Help Boost My Child’s Immune System

We use chiropractic, let them get a little dirty now and then, vitamins, probiotics, extra vitamin d, omega 3s, and lots of sleep and good food!

You could let her lick the shopping cart handles at Wal Mart to build up resistance.....

Just kidding. My boys take probiotics and fish oil supplements daily. they've never been sickly kids, but this still helps them maintain a healthy immune system.

My first answer is to check out the forums on Mothering Dot Community, the Health and Healing boards. AMAZING info and AMAZING group of women.
My second answer is to list out some things that have helped/are helping my family:
-garlic -- lots of garlic in our food, eaten straight, and supplements
-no dairy or soy; cut out refined carbs as much as is reasonable (and no sweets except on very special occasions) -- sugar really does a number on the body's ability to fight infection (I think I've read something like T-cell counts are lower for over 3 hours after consumption of high-carbs.)
-Plenty of sleep -- SOOOO IMPORTANT!!
-Minimal stress
-Raw foods, whole foods, non-processed foods
-Fermented foods (i.e. sauerkraut, black garlic, Kombucha tea (though the only way I can get my kids to drink it is getting the kind with fruit juice in it -- oh well. In moderation!)
-Salmon oil or Cod liver oil (and watch out, not all brands are the same!); I like the MorDHA IQ Oil. My kids actually ask for their "strawberry oil!")

Having listed those tips, I'd also wonder if there might be an underlying food allergy or intolerance. ?? This might be helpful & it's completely free and harmless: an elimination diet (google it or look on motheringdotcommunity for more about this!) lasting about 3 weeks (to completely clear the body of remaining food proteins can take several weeks), then 'challenging' by adding in a food you previously eliminated, waiting a week or two between challenges for observation (observing skin, mood, behavior, and especially in your case, pain & upper respiratory irritation).

Those are all I can think of off the top of my head -- HTH & your little girl gets to feeling better, more often, soon!!

P.S. just read the following reply & DEFINITELY, I second the probiotics tip!! (<slapping forehead for forgetting to mention that>) HMF, Jarrow, and PB 8 are good brands you might like to try.

Give her probiotics and liquid Vit D3. A daily fish oil and staying away from dairy and sugar.
When she gets a cold, turmeric is great for clearing mucous.

A few suggestions…
You can boost up everyone’s immunity by taking vitamins and probiotics. Florify probiotics are great supplements and VERY affordable, compared to others on the market.

Also, I am a BIG proponent of chiropractic adjustments for everyone, including infants. I have been seeing a chiropractor for years and totally believe in the benefits of chiropractic care. I got adjusted during both my pregnancies and my children have been adjusted since they were days old. We have given our chiropractor the title of our primary family physician and we see him before we go to the medical doctors (that’s how much we respect his expertise!). If you go this route, be sure that you see a pediatric specialty chiropractor for your son…there are chiropractors that will adjust infants and children without specialized training and it may not be a good experience.

I do think the food we eat is VERY important to our overall health as well. Rent the movies, Food Inc. and Food Matters. It made us think twice about the foods we buy.

Finally, you may want to look at the household cleaners and personal care items in your house, such as laundry soap, dish soap, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. A lot of these products have toxic chemicals that are harmful to us. Look into healthier or even organic products if you can. I work for a company that sells over 400 natural products that are a little cheaper that the organic products I used to buy at food coops. If you’re interested I can show you how to get these products yourself.

I second all the natural ways to boost your childs immune system already mentioned here. I do all of those for my family. I also see a good chiropractor for myself about once a month (thankfully we have insurance that covers this). We use mostly vinegar and water and maybe a little chlorine free bleach to clean everything in our home. Instead of comet or ajax I use Baking Soda to scrub sinks, toilets, and showers and countertops. We have pretty much eliminated all chemicals in our home. Both of my kids (ages 5 and 3) have been tested for both environmental and food allergies since there is a family history of them. Once we eliminated the food allergies that my daughter has, she doesn't get sick as much. So an allergy might be one of the underlying reasons that your daughter gets sick so much. If your daughters immune system is constantly fighting against an allergy, it will weaken, allowing other things like viruses to take hold more often. Do you notice if she tends to get sick during certain months or seasons? My kids tend to get sick around the holidays and then again around Springtime, the usual high allergy/pollen months.

