Immunity Booster

I like Animal Parade vitamins a lot. When my son was younger (he's 8 now), he also caught everything in the world all of the time. He was also NOT in day care. Still, whenever he catches something, it takes him a little bit longer to get over it than his 4 yr. old sister. I have both of my kids get the flu shot...I can't imagine how long it would take him to get over the flu and how much worse it would be for him.

hi,
i would try giving her cod liver oil daily. a whole food supplement such as "amazing grass super food" for kidz or new chapters organics whole food supplement. MUCH better than synthetic vitamins. also, lots of fruits and veggies. i do not recommend giving her the flu shot. it's one of the more reactive vaccines and if her immunity is already low i wouldn't chance it. good luck! hope she's feeling better soon.

I second the recommendation for echinacea and vitamin C! Echinacea helps strengthen the immune system, but don't think it does much once one is sick. I have two kids, if one is sick the other gets echinacea to prevent spreading the cold or whatever. They get Vitamin C as soon as they get sick. I also like to give a kids multi-vitamin. I don't think the flu shot is necessary for kids, they should be exposed to some illness so that their bodies build its own immunity.

sounds like she may def have allergies of some sort. could be food related or something else in the house. might take a good while to do a 'process of elimination' to figure it all out. of course a multi vitamin never hurts. i have 5 kids ages 8 1/2 to 28 1/2, and 3 grandkids, and i swear by the multi vitamin! good luck!

C.

A multi-vitamin/-mineral may help, as well as probiotics. I just read that 80% of the immune system is in the digestive tract, so getting that healthy is a good way to ward off anything else. Check places like Whole Foods, in the vitamin section there is a refridgerated case that has probiotics in it.

Hi R.. I do everything naturally/homeopathically. I give my kids echinacea and vitamin C at the first sign of a cold. It really seems to work. She isn't old enough to swallow the pills, but the echinacea comes in liquid and I mix it with OJ for them to drink.

I give my 6 yr old the following, and I recommend them to support the immune system:

* NSI Synergy PediaPower multivitamin (buy at www.vitacost.com)

*Any good probiotic. Probiotics are good bacteria that take up residence in the intestines and do many helpful things. Probiotics are very, very safe--they even are putting them in baby formula. You can buy them at a CVS (culturelle) or online, or at a health food store. The powder forms are easy to mix with cold liquids or soft food.

*Omega-3 supplements or just fish oil/cod liver oil. They have a lot of great "gummi" supplements now with omega-3.

I also recommend checking with an allergist to make sure there aren't any food or inhalant allergies.

I strongly recommend Nutriferon or Defend and Resist plus Ocean Wonders Multi-vitamin. My son has gone 18 months without being sick. At the first sign I start giving him these. They are totally natural and safe and they work! Let me know if you would like more information on how to get them. I also use Liqua-Lea as a cough supresent when needed, it works great and helps him sleep through the night. Hope this helps.

Hello R.. I agree with the first mom. When I first read your request I thought "I wonder if she has allergies". Now, I am no where near an expert, but this is what my daughters Cadiologist said (Who also is not an expert on Allergies). He said that he can tell my daughter has allergies b.c she has allergy eyes. I was like, 'what it the world are allergy eyes'. Well, both of my girls get very dark circles under their eyes, I always thought it was a sign of being tired, but according to the Dr, it is a sign of severe allergies. So far, we know she is allergic to Tomatoes b.c she turns beat red in the face when she eats them and she absolutly LOVES them at 5yo.
I would try the multi viatim, carry hand sanitizer b.c at 4 she probably picks up everyone's germs, and watch her eyes for the dark half moon circles under her eyes. Hope that helps!

Hi R.,
I feel for you dealing with a nearly constantly sick little girl. My son was sick much less when I started him on supplements. I even know of children who have never been on one antibiotic because they stay so healthy. Please contact me off site if you want to know what they do. No, I have never taken a flu shot and don't plan to start. ____@____.com

Please check the allergy road first.And talk to your doctor. Don't make any decisions without facts.Once you have eliminated all the possible causes, then I would consider any supplements. Vitamins are a good idea. You don't want your child's body bombarded with any new "issues". I know that they are beginning to recommend flu shots but if your child has been getting sick every other week, then who knows how she would handle it. I know they don't like giving it to kids when they are sick. Please do your research and realize that we all mean well, but every child is different and we don't know your child as well as you or your doctor.

