Boosting a toddler's immune system

[fourthontheway]

Are you washing his hands before you leave the centre? Then the bath when you get home, it's a really good way to prevent germs. Other than that the probiotics are great, and in time the immune system gets used to the onslaught and starts to cope better.

[M22]

beema - sounds exactly like us- this year was a shocker...
lets both hope for a better year!!

BW- i hope little same gets stronger!

[LimeSlice]

Vitaminc C.
The best thing out for preventing illness and boosting ones natural defences. You can get liquid squirts you can pop straight into his mouth or mix with his bottles or foods, or of course straight chewable tablets if you think he can handle them.

And like Bath said, the only way he will build an immune system is to have it attacked.

[onthefly]

I'm curious though, about the 'attacking the immune system' theory... Does that really hold when they're so young and their immune systems are so immature? Is there really enough there to build a defence?

In 12 weeks at daycare DS had 2 viral infections (spotty type things), 2 colds and a flu-type thing... was last winter particularly bad? Maybe we could try again this year but I'm really wary.

[Bathsheba]

Marcellus: yes, their immune systems are not as developed and strong as adults but from what I have read it does seem that there is a connection to strong immunity and mild and regular "attack". Hence the reporting of the theory that many Western homes are too clean... that our love of sterile conditions are doing our immune systems no favours. Check out the thread about the benefits of letting your kids play in the dirt for example. Antibodies are created in our bodies (young and old) as a response to invading microbes. No microbes no response. White blood cells (these are the ones that basically "swallow and destroy" germs) need to be built up by a mild and regular attack. If a strong and sudden attack by a nasty bug arrives on the scene then an immune system that is used to being sheilded by sterile conditions is caught unprepared then the child will probably get much sicker than if the system was used to fighting lesser attacks. Does this make sense?

[onthefly]

Hmmm, ok. I'm not sure our daycare experience would count as mild... regular certainly.
Our house is far from sterile, so I don't think we need to worry on that score.