How to Boost the Immune System of Your Baby and Toddler Naturally

Young infants are less able to fight any infection as their immune systems are still immature. We always try to protect our babies and toddlers from infection and build their immunity through vaccination. But vaccination alone cannot fight off all kinds of diseases like common cold, flu etc. It is a fact that healthy diet, exercise and cleanliness can ward off various disease causing bacteria, virus and other germs.
Natural and herbal remedies, prepared at home, can also relieve them from the discomfort and suffering of the disease.
Ways to boost the immune system of the babies and toddlers
• Healthy Diet
• Exercise
• Hygiene
• Natural Remedies
Healthy diet boosts immune response
Breast milk is not only rich in all kinds of nutrients but also provides immune protection against diseases. It is the richest and only source of antibodies for the babies who solely thrive on breastfeed. No commercial formula can provide the antibodies that are present in breast milk that ward off various infections.
A diet rich in complex carbohydrates like whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables,proteins, is best to support a healthy immune system. Cut down on refined foods like sugar is also suggested. Whole foods like brown rice, whole wheat products provide steady increase in energy and stimulate the immune response of the body.
Give your babies different coloured fruits and vegetables to eat which are rich in immune boosting carotenoids and flavenoids. Veggies like carrot, green beans, raw papaya, white potato, sweet potato, pumpkins etc. are good for babies who have started to eat solids.
Fruits like banana, apple, pear, apricot, plum, prune, and melon are also good. Fruits rich in vitamin C, like the citrus fruits and berries etc. aid in the immune response.
Garlic, onion, and thyme have antiviral qualities. These can be added in little amount to the babies food after 10 to 12 months of age.
Increase in fluid intake during cold, fever, flu or diarrhea provides healing support.
Offer a lot of proteins in the form of full cream milk, chicken and fish to provide all the essential amino acids required by the body.
Exercise will keep them fit
We all know that good diet is a big boost to the immunity of your child but we do not often think of exercise as a help in this endeavor. It is a fact that exercise not only helps to get more oxygen and helps to remove harmful toxins from the body but also stimulates to release certain chemicals in the body, which helps the immune system fight bacteria.
Young infants cannot exercise as old kids but we can always engage them in various kinds of physical activities that would give the same result. Let the toddlers go outside and help them run around. Do not let them sit in front of the TV. Few hours of active play will keep them fit and healthy.
Maintaining hygiene keeps the family happy
Always wash your hands before handling the baby because good hand washing can remove the germs from our hands. The golden rule is to wash your hands with any kind of soap for about 15 seconds.
Avoid people who are most likely to be sick like those with fevers, runny nose or coughs, and also other children-who are the most common carrier of different contagious forms of germs. Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene at home can keep the baby and the family healthy and happy.
Natural Remedies
There are several natural things that you can buy or prepare at home to improve the immune response of the body and make the baby or the toddler feel better when they are sick.
Eucalyptus oil: If your baby is suffering from cold, fever and body ache put a few drops of Eucalyptus oil in a handkerchief and let the young one smell it. Keep it beside the pillow when he or she sleeps. Eucalyptus fights infection, kills bacteria, and opens the sinuses to drain. This works amazingly well.
Cinnamon Oil: You can massage a drop of Cinnamon oil mixed with olive oil on the bottom of the feet, which is good for boosting the immune system and fighting viruses. Do not to put it on the skin of the face, arms or legs; otherwise, it can burn the skin. The skin under the feet is tougher.
Fennel Tea: Prepare fennel tea with one teaspoon of fennel per cup of boiling water, boil for 20 minutes and give two spoons of the tea three times a day to help break up mucous.
Fennel Water: Fennel water is similar to anise and dill water. This is used to ease flatulence in infants. Syrup made from fennel can be used to treat babies with colic or painful teething.
There is nothing harder to watch your baby suffer from a disease. Some simple precautions and practices can boost their immune system and keep them healthy happy and smiling.
Copyright (2010) Sudarshana Maitra
Author name: Sudarshana Maitra
The content of the article is solely the property of the author. This article can be published electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included.
She is a successful freelance writer. She has a long term experience in writing articles on various topics like health and lifestyle, home and decor, finance, travel, wildlife etc. She is also experienced in technical writing.
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What is Scarlet Fever - Tips For Treating it Properly

Scarlet fever, an illness caused by the same bacteria found in cases of strep throat, was once a deadly disease greatly feared by parents of young children. However, due to modern antibiotics, it is no longer considered a serious ailment but is similar in intensity to catching a bad flu, strep throat, or the chicken pox. It mostly affects school-age children, though usually not toddlers, and while uncomfortable, with proper treatment should not cause any major complications. This article should inform the reader not only how to diagnose scarlet fever, but what should be done to treat it.
Scarlet fever is a tricky condition to diagnose because at first, it appears as strep throat would, with a fever and a sore throat. However, 1-2 days after the fever begins (usually 101 degrees or more) a reddish rash should begin to appear on the neck and chest, later spreading across the body and sometimes to the face as well. The identifying feature of this rash is that it should be bumpy and 'sandpaper-ish' and at the start may simply look like a bad sunburn. Because it may be itchy, it's important to use a soothing lotion with ingredients like chamomile or aloe vera to avoid skin damage. Other important signals are the characteristic 'strawberry' tongue, or a bright red tongue, abdominal pain, and swollen lymph nodes along the throat.
While scarlet fever may not seem to be more serious than the flu in its symptoms, it is critical to treat it seriously and immediately go to a physician to get antibiotics. This is not the sort of illness you can wait out or simply buy over the counter cold medicine for; if left untreated, scarlet fever can cause serious complications, most notably rheumatoid fever, a condition that can permanently weaken the heart valves. The doctor will most likely give you a clinical examination, swab your throat to check for signs of the strep bacteria, and prescribe you a 10-day course of standard antibiotics. Remember to continue to take the antibiotics for the full duration of the prescription even if your symptoms appear to disappear after the first couple of days; this ensures that you will remove all bacterial infection from your body.
Upon beginning to take the course of antibiotics, the fever should begin to fade after a couple of days and the sore throat should subside quickly. The skin around the area affected by the rash will begin to peel off 3-4 days after the rash's appearance and may continue peeling for 10 days, but the rash itself may not go away fully for up to 2-3 weeks. People infected will no longer be contagious 24 hours after they begin taking antibiotics, but until then, it is highly contagious. If you should develop new symptoms or there does not appear to be an affect after taking antibiotics for 24 hours, you should contact your doctor immediately because there may be a new infection that needs treatment.
Do You Think Your Rash Is Due to Scarlet Fever
Stop by to read about Common Contagious Childhood Rashes and learn more about typical rashes as well as the rare Life Threatening Rashes
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