Thursday 8 November 2012

How Vulnerable is Your Child’s Natural Body Resistance?

How Vulnerable is Your Child’s Natural Body Resistance?

A child’s natural body resistance works the same way as an adult’s, only that it is not yet mature enough to fight off sickness and disease. You might be wondering why your child gets cough and colds all the time. That’s because his natural body resistance hasn’t built up a strong defense yet that will shield the body from viruses and bacteria.

Your child’s natural body resistance is always in the process of learning which microorganisms, the bacteria that live inside our bodies, are beneficial and which are harmful. So how vulnerable is your child’s natural body resistance?

The answer is: Very.

Without a healthy natural body resistance, children are more prone to sickness and disease. Viruses and bad bacteria enter the body through the food your child eats, or when he puts in his mouth a dirty hand or toy.

Aside from poor diet and unhealthy personal hygiene, stress is another factor that curbs the natural body resistance’s ability to protect the body from intruders. When a child is under stress, his body prepares for the fight or flight moment, but most of the time there is no imminent danger. A child’s natural body resistance weakens as it is suppressed during a stressful moment1.

Consequently, when a child is under stress, he may find it difficult to fall asleep easily. This prevents the body from properly making new white blood cells that will fight off intruders.

Children who have recently taken antibiotics to ward off infections or allergies also have weaker natural body resistance. Antibiotics may kill the bad bacteria that cause sickness, but they also eliminate the good ones which are responsible for keeping the natural body resistance healthy2.

One interesting theory raised in the medical field supposes that children raised in extremely sterile environments are more prone to illness. This may come off as a surprise, but the fact is, children who have not encountered different viruses and bacteria in their lifetime may find it difficult later on to conquer a sickness or disease3.

So what’s a parent to do? Aside from having your children vaccinated against a wide range of diseases, parents also need to make sure that their children are eating the right kinds of food, are reasonably hygienic, and have plenty of exercise and rest.

There is no magic solution to defending against illnesses, but you can always help your child build a stronger natural defense against sickness and disease.

Reference:
1. http://icpa4kids.org/Wellness-Articles/strengthening-your-childs-immune-system.html
2. http://immunedisorders.homestead.com/antibiotics.html
3. http://www.winterdefence.com/sterileenvironment.htm



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