Immune Support for Toddlers

My ND recommends Gaia Kids Kids Defense Herbal drops. At his age he would take 5 drops/4 times a day.

I understand the concern of keeping little ones free of bugs, but one of the best immune builders is letting your child's body fight the bugs. If he eats healthy and he's growing well, he doesn't need extra vitamins.

My, now 16-year-old, son was sick on and off for a whole year when he was three. I swear he always had a runny nose, cough, etc.... People (in-laws) hounded me that it was his childcare. In part they were right, only because he hadn't been exposed to all those bugs. Not because the facility was dirty (I searched for the right facility for months and broke down in tears many times, until I found The One).

After that year, my son's immune system is like a rock. He rarely gets sick. In the past 13 years, he has had the flu twice and last year he had Mono. That's it. And I dont' get him flu shots.

I agree with TJ: pediatric chiro helps keep the body's systems working correctly because an aligned body is a better-functioning body.

I'd also try some probiotics, which can help. Many diseases are caught in the gut and ended there, so keeping the gut healthy can help.

And always, always, handwashing is so important. Not the anti-bac sanitizer (which will actually leave your kid sicker if used in lieu of handwashing regularly), but actual soap and water handwashing. We wash our hands in our home every time we come back from the store, being out in public, bus trips, and before meals. During my years as a nanny and preschool teacher, it's my opinion that children often do not wash their hands often enough or well enough. It's important to do this with them when you can, and keep watching to make sure their hands really are clean. Their own tendency is to either "do it quick and get it done" or they just soap their palms, if that. A foaming soap that is easy to spread will be more helpful than bar soap,by the way.

My last recommendation is to talk to a naturopath if you are seeing repeated illnesses. Oh, and avoid foods that make it difficult to heal: no dairy of any sort, (there's soy yogurt to pinch-hit, give in small amounts anyway as it's pretty sweetened); no sugar/sweets, which feed bacteria and viruses; no caffiene (think chocolate milk). Do push liquids, chicken broth, and get outside as much as you can. Fresh air does help. Good luck!

Regular chiropractic care keeps us from getting sick as often as some people, and helps decrease the time we are sick when we do catch something. Dr Ray Sicilia in Spokane works with kids, including his own. The spine houses the nervous system, which controls all bodily functions, so removing interference helps the immune system function at its highest level. Chiropractic care, especially for kids, is very safe, gentle, and effective! In addition limit use of hand sanitizer and try not to keep things too super clean, a healthy amount of bacteria exposure helps build immune system responses.

T.

I would talk to your pediatrician regarding your concern and definitely before starting any supplements. Public places (library, busses, grocery store) and daycares really are a breeding ground for germs n such. Lots of handwashing and wipes can help.

I've been giving my 5 1/2 year old a chewable acidophilus supplement every day since she was about 18 months old and was given antibiotics for a suspected ear infection. She seems to get sick less often than the other kids at her school and her pediatrician said that she's noticed that the kids who take acidophilus do tend to get sick less frequently. We give her a chewable because we don't always have active culture yogurt in the house.

I give my 5 y.o. Cod Liver Oil (lemon taste) It was recommended by a Naturopath when she was 2 y.o. She takes also some children probiotics and multivitamins. She rarely gets sick, and when she does the duration and severity of symptoms are very mild and short lived. Even while going through preschool. I do believe that cod liver oil is very important.
http://www.vitacost.com/Carlson-Norwegian-Cod-Liver-Oil-L...

I think a lot of people go through this as they become exposed to more public places.
My sister and I stayed home till we started kindergarten, and then we were sick with everything that went around for about 2 years.
My son started day care at 12 weeks, and he came down with everything for about 2 years and then things seemed to level out and he only got sick a few times a year.
Just my opinion but it seems this is just the way our immune systems work - it takes time and exposure and being sick in order to get things working as they should. Our immune systems seem to need 'excercise' in order to recognize disease and produce antibodies against it.
I think good nutrition helps, but if it was the perfect cure/preventative - no one would ever get sick and that's just not what happens.
Chiropractors? Some people swear by them but again, if it worked so perfectly why do people still get sick? There would be a chiropractor on every block if it were a sure thing.

