Immunity is a word that has been spoken in every household in the past year. A lot of this awareness has come from the COVID-19 pandemic. People have been scouting the web to learn about ways to improve their immunity and keep their kids and families safe. With most adults getting vaccinated, the focus has now shifted to child health and immunity.
What is Immunity?
Immunity is the defence mechanism of the body that helps it fight any external pathogen. The most primitive form of the immune system begins to form in the foetus, as early as the 7th week of gestation. This matures into something called the Innate Immunity which forms the first line of defence. Innate immunity works like the local police response to any kind of antisocial invasion. Meanwhile, the second line of defence in the body is alerted which carries out the job of containing and eliminating the pathogen. Consider it as the special task-force which is activated to eliminate the identified antisocial element. This is called Adaptive (Acquired) Immunity.
The Connection Between Nutrition and Immunity
Immediately after the baby is born, it receives the most important form of Passive Adaptive immunity from the colostrum which is the first part of mother’s milk received by a breastfed baby. It is loaded with antibodies which form the base of the child’s defence mechanism. However, as the child grows older, the maintenance of his immunity status depends largely on his nutrition which comes from food.
Role of Food
Food contains three macronutrients, each of which has a special role to play. Carbohydrates provide glucose which is required by the macrophages and neutrophils to perform their protective functions. Proteins break down into amino acids which are very essential for the regulation of activities of T and B lymphocytes, antibody production, etc. Fats in the form of LC-PUFA is required as it provides a substrate for the formation of chemical substances required for immune cell response. Micronutrients like iron, selenium, zinc, folic acid, and Vitamins like A, C, E, and D help in the proper functioning of the immune system.
Steps to Improve Immunity in Children
- Prenatal supplements for the expecting mother
- Encouragement of exclusive breastfeeding till 6 months of age (maybe continued till 2 years of age)
- Administration of vaccinations as per schedule
- Supplements as advised by the paediatrician that are aimed at effectively handling any micronutrient deficiency that may arise till the age of one year.
- Fortification of food. Eg: fortified cereals, formula preparations for infants.
- Ensuring adequate protein intake in growing kids. Studies have shown, the per day protein requirement is 1.43 gm/kg at the age of 6 months and 0.91gm/kg at the age of 10.
- Regular physical activity
- Daily 30 minutes of exposure to sunlight between 9-11 am
- Never overfeed kids (a chubby baby is not always a healthy baby). Avoid all processed foods as they lead to excessive calorie intake and pave the way to childhood obesity. It must be noted here that childhood obesity is the biggest precursor to adult obesity.
- Help your child build a healthy food relation from the very beginning. Do this by talking about what they are eating for the day and avoiding screen time at meals.
- Refrain from rewarding your child with certain foods. This teaches them to reward themselves with food when they grow up, thus, creating a poor food relationship.
- Including all the foods cooked at home provides diversification in the diet. It must be remembered that no single food alone can build immunity.
Author: Dr. Dimpy Bhattacharjee
References
https://cegh.net/article/S2213-3984(17)30108-2/pdf
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-and-immunity/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16902324/
