledged protection is impossible.
• Disturbances in the interaction of immune systems with each other with initially correct general regulation. If individual links do not work correctly, then even with correct regulation, discoordination negatively affects the quality of the defense being built.
• Depletion and overstrain of the body's defenses as a result of a previous infection. If the immune system fights an infection, it always does so at full strength. Since the resources of the body, especially children’s, are quite limited, a situation of overstrain and general depletion of the immune system often arises, especially after prolonged or severe infections.
• Functional “fascination” of the immune system with a newly recognized infection during a previous illness - protective systems need time to “switch”;
• The relative superiority of an opportunistic microorganism over the immune system in a given period of time. (True pathogenic microorganisms are always a priori stronger than the immunity of those unfamiliar with them).
• Pharmacological load. In this case, we mean the unreasonable prescription of certain drugs, or non-indicated use in the form of self-medication. Thus, using antibiotics that are not indicated for ARVI, we can stimulate the development of bacteria resistant to them, which, under certain factors, will definitely cause the disease.
• Significant microbial load. Each person's microbial environment is unique, even among members of the same family. If you take previously unfamiliar people, their microbial composition will be very different. In conditions when the body attacks a significant number of completely different microorganisms at once, even with a normal immune response, it is not able to resist. This is the reason why a child often gets colds at school. Many different pathogens enter the body at once and the immune system is simply not able to cope with all of them.

Prevention of colds

The fight for a child’s health involves eliminating unfavorable conditions that provoke the disease and strengthening children’s immunity. At the same time, the emphasis should be placed not so much on drug strengthening, but on organizing a healthy lifestyle for your child.

And you need to start doing this not when the child has already moved into the “frequently ill” category, but from the very birth of the baby:

• feed your child exclusively healthy, wholesome and fresh food;
• do not force the baby to eat, feed on demand;
• give preference to clean water rather than sugary drinks;
• children should be outdoors more often;
• in the children's room the temperature should not exceed 18ºC and the humidity should be about 60%;
• dress the child outside so that he does not overheat and does not sweat excessively;
• after recovery, the child needs time to restore the body’s defenses (up to 3 weeks);
• engage in gradual hardening of the child;
• As a preventive measure, you can use vitamin or herbal medicine, homeopathy.

In cases where the cause of frequent colds is other more serious medically confirmed health problems, then first of all it is necessary to treat them.

The health of a child is priceless. Every parent, to the extent reasonable and necessary, must develop and strengthen the immunity of their child. The main thing here is not to overdo it and not cause more harm to the child than a cold can do.

Features of the impact on the immunity of frequently ill children

Regarding the rational use of antibiotics and antipyretics, the situation gradually began to change in favor of an adequate assessment of their need, and an important point was the regulation of their dispensing from the pharmacy network strictly according to doctor’s prescriptions.

Relatively recently, all the processes that make up immunity were analyzed in sufficient detail at the molecular level, which led to the discovery of regulating biologically active molecules that make the immune response as high-quality and complete as possible. This led to the creation of a number of groups of pharmacological drugs.

A group of homeopathic remedies and dietary supplements. They are not medicines and have absolutely no benefit, acting on the placebo principle. It is for this reason that their use makes absolutely no sense.

A smaller group of drugs that act as stimulants of the immune response. These drugs do increase the strength of the body's defense systems, but their use should always be as prescribed by a doctor and only in situations where there is real benefit with minimal risk. The main danger is that, for example, if a child often suffers from colds, then his immunity is already in a tense state, and further thoughtless stimulation of it, after a short positive response, will lead to rapid and complete exhaustion and the child will remain completely defenseless before any pathogens.

Not long ago, a group of polypeptides was isolated - small molecules from amino acid sequences that have a direct immunomodulatory effect. Preparations based on them have just begun to be produced and their variety is small. The main feature is that they do not stimulate or increase the level of immunity directly, but regulate it in the right direction.

Thus, the body reacts more quickly and adequately to the microbial threat, without overexertion and exhaustion. These drugs are actively used in all developed countries. Thus, in Russia and the countries of Eastern Europe, drugs based on such a regulatory peptide as thymogen are the most popular due to their truly proven clinical effectiveness.