I know of a great supplement. I have parents say all the time that everyone in class gets sick except their kids who are on these vitamins.

Shaklee is a well known company (#1 natural nutrition company in the U.S.) and they do double-blind studies on their own products to confirm everything they say about the product is true.

Go to www.nutritionandhealthnow.com and look for children's vitamins.

If you don't like the product you get your money back. Can't beat that.

N.
Wellness Coach

I would google/research "rebounding" which is bouncing on a mini-trampoline. I would encourage the child to bounce often throughout the day. Good luck.

First, I want to say that the person who posted that vaccines boost the immune system is dead wrong! Vaccines suppress your immune system for 2-4 weeks. After kids their 18 mo DtAp shot some of their immune systems suffer.
Second, I give my daughter a probiotic. Huckleberrys carries a powdered probiotic that you add to their juice or milk.
I also give her liquid vitamin C and liquid vitamin D3 and liquid Omega 3.
We only do selective vaccinations with my daughter and for the first 2 years she never go sick but then she started catching everything. We figured out that she had a food allergy and that was supressing her immune system. You may look into that.
Third, I got a product at Huckleberrys called wish garden. They have immune boosters. So far its made a huge difference.

Your immune system is housed in your intestines--probiotics (such as Culturelle) are great for the immune system. I mix some in with my daughter's milk at dinner and she hasn't been sick in over a year (3 yr old and in day care).

The top supplement in the country is Reliv's NOW for Kids. It was formulated by Dr. Carl Hastings, the leading food scientist in the country, and a member of the team who developed ProSoBee infant formula, which has been used by millions of kids for years and years. Baby formulas have stricter standards than other foods in this country. So those near-pharmaceutical grade formulas have been added to Reliv's food formulation protocol.

Vitamin pills are virtually useless. There is very low absorption, first of all. Secondly, they contain the minimum needed to avoid deficiencies, and not optimal levels. They are not usually well balanced because they don't contain the other nutrients a child needs including minerals, trace elements, phytonutrients, amino acids, etc. (Actually, the same principle applies to adult vitamins.) Most physicians, if they have had any training in nutrition (which most have not), will tell you that vitamins are a waste of money, and some will even say "expensive urine" because much is eliminated vs. absorbed. And a lot of parents are (rightfully) concerned because children's vitamins carry warning labels to keep them out of the reach of children!

Reliv's products are not required to carry any labels because they are balanced food sources and not chemicals/drugs. They are used worldwide not just by customers but by over 43,000 kids fed through the company's humanitarian foundation. I have been in conferences where the physicians who dispense the kids' formula through clinics, hospitals, orphanages, etc. have detailed the phenomenal health results these kids have had. Additionally, the product contains DHA, a fatty acid found in breast milk which is crucial for healthy brain function & development. A few companies are starting to throw a little DHA into products but this is recent and not well balanced. I'd go with the experience and credentials of Reliv.

This product has been out for years, is well tested, and all ingredients are quarantined for purity before manufacture. Manufacture is here in the US and the plant has had a sterling FDA inspection. The company has won many awards for corporate social responsibility and business ethics, and is an invited member into the Direct Selling Association (a watchdog group). The company is also a member of the Council for Responsible Nutrition which is trying to increase the standards of the nutrition industry. A lot of companies fight this but Reliv is at the forefront.

The company also provides phenomenal customer support, a money back guarantee, and a group of nutritional consultants who will help you. You can't buy anything in a health food store or supermarket which includes customer care. I'd be happy to give you more info. You can call the company directly but they'll send you back to the first person who told you about it anyway. They're very honest that way.

My family has had extraordinary results, and I've helped a lot of others do this. I'd love to connect you to friends of mine who had very sick kids and no longer do, who've avoided ear tubes and drugs and cut out the nebulizers.

Regards,

D. B
Nutritional Consultant

I.,
I also use Shaklee. No other company comes close to Shaklee's quality. Check them out and see the proof. Other companies will say the same kinds of things but can't back up the claims.

Vaccinations boost the immune system.