Kid's Health & Immunity

 Ensuring your child gets the right nutrients so they can grow and flourish is at the forefront of any parent’s mind.

All children need certain nutrients to thrive as they go through their stages of growth and development.  However, during their developing years, children are particularly susceptible to infections due to their maturing immune systems.

The most common conditions that affect the immune systems of children include allergies (such as asthma, rhinitis and eczema), bacterial infections (such as ear infections, impetigo or school sores, throat infections and urinary tract infections), and viral infections (such as the common cold, influenza, sinusitis, respiratory tract infections, conjunctivitis and vomiting & diarrhoea).

Statistics show that children can be expected to get as many as 5-10 colds in one year and allergies is one of the fastest growing chronic conditions in Australia. Allergies most commonly present in childhood and often persist into adulthood.

The cause of lowered immunity range from poor sleep, poor diet, stress and anxiety, exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, BPA in plastics and cigarette smoke, as well as exposure to chemicals from household cleaners and skincare.

Common herbal and nutrient treatments to support your child’s immune system

Often when children go back to school, kinder or daycare, it seems that in no time they’ve picked up a ‘bug’. So now is the time to support their immune system and provide relief from the severity and the duration of the virus.

Herbs such as Echinacea, Elderberry, Thyme, Marshmallow, Elecampane and Mullein have beautiful properties that help reduce the severity of symptoms and reduce the time affected by the ‘bug’.

And nutrients such a Probiotics, Quercetin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and zinc are important to help relieve the symptoms of colds and flu and help maintain a healthy immune system.
Elderberry has traditionally been used to relieve fever, as well as symptoms of colds and flu and is great for mucous congestion. Coupled with Echinacea and Immune nutrients, they help reduce the onset, severity and duration of cold symptoms.

Eczema

Atopic eczema is the most common type of eczema seen in children as it affects 10-20% of infants. It is an allergic and inflammatory condition of the skin.

Studies show that there is a link between our gut microbiome and our immune response.

Supplementing with a probiotic that contains the strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus is a core treatment for eczema. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are also great to use as they have an anti-inflammatory action on eczema. Other anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy herbs traditionally used are Baical skullcap, Licorice and Echinacea. Vitamin C and zinc are important immune and skin nutrients. Vitamin C helps to maintain healthy histamine levels. It also maintains healthy connective tissue and is essential for the formation of collagen – both of which support and maintain healthy skin.
Zinc also helps support and maintain healthy skin and a zinc deficiency is linked to the development of dermatitis.

We know that 75-80% of our immunity resides in our gut and so supplementing with a probiotic is an important key to all our treatment protocols.

Get Professional Advice

If eczema, asthma or allergies are compromising your child’s health it might be time to book an appointment to see one our consulting Naturopaths. When focusing on treating allergy and reactivity they are helping many navigate the complex world of allergic disease and restore health, vitality and normality to their lives. Appointments can be made by calling Mammoth Health on 5243 9084 or you can BOOK ON-LINE now.
 

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The information provided in this article is for information purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. We recommend you consult with a GP or other healthcare professional before taking any action based on this article. While the author uses best endeavours to provide accurate and true content, the author makes no guarantees or promises regarding the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information presented. If you rely on any information provided in this article, you do so at your own risk.

 

 

 

 

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