This compound has direct immunomodulatory activity with an excellent safety profile and good tolerability. An important point is that thymogen is successfully used as an adjunct in the treatment of a disease, and for preventive purposes, when a child often suffers from colds and it is necessary to prevent possible morbidity.

Prevention of ARVI

According to Dr. Komarovsky, the best prevention of colds during an epidemic is treating the nasal passages with Oxolinic ointment. If you need to go to crowded places, during potentially dangerous times of the year the drug is lubricated from the inside of the nose.

Upon returning from a walk, the baby’s nose is washed with a solution of sea salt. For a child who knows how to gargle, such a saline solution is made to protect the oropharynx from viruses. Ingredient ratio: 0.5 tsp. sea ​​salt per glass of warm boiled water.

Our specialist comments

1. Remember that the body of a constantly ill baby wastes its strength and loses the ability to withstand various ailments. Any hypothermia can cause a sharp deterioration in health.
2. Without knowing exactly why your baby began to catch colds often, do not treat him with medications without the knowledge of the doctor.
3. If frequent coughing is accompanied by teeth grinding during sleep, have your baby's stool tested. Intestinal parasites may be the culprit for persistent colds.

The path to restoring your child's health

When body temperature rises, everything must be done to ensure that the body has the opportunity to lose heat. Heat is lost in two ways - by evaporation of sweat and by warming the inhaled air. Two mandatory actions: 1. Drink plenty of fluids - so that you have something to sweat. 2. Cool air in the room (optimally 16-18 degrees).

What would I do: a face mask when in contact with a child indoors, frequent ventilation, influenza in the nose, loading doses of vitamin C (1g, for example, in the morning), feet are always warm, vasoconstrictor drops when the runny nose is really bad, tantum -Verde spray, gargling with approved herbs and medications, as often as possible. For the baby - breast milk, with it he will receive all your antibodies.

Again I have a headache all day, pills don’t help cope with the pain, nothing makes me happy, nausea creeps in in waves. I want to curl up into a ball, put my heavy head under the pillow and not see anyone, not hear anything.

If the mother has problems with lactation and the baby has to be given formula, only special adapted formulas should be given to the babies. Make sure your child drinks a lot in this case.

Water prepared with dill will help get rid of muscle spasms in the intestinal tract and promote the rapid passage of food and gases.

I myself am now sitting with a swollen nose and throat, the baby is 8 - and when she was 2-3 months old, I also caught a cold like this and was very worried. And completely in vain. Although...

Anywhere. Any device.","cancel_anytime":"Cancel Anytime","everything_you_want_to_read":"Everything you want to read.","no_commitment_cancel_anytime":"No Commitment. I wore a mask, even at night. She only took the child to eat and washed her hands thoroughly before doing so. Ttt, you didn’t get sick. I wish the same for you!

The first advice to women breastfeeding is to give up the strict regimen if colic occurs. Of course, the regime accustoms the baby to a certain feeding schedule. But this method is more convenient for mothers than for children. Modern research proves that the child’s body itself knows when it runs out of nutrients. Feed your baby as he demands.

Of course, you should not neglect consulting a specialist. So, if the cause of tummy pain is colic, we will briefly give some recommendations without the use of medications. There are several ways to do this.

If a fever appears above 38-38.5 degrees, or the temperature drops sharply below 36 degrees, a sharp cry, pallor, cold sweat appears or a rash with hemorrhages appears, loose and frequent stools with mucus, blood, foam appear, repeated vomiting, convulsions, swelling , hoarseness of voice - this requires an immediate call for an ambulance.

As FACTS previously reported, frequent colds are sometimes a sign of a lack of vitamins in the body.

APD: I take homeopathy, all sorts of oscillococcinum, etc., I drip influenza and tantum verde and hexospray for the throat. It's already better.

Most often, for infant flatulence, carminatives are used, such as:

• Bobotik;
• Espumisan;
• BabyCalm;
• Bebinos;
• Plantex.