Tips on how you can boost baby’s immunity at home

One of my greatest concerns as a parent is, being able to boost my baby’s immunity. Since babies are more vulnerable to germs and viruses than adults, I think it’s very important to actively take steps to try and enhance their immunity. My pediatrician told me that babies prime their immunity by battling a series of germs. So bouts of flu, cold, or ear infection in a year is natural. However, as a parent, it feels terrible to see my child suffer, even if it is for something as trivial as the common cold.
That is why I try different things to try and ensure my baby’s immunity gets boosted. Below are some of the tricks I follow and would recommend other mothers to try:

1. Serve more vegetables and fruits
I know this is one of the toughest jobs for every parent since feeding your child is an enormously rigorous task. Sometimes it becomes more difficult in the case of fruits or vegetables. But you have to regularly serve fruits and vegetables to your children. Those have a high amount of phytonutrients which will boost immunity. I have read in articles that phytonutrients present in fruits diminish the risk of various diseases in the long run. That is why when my child was under two years I gave him two tablespoons of pureed fruits and vegetables daily. After passing two years, I enhanced the amount to one cup in a day.

2. Adjust your baby’s sleeping time
From my experience, I know that adjusting the baby’s sleeping time is one very essential task. When my child was a newborn, he needed 16 hours of sleep in a day. As he grew older, his hours of sleep reduced to around 10-13 hours a day. If your baby does not sleep well, it will affect her physically and mentally. Moreover, lack of proper sleep may make your baby irritable as well. On the other hand, proper sleep will keep her relaxed and will help boost her immunity.

3. If possible, avoid formula milk
I know, this is also a difficult call for some mothers. Sometimes mothers can’t afford to breastfeed due to many reasons. But if possible, breastfeed your baby as much as possible. Breast milk contains immunity-enhancing substances. Also, it can be a great savior against problems and diseases like allergy, diarrhea, pneumonia, and other childhood diseases. I have read that in the long run, it reduces the risk of cancer and diabetes. Also, it may enhance the baby’s brain function to a certain extent. Most importantly, breastmilk can produce vital antibodies for babies. I was a working mother too, but I managed to breastfeed my baby for the first six months regularly. I think this is one of the reasons why my baby was relatively healthy.

4. Ensure Physical exercises
I know in the current world, there is a limitation for the children to go outside freely. But physical exercise is very important for your baby and you can manage it to some extent at home. Play with your child on the balcony or maybe on the roof. If you are that lucky to have a small backyard, then this will be a great deal of help. Physical activities can be a great way to boost your child’s immunity.

5. Avoid passive smoking
Most children can’t stand the smell of cigarette smoke. Moreover, passive smoking can be detrimental to the respiratory system of the child as well in the long run. Exposing children to passive smoking will make them susceptible to diseases like fever and cough. So always avoid places in which there is a possibility of passive smoking for your child. I follow these few things for my baby, and I believe that these good practices help boost his immunity and keep him safe.