As for supplements that I give my kids:

Animal Parade Immune Booster
Animal Parade Acidophikidz
Yummi Bears Multi Vitamin and Mineral
Gummy Omegalicious Omega 3 Formula

I like all three of the above mentioned brands for kids supplements because they are allergy friendly and gluten free (my daughter is allergic to wheat, strawberries, pineapple, etc.). All 3 companies have a variety of kids supplements. They are more expensive than regular brands like Flintstones, but they are made with all natural whole food ingredients with little to no artificial chemicals. And again it is important that they are gluten free and allergy friendly.

For smaller changes that you can make to her diet:

Instead of using regular tuna for sandwiches, use canned salmon instead. Salmon is a good source for Omega 3's.

Instead of white rice, use brown rice.

Eat a variety of colors of fruits and veggies. My kids love to eat fried rice. I use brown rice, a little sesame oil, and put in whatever veggies I have on hand with whatever meat I have (and sometimes I don't put any meat at all). For those in our family that can have soy, I will add in some wheat free soy sauce after I take out a portion for those who can't have soy.

Instead of using regular store bought dressings, either make your own or buy organic, whole food ones.

Instead of regular Capri Sun type juice boxes in her lunch, either make your own and put into a thermos for her, or get juice boxes with less sugar. I usually buy 3 or 4 gallons of organic juice. Then for the kids lunches I will put half water with half juice into their Thermos Funsip cup things. Plus those things rarely leak in their lunch bags and are reusable, so less trash.

To get more fruits and veggies into your daughter...make smoothies at home. My kids love it when we do this. Sometimes we will just make smoothies in place of dinner. Last night hubby made some with a scoop of lime Sherbet, limeade, water, ice, blueberries and peaches. Yum! I will make mine with a scoop of vanilla flavored whey protein, a scoop of wholefood greens powder, a cup of apple juice, and a cup of water. My 3 yo daughter always hogs it from me so I end up having to make 2 smoothies.

I give mine an all natural vitamin. I love them- they are rated better then Flinstones. They have a patented compund that helps the body absorb all the minerals and vitamins. Most vitamins we are not absorbing completely! Contact me for details!
M.

Hi Sue,
When I was a little girl, I was ALWAYS sick. My parents were pharmacists and they gave me an antibiotic for everything.
I got better in the very short term, but always got sick again, as the drugs ultimately weakened my own immune system. When I was 17, I began to see a chiropractor and my resistance to illness changed so dramatically, that I became a chiropractor myself. I have been in practice 28 years. My children are 16 and 18 and they have never had an antibiotic. I take care of a lot of children in my practice and I can give you many stories of no more ear infections, or no more missed school due to illness. Chiropractic and nutrition can make a huge difference in the immune system, especially in those of a child. I would be happy to speak to you further and help you find some help in your area. I'm not sure where Porter Ranch is. You can visit my website www.drsiri.com, email me at ____@____.com or call me ###-###-####. Dr. Siri Smith

I give my daughter a whole-food based supplement. In the child's form, it is a gummie. The adult form is a capsule. You can read up on it on my website. My husband, who is a Chinese acupuncture, recommends this product. It is the only western product that he offers to his patients. If you have any questions, you can contact me.

www.MSjuiceplus.com

N.

Wow, It's great to see so many moms supplementing their childrens diets. I've found that it is VERY difficult to give my children all that they need from just the food they ingest daily. My children take 3 basic supplements. Kids Krill Oil (a great product because the capsules are kid size. Purchased through Mercola.com). They also take a vitamin D spray. They think it's cool to be getting sunshine they can spray under their tongue and great for kids who can't take pills. Lastly we all take a whole food superfood product called MAcro Green/Macro Reds by microlife. It's a powder that we mix with apple juice or put in a smoothie. I was never big on supplementing but I can certainly see a difference in my family. We've been doing this about 3 years and my kids are 13, 12 and 9. Good luck on whatever you decide to do!

