We are subjected to almost 2.5pm of toxic dust every day and with the COVID-19 outbreak, concerns about the health and immunity of children have only become paramount for modern parents. By learning how to build immunity, there are steps you can take to safeguard your child’s health.
How Important Is Immunity?
As you know, the body's immune system is like a protective barrier against germs and/or foreign matter. Whether it is a bacteria, virus, or allergen when they enter the body, they cause various diseases, and body immune system can help fight these off.
While adults are able to develop this immunity in the long run, children are still susceptible and at a higher risk of infections. This is why it is important to help strengthen your child's immunity so there is a reduced risk of diseases and infections.
But how do you help to build your child's immunity? We’ll tell you.
How To Build Your Child's Immunity
- Get vaccinated as scheduled
Vaccination helps to build the immune system and stimulates the body to build immunity to pathogens. This is why you should take your child to get all the vaccines as scheduled by your doctor.
- Give supplementary food to children according to their age
Mothers should choose foods that contains all three nutritional groups to provide healthy development and strengthen immune system.
- Give your child adequate sleep.
- Sleep can also help strengthen your child's immune system and propel it to function well. A child should ideally rest for a minimum of 10 hours every day1.
- Give your child adequate exercise.
- Staying active and exercising allows your child’s white blood cells to work better to destroy pathogens, helps to strengthen immune system. And together these work towards keeping your child active and alert. Therefore, parents must get their children to exercise regularly, even if that means an hour-long physical play.
- Choose milk fortified with MFGM.
This nutrient will help strengthen the immune system in your child and further propel their growth..
Milk fortified with MFGM strengthens the Immune System
Do you know how MFGM can help to lower the chance of your child getting sick, and how to build immunity?
MFGM (Milk Fat Globule Membrane) is a biological membrane that is encircled around milk fat particles found in milk. They cause fat to remain in the milk, which contains various important nutrients including fats as well as over 150 types of biological proteins 2.
MFGM may help gain better protection against infections3. Some components in the MFGM might also have a significant role in shaping microbial populations in the gut, which may then promote protection against diseases4.
MFGM helps to strengthen the immune system.
At a time when allergens are spreading throughout the city and COVID-19 cases are on the rise, it is important for the child to develop a strong immunity so they can fight allergens and germs. This is where MFGM comes into play.
Studies have proved that certain proteins in MFGM helps to strengthen the body's immune system2 and the defense system against viruses and bacterial infections. It also helps to reduce the risk of acute otitis media5, the acute one.
More science supports the MFGM and immunity link: A study on a group of population found that those fed with MFGM-added formula had a shorter duration of fever or illness and took fewer antibiotics than those fed with formula without MFGM6. These may further indicate that MFGM has a beneficial effect on immune functions7.
After all, when you strengthen your child's immunity, they will be able to fight against viruses and bacteria better, reduce the chance of illness, and they will always be ready to learn new things from the world around them.
MFGM also improves brain cell connections.
In addition to helping strengthen the immune system, MFGM contains complex lipids such as spingomyelin, phospholipids, and ganglioside, which contribute to the formation of the nerves’ myelin sheath.
These enhance the signal transmission efficiency of the nerve and help in the connection between brain cells8. As a result, MFGM provides support to cognitive development and performance8.
Clinical research has also found that children who received MFGM along with DHA have higher intelligence development scores than children who received DHA alone.
Another 21-day study also found that nutrients MFGM with DHA together helped to improve the likelihood of brain cells connection as opposed to kids who were given DHA alone8.
These are the main reasons modern mothers must know how to build immunity and choose MFGM for their children. After all, everyone wants their children to have good brain development and a healthy immune system through the right nutrition, right?
References:
1 How Much Sleep Do Babies and Kids Need?, www.sleepfoundation.org/children-and-sleep/how-much-sleep-do-kids-need, Accessed 30 March 2021
2 NeuroProof report
3 Hernell, O., Timby, N., Domellöf, M., & Lönnerdal, B. (2016). Clinical benefits of milk fat globule membranes for infants and children. The Journal of Pediatrics, 173, S60-S65. Clinical Benefits of Milk Fat Globule Membranes for Infants and Children
4 Lee, H., Padhi, E., Hasegawa, Y., Larke, J., Parenti, M., Wang, A., Hernell, O., Lönnerdal, B., & Slupsky, C. (2018). Compositional dynamics of the milk fat globule and its role in infant development. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 6. doi.org/10.3389/fped.2018.00313
5 Timby N et al. Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2015; 60: 384-389
6 Veereman-Wauters G, Staelens S, Rombaut R, et al. Milk fat globule membrane (INPULSE) enriched formula milk decreases febrile episodes and may improve behavioral regulation in young children. Nutrition. 2012; 28: 749-752.
7 Ambrożej, D., Dumycz, K., Dziechciarz, P., & Ruszczyński, M. (2021). Milk fat globule membrane supplementation in children: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Nutrients, 13(3), 714. doi.org/10.3390/nu13030714
8 Timby, N., Domellöf, M., Lönnerdal, B., & Hernell, O. (2017). Supplementation of infant formula with bovine milk fat globule membranes. Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal, 8(2), 351-355. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.116.014142