Because your daughter's health is important to you, I must share this gift that I have been given. My two children have been taking Usanimals (daily multi) now for 3 years and HAVE NOT BEEN SICK since! They will still get the sniffles every now and again, but it only lasts for a couple of days. As a mother, you could understand what a blessing that is! Am I saying that you're daughter will never get sick, absolutely not. But what I am saying is that if we can get the cell healthy, the cell can take care of the body.

“When it comes to children’s supplements, I recommend Usanimals™, USANA’s chewable ‘Essentials’ for kids. This product provides the advanced levels of the essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that all children need for a healthy start in life. Lyle MacWilliam’s detailed comparison of over 160 children’s nutritionals**, gives Usanimals the highest rating for formula completeness, balance, potency, and safety. The antioxidant complex in Usanimals is particularly strong (see vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and phytonutrient complex information above). And importantly, I love the fact that by using ingredients like honey, xylitol, and berry powders, USANA provides a children’s supplement that is free of artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors.”
- Christine Wood, M.D.
Practicing Pediatrician in Encinitas, CA
Author of How to Get Kids to Eat Great and Love It! and www.kidseatgreat.com

Feel free to send me a message for more information!

God Bless,
D.

I absolutely do NOT recommend the flu shot.

First of all it is important for our bodies to get natural immunity in order to work properly. The flu shot does not allow your body to build that natural immunity and actually does more harm to your immune system than good. The flu shot totally bypasses your immune system and goes straight into the blood. If your body can't build it's immune system for small strains of flu, how on Earth can it build it's immunity for the larger strains (and the many many many other strains of flu that are not in the flu shot)? It can't! Then your immune system doesn't know how to combat that strain and that's when you get really sick, and possible die.

Each year it is a gamble on which flu strain is going to be the one getting everyone sick. Then it is another gamble to decide which ones will go into the flu shot. It's usually based on LAST YEARS flu. This isn't really sucessful, and usually fails like it did majorly last year.

We have NEVER gotten a flu shot, and NEVER get the flu.

Good luck with your decision.

I wanted to add my 2 cents, allergies have been mentioned a lot. The first thing I would do is eliminate milk and dairy from her diet. Try soy milk or something equilivent nutritionally. She may not be allergic to milk, but sensitive. When you eliminate these, you should be able to tell right away if it is helping. This is one step you can do fairly easily without invasive tests. The second thing I would try would be wheat and flour products from her diet. Hope this helps, I know it is no fun constanly wondering why your child is sick. Bless you both.

Since you mentioned the majority of the illnesses is runny nose and cough, I too wonder about allergies.
Just take her to the doctor and then can test for those and see if there is a problem there.
The doctor should know about her possibly having a weak immune system, that might affect other things later on.
A multi vitamin would be a good idea.

The jury is still out with me on flu shots. But I have experienced the same problem with both of my sons (6 and 3). Maybe not quite that often but too much for me. They have always been at home with me so I never understood how they could always be picking up a cold or cough. Well we went through with my older son and now my younger one as well, Allergies. They both have some indoor and outdoor allergies, and the slightest thing might hit their nose or their chest pretty quickly. The pediatrician put my older one on allergy medicine (OTC Zyrtec) and now my younger one is on it as well. It has helped us tremendously. I am not a big fan of medicine everyday but it has helped keep the cold/cough at bay so they are not sick as much. Good Luck

Do not give her the flu shot if you want to Boost her immunity.
I would put her on suppliments. A good multiple and something my family has been taking that works wonders is Lauricidin. Get a multiple that is a natural as possible. I would take her off dairy and try to keep her off Sugar. (that's so hard!).
Good luck!
T.
Mom of 3 boys

It may not be what you want to hear, but the best way to build her immunity and make it stronger for when she's older is just getting sick. Of course you don't like it when she's sick, but it's better for her to be sick now than next year when she's in school and having to miss alot of school.

My kids were all in preschool and sick alot the first 2 years (ages 2 and 3). Once my son hit the pre-k/4 year old class, he was only sick once. He didn't have a single sick day in kindergarten and so far this year none missed, either. In fact, except for a slight cold/sore throat last year that last 2 days, he hasn't been sick at all in almost 3 years.

Your daughter might have allergies, too, so you'll want to rule that out. My 3 year old has allergies... almost a constant runny nose/cough/sneezing with no fever and it'll last for weeks at a time. This summer we started her on allergy meds and she's been totally healthy for 2 months now.