Hello, When my third child started school, she suddenly started getting strep throat. We had switched our insurance and were now with an HMO. I finally called to make an appointment with our former doctor because the HMO wasn't finding a reason for her to continually have this. He suggested several things. One was to have her blood checked to see if she was anemic. Bullseye. She went onto Ferinsol and after a couple of weeks of this, the problem was solved. Her blood count was back up and the strep stopped. It is important to note that you should never give iron supplements without the directions of a doctor. You can overload them with it.
Also, don't keep her so clean that she doesn't have "good" germs. It is important that we develop an ability to fight off the bad germs on our own.
I hope this makes sense. I would really talk to the doctor about your concerns.
Good luck with your precious little girl.
K. K.

I'd ask your pediatrician how much weight to put into products that claim to boost your immune system - unfortunately some kids are just prone to catching more illnesses than others.

Our son is almost 4, has had 1 ear infection and is hardly ever sick. His 2 year-old sister has had 10 and is getting ready to get her 2nd set of tubes in her ears. Different kids, almost identical diets, and completely different responses (both are in the same day care).

Remember that having illnesses can be a good thing - sounds strange, right? Exposure to illness builds antibodies to fight them in the future. That's really the basis of vaccines to help prevent disease.

I checked the parenting website from the American Academy of Pediatrics to see if I could find any guidance there, and all I could find was this link regarding supplements:
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nut...

Good luck!

Hi,

I have a 4-1/2yr old daugher who hasn't been sick in almost 3yrs. She gets the occasional runny nose or cough, but it only lasts a day or two. So, we must be doing something right. We teach her about proper handwashing and do not use hand sanitizers or antibacterial soaps. Her nails get clipped at least once a week. Germs like to hide under there. We make sure she gets plenty of sleep and eats a healthy diet of fresh fruits and veggies. Kids can be picky so we have to be creative sometimes. We buy organic as much as possible and look for foods that are preservative-free and contain no artificial colors, flavorings, sweeteners, etc. I read alot on the subject to keep up. She drinks alot of water too.

We also try to live a non-toxic lifestyle as much as possible and use Shaklee nutrition, personal care, and cleaning/laundry products. Shaklee is the #1 natural nutrition company in the US and has been around for 54yrs. They have a trusted reputation for safety, purity, and efficacy. We have our daughter on the Incredivites chewable multivitamin. It has 23 essential vitamins/minerals, lactoferrin (a prebiotic for immunity), and the newest recommended dose of Vitamin D (also shown to increase immunity). She takes Optiflora probiotics when I think she coming down with something or has been exposed, but children can be on these all the time. They have a triple-layer encapsulation technology to ensure that you are guaranteed at least 90% of the live bacterial reaches the large intestine (where it's most beneficial). With most other brands you will get maybe 10% of the live bacteria to the large intestine. She takes a chewable omega supplement called Mighty Smart. Shaklee has a triple distillation process to ensure no mercury, dioxins, or other toxins are present. As I mentioned sometimes children can be picky eaters so we sometimes give her a Shaklee meal shake for kids that has vitamins, fiber, and protein. It comes in chocolate and vanilla and you can add fruit, peanut butter, ice, yogurt or whatever you choose to make it a special treat for them. Performance is an electrolyte drink that we use when it is hot to keep her well hydrated. It's great to flavor water or freeze to make popsicles. If you've ever had to give your daughter Pedialyte, then you know it tastes gross. Kids love performance and it's a much better alternative to Pedialyte. Lastly, we use all non-toxic cleaning/laundry products. All the chemicals in conventional brands are highly toxic to children, especially effecting their respitory systems. Check Shaklee and their products out at www.greennutrition.info and register to win $200 in free products at www.freegreenproducts.info. Let me know if you have any questions.

give her chewable probiotics every day! I have been giving them to my kids for a little over a year now and this school year so far they have not been sick even once! Not even a cold or stomach flu. Even though the rest of her class has been sick. Probiotics help build up the immune system. Also some vitamin C everyday would help too

