It’s been a bit of a relief that the coronavirus outbreak hasn’t affected children and babies as much as it has adults and seniors. But that doesn’t automatically mean that children are any less susceptible to contracting Covid-19 – in fact, their immune systems need constant strengthening against viral infections.
The new coronavirus-linked disease affecting children – should you be worried?
What’s more, recent reports are emerging of a coronavirus-linked illness that has killed three children and afflicted over 70 others globally. The illness is similar to Kawasaki disease, a rare childhood ailment that typically affects children below six years old, and causes inflammation of blood vessels.
The Straits Times reports that while no infected children here have “suffered from serious inflammatory symptoms” (in fact, none have had to be sent to the intensive care unit), “local paediatricians and general practitioners are aware of the inflammatory syndrome overseas and are keeping a lookout for Kawasaki symptoms in children”.
“If their immune systems are strong, they are more likely to develop the antibodies at a faster rate and may recover faster compared with adults,” Dr Leong Choon Kit, a family physician at Mission Medical Clinic in Serangoon tells ST. So if a child develops the Kawasaki syndrome after an infection, it could suggest that his immune system is faulty.
As parents, what can we do to help boost our child’s immunity apart from maintaining sanitation and feeding them well? Here, paediatricians highlight six key ways to can strengthen your child’s health and immunity naturally – without vitamins or supplements.
Dr Lim Kwang Hsien, consultant paediatrician at Kinder Clinic at Mount Alvernia Medical Centre, says that sleep deprivation appears to be linked to a decreased production of proteins called cytokines, which are important for the immune system.
Conversely, sufficient, uninterrupted sleep allows the adequate production of cytokines to help keep your child’s immune system in optimum condition.
Here’s how much sleep kids of different age groups need:
- One to three years: 12 to 14 hours
- Three to six years: 10 to 12 hours
- Seven to 12 years: 10 to 11 hours
Anxiety can often lead to disturbed sleep patterns and altered eating habits, says Dr Lim Kwang Hsien. This, in turn, translates to a lowered immune response. As most of the stresses in school-going children are related to homework or exams, help your child manage their study load with these strategies:
- Plan a daily timetable with them
- Look at which extra activities to cut back on
- Teach them how to break big projects into smaller, more doable tasks
- Encourage them to speak up in class if they do not understand the lesson
- Remind them to take regular rest breaks while studying.
Sometimes, they may experience social stress as a result of bullying or friendship issues, Dr Lim adds. Encourage them to discuss their feelings if they are affected by these problems.
“Like adults, kids who are active and get regular exercise generally tend to be fit and healthy,” says Dr Lim Kwang Hsien. “There are many theories on how exercise can help build the immune system – for instance, it is thought to stimulate the production of cells involved in the immune system, as well as improve the body’s cardiorespiratory function.”
Before they start primary school, most young children will engage in mainly informal exercise, like running around in the park, or cycling or swimming with Mum and Dad. Some kids may even participate in a sport.
Once they start primary school, however, they tend to engage in more formal exercise programmes as part of their co-curricular activities or competitive sports training.
In addition, school programmes typically include three to four physical education sessions a week. These exercise sessions are usually adequate for school-going children, says Dr Lim.
Help your little one be more active by planning family bonding activities around outdoor exercises and encouraging them to take up a sport. Just remember not to push them to exercise when they are sick.
“It’s a misconception that exercise promotes recovery during periods of severe illness,” Dr Lim explains. “In fact, excessive exercise when a child is sick can have the opposite effect.”
Germs around the house can be good and bad, says Dr Dawn Lim, a paediatrician at Kinder Clinic at The Heeren. Exposure can help the body “create” some memory of that particular germ, so your child can fight it easily the next time they’re exposed to it. However, as their immunity is weaker, they’re not only more prone to infections, but may also suffer more severe symptoms when they do get infected.
To protect them, make sure they wash their hands thoroughly after using the bathroom, and especially before eating. Watch this jingle by Health Promotion Board to teach your child about washing hands.
Wash and disinfect their toys regularly, and make sure all their play surfaces are clean. They should also avoid people who are obviously sick. Taking these steps will go a long way in boosting your child’s immunity.
Vaccines work by imitating an infection, says Dr Chu Hui Ping, specialist in paediatric medicine, and consultant at the Raffles Children’s Centre.
“A vaccine contains a killed or weakened part of a virus or bacteria that is responsible for infection. When a person is vaccinated, they do not fall sick because the virus or bacteria has already been killed or weakened; but their body reacts to the vaccine by producing antibodies specific to that virus or bacteria.”
“In this way, these antibodies stay within the body, and when the person gets exposed to the same live virus or bacteria, the antibodies help to kill them before the person falls sick.”
In addition to compulsory jabs, you can add optional ones like chickenpox to your kid’s vaccination schedule.
Two doses – with a minimum interval of three months – are recommended for optimal protection against the infectious disease, which can cause complications like secondary bacterial infections, abscesses and disfiguring scars, and even infections of the brain and lungs.
Asking for antibiotics when your child is ill will not boost your child’s immunity against infectious diseases.
Antibiotics help only bacterial infections like some ear infections, sinus infections or pneumonia, says Dr Barathi Rajendra, consultant from the department of paediatrics, general paediatrics and adolescent medicine at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Because of the overuse of antibiotics over the years, bacteria are becoming increasingly drug-resistant and difficult to manage. Some strains are now resistant to almost every antibiotic available.
As antibiotics can weaken the immune system by killing good bacteria in the body, it’s best not to push the doctor to prescribe an antibiotic treatment for your young one when they are sick.
Antibiotics will not cure most colds, coughs, sore throats or runny noses anyway, since these conditions are due to viruses. Your child can fight these infections on their own, or the doctor can suggest over-the-counter remedies to help relieve symptoms.
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Text: Young Parents, Additional reporting: Cherrie Lim & Elizabeth Liew