6 Critical Reasons to Consider Children's Immune Boosters
- May 21
- 3 min read
Obviously, no parent wants to see their kiddo sneezy, tired, and sad because they're unable to attend their sports practice. On top of that, when one child is up all night coughing for a week, not only does the cold or flu spread, but the sleep deprivation is felt throughout the home.
Read on for a quick list of cold & flu considerations.
Less missed school (and work) days due to illness and risk of contagious infections.
Ideally, if you and your child are both taking a day from important learning, social time and professional work responsiblities, you want it to be a day of bonding and fun, not a TV marathon paired with endless Kleenex piles.
Coughs can sometimes persist due to chronic irritation of the airways.
In its worse form, a reactive airway can develop alongside symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, tight chest, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing in cold air, around pets or with activity. A post-infectious asthma-type set of symptoms can develop, which is most often managed with 1-2 puffers (frequently a steroid inhaler is recommended once daily to keep the inflammation at bay, and this may become part of your parenting routine for up to a year).
Supporting a child's system at the onset of illness can shorten the duration of symptoms, provide some comfort & relief, as well as and reduce intensity.
Clinically, I find that using a combination of herbs safe in children, such as echinacea root, elderberry or licorice root reduces the common cold and flu symptoms from a 2 week period down closer to one week. Although that may not sound like much, there aren't many over-the-counter or prescription pharmaceuticals that are deemed safe and effective for kiddos. Best evidence suggests honey (in children over the age of 1), ways to reduce nasal congestion such as saline rinses, rest, hydration & close monitoring.
Our role in "antibiotic stewardship"
What do I mean by this? The rampant overuse of antibiotics in industries -- from fish farming, factory livestock infection prevention, and in common human health concerns such as acne, ear infections and sore throats -- over the last generation has reduced the effectiveness of antibiotic drugs, and led to some pretty scary super-bugs which are becoming very difficult to manage in hospital settings. There is no current evidence to support the use of antibiotics in kids with a common cold, and in the case of ear infections and flus, antibiotics are ineffective at treating the underlying viruses that are the cause. Why not 1) attempt to reduce infection rates to begin with, and 2) treat with supportive, gentle, toxic-free care.
More and more, since 2021, I am seeing kids and teens with chronic fatigue syndromes that onset following a severe or intense respiratory infection. I can't explain WHY this is happening, but the theories include
-more virulent bugs
-weakened immune systems
-nutrient-poor diets
-lack of sleep for older kids and teens (screen time?)
-the role of stress in how our immune systems are able to defend us
Even more alarming are the increased rates of childhood and teen-onset auto- immune conditions, often preceeded by an infection. I don't mean to sound alarming, but I do think there have been dramatic changes in how our adult (and our children's normally robust) immune systems are able to function on our behalf.
What does immune support for children look like?
Infants 0-1 year of age: homeopathic remedies, low-dose herbals, probiotic support, vitamin D3 supplementation and home support remedies.
Toddlers 1-3 years: homeopathics, immune-supporting nutrients, food-based nutrient additions, herbals teas and some low-dose herbal tinctures, as needed, short-term.
Children 4+: A selection of the above, but with preventative and targeted support tailored to the type of infection and the individual child's health.
Feel free to book your kids in for pediatric care! We are more than happy to see them in the clinic or online for appointments, as needed and on your schedule!
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