A mother’s or father’s worry when they see their baby sick is often overwhelming. Especially when it’s the first time we witness our child with an illness, we can get desperate and not know what to do. However, some illnesses are very common and are related to immunity in babies, since their immune system is not very strong yet as it is still developing. Knowing that this is normal and will happen sooner or later to all babies, parents tend to stay calmer, but there are still many doubts around this subject. After all, how does immunity in babies work? What can I do to prevent certain diseases? What is the best way to treat my baby? With so many questions in mind, it’s necessary that everything is answered as clearly as possible, and that’s why we’ll talk in more detail about this topic.

The Baby’s Immune System

As we mentioned before, the baby’s immune system is quite fragile, as it’s still in the process of being formed. It’s interesting to understand that babies are born with certain types of immunity and others are acquired throughout life. Vaccines, for example, are a form of acquired immunity and are a great help in maturing the baby’s immune system. The fact that immunity in babies is fragile makes them get sick more often, and the healing process of these diseases often helps the immune system mature little by little. This doesn’t mean your baby should get sick for the immune system to work, only that certain illnesses are part of everyone’s life and end up causing these results. The immune system is not just one thing, far from simple. There are various components of immunity, and many are not with us at birth, or are present in a poorly developed form. These components mature over time and also through the processes we have mentioned here.

At What Age Does This Improve?

A good part of a baby’s immunity is completed by one year of age. But as we said, that’s just a part. Since immunity is something complex and layered, there are many other parts that will only be fully developed around adolescence. At each stage of childhood all these types of immunity usually change and develop. The stomach and its bacteria are a great example, since often as children we can’t eat certain foods and as adults we eat them with no problem.

Most Common Diseases in Babies

As we’ve discussed, diseases are part of all our lives, especially babies. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the most common illnesses in the little ones. Of course, there are many other diseases that are common in babies, but we decided to focus on those that occur mainly because of the fragility of the immune system and low immunity in babies. They are:

We will talk about each one individually, so you have a better perspective of how they act and the best way to treat your baby.

Flu

It may be the most common illness not just for babies, but for everyone. The flu virus often mutates, so it can attack us several times over our lives. The flu is treated with rest, plenty of fluids, and, depending on the case if there is a fever, some medications to relieve symptoms. The flu is an illness that can become dangerous if not treated properly.

Viral infection

The term viral infection is quite broad. It can mean a cold, diarrhea in the baby, or any type of “milder” disease caused by a virus. Runny nose, fever, vomiting, and cough are some of the main symptoms. Treatment also requires rest and plenty of fluids, and possibly medications depending on the symptoms. Viral infections are usually not very dangerous.

Otitis

With a feverish and irritable baby, many mothers may mistake otitis (ear infection) for a viral infection. Because it causes very acute pain, the baby may cry much more than usual, which can worry parents. The disease is treated with antibiotics, and in a few weeks the baby is completely cured.

How to Increase Your Baby’s Immunity?

Now that we have discussed how immunity in babies works and the most common diseases caused by this fragility, we can talk about how to increase the baby’s immunity so that these illnesses can be avoided. Remember that this is not a guarantee you’ll avoid disease altogether, but it certainly helps in developing a baby’s immune system. Some things that help increase a baby’s immunity are:

  • Nutrition
  • Physical Activity
  • Hygiene
  • Vaccines
  • General Care

Each of these points has its own specifics, so we will address each one individually.

Nutrition

Having all the nutrients necessary for a balanced diet is without a doubt the main weapon for a baby’s immune system to develop efficiently. But what many people don’t know is that the mother’s nutrition also affects this aspect, since many of the nutrients she consumes are passed through breast milk. Therefore, the nutrition of both mother and baby should be the first item on this list for improving immunity in babies.

Physical Activity

Getting the baby moving and introducing them to new environments is important. Although caution is needed, physical activity helps the baby’s body to develop better and, consequently, the immune system as well.

Hygiene

Good hygiene, both for the baby and those around them, prevents the baby from coming in contact with bacteria and viruses too easily. This ensures their immune system works to develop without major problems along the way.

Vaccines

As we said earlier, vaccines are a key part and are of great help for the development of a baby’s immune system. Make sure to give all vaccines on time so that the effect is complete.

General Care

There are many other measures that can and should be taken to boost babies’ immunity. One of them, for example, is to avoid letting babies come into contact with animals; if they do, make sure to wash the baby’s hands so there is no contact with bacteria. The same advice applies to environments that may contain many viruses and bacteria, especially places with crowds. Parental concern for the baby’s immunity is very common. It’s also normal for babies to be sick often—it’s part of life. What we can’t forget is that just because these things are part of everyone’s life, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t fight them or be aware of the harm they can do. Many illnesses will appear and end up strengthening your child for the ones yet to come, but that doesn’t mean the journey won’t be hard and demanding for you along the way. It’s part of being a mother. It’s part of having a baby. Also See: Which Vaccines Cause a Reaction? Photo: Amber Faust