A multi-vitamin can't hurt. I also give my kids an omega-3 supplement but that's more for brain building and general health than immunity, I think. I definately recommend the flu shot. Your daughter is old enough for the flu mist this year -- my kids MUCH prefer that to the shot version! Most doctors are recommending ALL kids get a flu shot, but definately those under age 5, since the flu can be deadly to young children.

Have you asked the doctor about allergy testing? Do you have pets? The fact that she is not in daycare/preschool will actually make it more likely for her to catch everything that's going around (this is not an advocation of putting her in childcare). Kids in daycare are exposed to a lot more germs from the time they start and build up better immune systems for it. It really sounds like something you should talk to a doctor about, I wouldn't feel comfortable adding supplements to such a young child without some professional guidance. I doubt a simple multi-vitamin will help with her immunity. Unless your doctor recommends otherwise, the AAP now recommends flu shots for everyone over 6 months (I think through age 12). If she's already prone to getting sick you should definitely get the flu shot.

I give my kids a yogurt with pro-biotics, they are 1 and 2. Everytime they get sick, the get over it as soon as I start them on the probiotics. I am 25 wks preggo and I also take them.
I also don't get sick as much and if I feel sick and start eating a couple of yogurts a day, it is gone in 24 hrs.

I highly recommend them!

There is one I eat called Keifr, there's another one - can't remember the brand but I got them at meijers, they are a bit less sour and the kids LOVE them ;)

You didn't mention a thing about her diet! Make SURE to get in plenty of fruits and vegetables. If she's not getting adequate amounts of antioxidants from food.....this could well be a huge part of the problem! Can't fight off bugs and build up your immunity if you aren't putting in what it takes to do so!

In addition, I give Abbie green tea...she has some flavors she really likes...like mandarin green tea. She' been drinking it since she was three. GREAT antioxiants. She prefers it warm. In addition, she already KNOWS it helps her breathe better if she has any congestions, and knows it builds her immune system. Worth a shot.

Plenty of orange juice, and green veggies. Other than that, consult pediatrician about any injections. There are hundreds of cold viruses and until you build up immunity to them, you catch a cold. She will most likely out grow it.

Yes, I recommend a vitamin and a flu shot. Balanced meals always help as well. Unfortunately, it sounds like she has a weak immune system and the only way to get stronger is to get enough sleep, eat balanced meals, take vitamins and as horrid as it sounds you have to be exposed to different environments and people for your body to build up an immunity to most germs and bacteria.

A multi vitamin would surely not hurt. I got something called Sambucol when my kids were little. it's made from blueberries and is supposed to help strenghthen the immune system. I used a chewable multi vitamin called Koala Pals and the kids actually were willing to take them because they liked the taste. I thought they were sour myself (yes, I tasted everything my kids ate).
Another thing I do is use a little hydrogen peroxide in the kids' ears when they seemed to be coming down with something. Use an eye dropper. Put a drop or two in the ear and hold for a couple minutes, then tip head so it runs out. Repeat for the other ear and do this a couple times a day. You know when they start saying their throat itches, or seems boogery, it really helps. Also don't forget to change toothbrushes often during flu season. And of course, wash your and her hands often, which I'm sure you already do.

There are many companies that sell childrens natural vitamins. I would suggest googling immune boosting vitamins for children, then take it from there. You can do a little research on the companies, or come back here and ask the others if they have used the companies you are interested in.

Good luck!

R.

could it be she has allergies? Allergies can make you cough and have a runny nose. If the discharge from her nose is clear it's probably an allergy.

My kids get a multi-vitamin every day and a flu shot every year. During the peak cold/flu season they also drink lots of OJ because of the vitamin C. I sort of sit on the fence with the flu shot though. My 4 y/o has gotten it ever since she was able to and has never had any problems and very rarely gets sick, which is pretty surprising considering she has pretty severe asthma. Now my 7 y/o on the other hand is very different. She didn't get her first flu shot until she was 4 and has gotten very ill every time. I don't know if it is just a coincidence or what, but she gets flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, headache, nausea, achiness) for a solid week every year almost immediately after she gets the shot. Last year we even tried the Flu mist (nasal) and she still had the same issues. Like I said, it may just be a total coincidence, but I still get them both the shot because other than that one time, we are usually bug-free for the rest of the season.

One other thing you may want to consider is having her tested for allergies. A child with severe allergies can often exhibit the same symptoms as if they had a common cold.