Children's Immunity

One of most important tasks of all parents is care about strengthening their children's immunity because immunity is the base of human health throughout the whole life from birth to decay.

In order to find out how to develop and strengthen child's body defences it is necessary to know nature and mechanisms of immunity. Immunity is the ability of body to effectively resist the action of foreign microorganisms, for example, viruses and bacteria that cause infectious diseases.

There are two types of immunity:

• specific immunity that develops after past diseases, for example, rubella or measles. This immunity type may be developed for the whole life or for some time depending on the disease.
• non-specific immunity that develops in a baby during pregnancy.

From mother's breast milk child gets antibodies to infectious disease which mother had. It means that child on breast feeding has passive immunity and this is very important in first months of life because in this period proper immune system only starts working. 

Therefore, when mother gets cold she needs to continue to feed child with her breast to give antibodies to baby. WHO recommends to feed baby up to two years or even more. Growth factors presented solely in female milk help baby's immune system develop normally.
 

Bifidus factor and lactoferrin presented in mother's milk do increase healthy bifido and lactic bacteria in bowels and reduce growth of pathogenic flora which strengthens child's immunity and lowers liability to colds. Breast feeding cannot 100% guarantee no diseases, but healthy gastrointestinal tract and calm emotional atmosphere in family lower likelihood of getting sick.

What Happens When a Virus Enters Your Body

When virus enters human body it starts to fight against the virus, at the beginning at level of non-specific immunity then do appear antibodies. Antibodies do neutralize virus and the disease finishes.

However, it is not so easy as it looks at the first sight. In some cases during the time necessary for antibodies production the virus manages to cause many destructions in the body which leads to severe complications. Sometimes virus enters the human body, infects particular cells and stops his existence. It means that virus is in the body and it really is found in particular cells but this causes no disease – virus does not multiply, it stays in the cell waiting until the immunity weakens.

If virus is able to actively multiply it quickly leads to death and destruction of cell he captured. From destroyed cell they get into blood where antibodies are waiting for them. Thus it happens that active viruses cause acute contagious diseases (rubella, measles, mumps) which last all the time that body needs for antibodies production.

Terms for antibodies production are absolutely determined and as a rule it is 5 – 10 days, therefore it always may be said how long a man will be diseased with measles and when the rash would disappear. The doctor always knows after how many days a patient diseased with rubella would feel better. So if influenza lasts three weeks it means that it is not influenza.

The fact that viruses are found in cells of human body determines major complications in treatment of any viral infection. It is very difficult to destroy virus and leave the cell alive. Not surprisingly, there are few antiviral medications and all of them them are quite specific – it means they act against a particular virus (for example, Tamiflu acts against viruses of group A) or group of viruses (Acyclovir -  against all herpes viruses). It is clear that main principle of viral infections treatment is to help body to fight the virus.

Myths About Immunity

Do you think your immunity is low because you are often sick? Are you afraid to vaccinate against influenza in virulent season? Probably, you are a victim of common myths believed in society. Now let's try to reveal them!

Myth #1. If you are often sick it means you have low immunity
Cold, influenza, acute respiratory diseases show with running nose, sore throat and high body temperature. The man is sure that he got sick because he has low immunity.

Revealing the myth
It is wrong! When man feels these symptoms, it means his immunity responds to pathogenic microorganisms. Symptoms of cold are systematic and local reactions of our immunity to viral invasion. The disease is manifestation of strong immunity.

Explanation
In human body exists a group of special immune cells called T-killers. They do regularly examine all cells and analyze their receptors. Thus they recognize foreign cells or microbes and viruses and kill them. If patient has no temperature and the disease courses without symptoms common for inflammation – it means patient has low immunity.

Conclusion
If you are sick with influenza and it shows with temperature, running nose and sore throat it is good sign. It means your body fights the infection and immunity works correctly.

Myth #2. Vitamin C strengthens immunity
It is considered that taking vitamin C during outbreak protects our cells and prevents their membranes from distruction, which means it strenghtens the immunity.

Revealing the myth
During a disease viruses affect body cells, destroy their membranes and kill cells. On one hand, vitamin C normalizes cell membranes and help the immunity because it is strong antioxidant. However, vitamin C helps only in big doses – 8g or 16 pills should be taken at once. Otherwise, there will be no positive effects.

Explanation
Vitamin C is powerful antioxidant and it would help the immunity to fight influenza on condition that patient would take big doses of vitamin C which may fatal. Vitamin C is an acid, therefore its big doses may cause ulcer of stomach or kidney failure leading to death.

Conclusion
Vitamin C strenghtens the immunity only when taken in big doses, but it may lead to death.

Myth #3. Vaccine doesn't prevent from influenza
Many people beware of influenza vaccines as they believe that it doesn't prevent from influenza.

Revealing the myth
Patient cannot get sick from modern vaccines because they are safe and are created in such a way as not to infect a person, Vaccine helps human body to work out immune response to pathogenic virus.

Explanation
Vaccine has properties similar to real virus, but it is not contagious. Vaccine imitates viral infection to make immunity fight the virus. Therefore, when a real virus enters the body it faces antibodies produced by body with the help of vaccine.

Conclusion
It is necessary to vaccinate. It is most effective way to prevent influenza.