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Baby’s immunity
When baby is born, is he really ready to defend himself against bacteria? How to boost your immune system? All the answers to your questions.
From its 14th week of in-utero life, baby already has an immune system. The two main players that compose it are the T lymphocytes which destroy all unknown cells and the B lymphocytes which produce antibodies specific to the cells encountered.
Infant: an immature immune system
When baby is born he has antibodies transmitted to him by his mother. The newborn must quickly adapt to the bacterial environment that surrounds it. Don’t worry, baby is more than ready. Moreover, he has many more lymphocytes than an adult. Nature is well done, the organism quickly understands that it will have to defend itself. Despite everything, Baby has an immature immune system. ” It’s as if he has a car, but he doesn’t know how to drive! »Comments Georges Picherot, head of the pediatrics department at Nantes University Hospital. He will have to meet bacteria so that he knows how to respond correctly. His immune system can sometimes be too receptive to certain bacteria. It is for this reason that an infant often has episodes of fever. This means that his immune system is working properly. Conversely, immune deficiency can cause severe infections.
Immune system: how to strengthen it?
Breastfeeding promotes the transfer of IGa which allows the baby to protect himself from digestive and respiratory infections. Georges Picherot advises to follow the WHO recommendations and breastfeed her baby for at least six months. If you do not want to breastfeed (or cannot), a good nutrition keep your baby in good shape. The pediatrician also advises vaccinate her baby : “Vaccination does not weaken the immune system. On the contrary, it aims to stimulate it. “Georges Picherot gives the example of the hepatitis B vaccine:” it is at the infant’s age that it is most effective! “
What weakens the immune system?
An immune deficiency, linked to the insufficiency of one or more immunological functions, can be of hereditary origin.
Certain illnesses can temporarily damage the immune system. Notably, measles which lowers baby’s immunity for a while.
If a good diet helps to “boost” immunity, conversely, when it is bad, the immune system is not at the top.
Immunity: and the way of life?
Parents whose children have been in nurseries since they were infants often see it: they are regularly ill. “You have to use common sense. A crèche where proximity is absolute is not the best. But, staying in a confined space or in “a bubble” is not what is necessary for a child “explains Georges Picherot. The question of lifestyle is not simple. According to him, it would be necessary (if possible) to delay a little the age of entry into nursery. Infections circulate there at high speed. On the contrary, a child left alone up to 3 years old will encounter a multitude of bacteria when he arrives in kindergarten. No worries, Baby will gradually adapt to the environment and learn to defend himself properly.
Allergy infections Incredible: Georges Picherot reveals that researchers have shown that the acquisition of protection, therefore, the body’s encounter with infections protects against allergies! |