Hi Sue,

I see some great responses below and don't have much to add. I do, however, want to encourage you to give your child the best, all-natural and safest source of Omega-3s and Antioxidants on a daily basis (consistency is the key). Avoid ALL fish oils (there's a safer, all-natural alternative that's at least 158 times more potent anyway and the source is free of PCBs, Mercury, pesticides and toxins of any kind). Krill is a good alternative, unfortunately, it is NOT sustainable and the current fishing methods used to harvest krill are negatively affecting our oceans and the whales and other life forms that depend on krill to survive. Plant-based Omega-3s don't contain DHA and EPA (the two most important Omega-3s needed for brain function & development as well as cardiovascular and heart health to name a few). Try Omega-3s sourced from Greenlip Mussels (indigenous to the pristine waters of New Zealand). Better yet, try MOXXOR! It combines the best marine Omega-3s (cold processed, so they stay in their natural phospholipid state and retain all nutrients) with the immune-boosting antioxidants of the New Zealand Sauvignon Grape Seed Husk extract (at least 3 times more potent than Acai Berry). The combination is producing amazing results. If you'd like to hear the story of how this product has changed my life and the lives of many others suffering from chronic health challenges, send me a message or visit www.moxoffice.com and www.mymoxxor.com/moxoffice. I'm always happy to help!! Best wishes, -P.

Vitamin D supplements (D3...not the pathetic D2 they add to dairy products)
have been found to have MULTIPLE health benefits for all ages. The discoveries just keep coming. There are liquid and chewy vitamins...and tiny white tablets....a variety of choices. Most people do not get enough sun exposure to keep D blood levels up to an optimal level. yeah...we have enough to avoid rickets, but not enough for great health. It is good to have vit A and K2 to balance out the D (reputed to help recycle the vitamin within the human body) Check out The daily Lipid and mark's daily Apple websites for more sciency explanations. Fascinating.

I have a dvd to share if you would like to watch it. God Bless! J.

My kids and I drink MonaVie Mmun. It is a high antioxidant, all natural fruit nutritional drink made from the Acai Berry and 19 other fruits. We take 2 oz. twice/day. It is concentrated so you just need a little. My kids and I only get MAYBE one cold/year. My son is 10 and daughter is 15. We also make sure we get enough sleep and eat a balanced diet (no soda except if for special occasions). If you are interested in the MonaVie juice feel free to contact me-it's a wonderful product and tastes good too. It works for US.

Hope this helps!

she may have allergies... try some benadryl

My little girl was getting cold after cold for about 4 months. I took her to the pediatrician and he said "well, y'know kids get sick!" and sent me on my way. I took her to a naturopath and he figured out that she had a bacterial imbalance in her gut. He gave us some really nasty tasting pills that I had to crush up and give her with applesauce (serious bribery occurred daily) and in 2 weeks she was WAY better. Give alternative medicine a shot.

Chiropractic
PB8 - awesome probiotic with 8 strains of probiotics
Vitamin A&D for when runny noses, upper respiratory issues arise
Herbs for Kids - Echinacea/Astragulus and Echinacea/Goldenroot
No sugar, very little dairy, and organic fruits and veggies
No juice - only water to drink (my kids get sips of juice probably every 3-4 months)
10-12 hours of sleep every night
Exercise outside in the sun daily NOT at the hottest part of the day

I was born at home, drug-free, been adjusted by a chiroprator since I was 2 days old, never been vaccinated, never had an antibiotic in my life and I'm 35. I'm literally NEVER sick. I think I had 3 days of the flu when I was pushing myself WAY too hard when I was 7 months pregnant a few years back, but that was because I wasn't giving my body what it needed - rest!

My kids have been raised the exact same way I was and literally are NEVER sick. They play with sick (runny nose, sneezing, coughing, etc) kids all of the time and I never worry.

Hi Sue!

My 4 yr old daughter LOVES her VEMMA NEXT. She asks for it every night before bed. It is a liquid (for up to 97% absorbtion)and tastes like orange sickle! yum! It is the most complete vitamin you will find on the market. It is made specifically for children 2 -12 and includes veggies!!
(my daughter won't touch veggies ) It is also the only vitamin that includes DHA. It is plant based so it doesn't have that fishy taste or smell.
We absolutely love it!
www.vemma.com
You can't go wrong!
Cheers
B. : )

We make kefir smoothies for the kids (5 & 2) everyday and they love them. They're a great probiotic that are stronger than yogurt and you can make them on your own once you get the grains. They grow and people are often willing to share them so you may even find someone in your area willing to give you some of theirs. I'd offer because we have a lot but I live in another state. You're fortunate to live in CA where raw milk is readily available so making them wouldn't be a problem for you. Otherwise, we give them daily vitamins, eat organic and read labels to avoid preservatives. Everyone is pretty healthy.

There are some great ideas already posted and you'll choose well for your family I'm sure.

Take care!
J.