As a parent, you want to do everything in your power to make sure your child is healthy and happy. One of the most important things you can do for their health is to help boost their immune system. Here are six easy tips for doing just that.
1. Ensure they are up to date on essential vaccines
Vaccinations are one of the simplest and most effective ways to help boost your child’s immunity and protect them from some serious diseases.
Vaccines work by introducing a weakened or inactive form of a virus or bacteria into the body. This allows the child’s immune system to create antibodies to fight off the disease. Once the child is vaccinated, they will have lifelong protection against the disease. Some of the most important vaccines for children include polio, measles, mumps, and rubella.
Make sure they’re up to date on all their shots and talk to your doctor about any booster shots they may need as they get older.
2. Make sure they’re getting enough sleep
As any parent knows, getting a good night’s sleep can be a challenge, especially for young children. But what many parents may not realize is that sleep plays an important role in immunity.
In fact, research has shown that sleep deprivation can lead to a decrease in white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infection. As a result, ensuring that your child gets enough sleep is one of the best ways to boost their immunity. So how much sleep does your child need?
According to the Health Promotion Board, the younger the child is, the more sleep they need. You may refer to the table below on Health Promotion Board’s recommended sleep duration:
| Age | Recommended Sleep Duration |
| 0 – 3 months | 14 to 17 hours |
| 4 – 11 months | 12 to 15 hours |
| 1 – 2 years old | 11 to 14 hours |
| 3 – 5 years old | 10 to 13 hours |
| 6 – 13 years old | 9 to 11 hours |
3. Feed them a healthy diet
A healthy diet can boost their immunity, help them maintain a healthy weight, and give them the energy they need to grow and develop properly.
There are a few simple things you can do to make sure your children are getting the nutrients they need. First, focus on incorporating plenty of fruits and vegetables into their diet – aim for at least five servings per day. Second, make sure they’re getting enough protein. Lean meats, eggs, and dairy are all good sources of protein. Third, limit their intake of sugary drinks and snacks – too much sugar can lead to weight gain and tooth decay.
4.Keep them hydrated
When children are properly hydrated, their bodies are better able to fight off infection and disease. Proper hydration also helps to reduce the severity of symptoms if your child does become sick.
There are a few easy ways to make sure your child is getting enough fluids each day. Offer them water or milk at every meal and snack time and encourage them to drink regularly throughout the day.
You can also pack fruit and vegetables with high water content in their lunchboxes or make homemade juice popsicles for a fun and healthy treat. By making hydration a priority, you can help keep your child healthy and strong all year long.
5. Get them active
Exercising is not only good for adults but children as well. It has been shown to boost a child’s immunity, help with weight control, and improve mental health and academic performance.
However, many children are now spending more time than ever in front of screens, whether it’s TV, computers, tablets, or phones. While there is a time and place for screen time, it’s important to make sure that kids are also getting enough physical activity.
There are plenty of ways to get kids moving, from playing tag to taking a family bike ride. And the benefits are worth it: not only will they be healthier, but they’ll also have more energy and be better able to concentrate in school. So, get out there and get them active!
6. Try traditional forms of physical therapy like Paediatric Tuina
Paediatric tuina can be beneficial for boosting a child’s immunity, relieving pain and discomfort and improving their overall well-being. Children might be more comfortable with paediatric tuina since it does not involve bitter medication or injections.
Suitable for children 0 – 9 years old, paediatric tuina has been found to have powerful effects on the respiratory and digestive systems, and other conditions such as cough, fever, influenza, diarrhoea, stomachache and many more.
Paediatric tuina involves applying pressure to acupoints, meridians, and groups of muscles or nerves in order to promote qi flow.
Learn more about Paediatric Tuina here.
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Looking for a way to help boost your child’s immunity and improve their overall well-being? Singapore Paincare TCM Wellness offers paediatric tuina and a variety of TCM and wellness services suitable for the whole family. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your family achieve optimal health.
