Is it possible to keep kids healthy at daycare?
Is there a way to keep your
child healthy at daycare, where one bug seems to take out the whole
roll? Naturopaths Natasha Berman and Asti Renaut share some great
suggestions to boost your child's immunity.
Have you ever walked into a daycare or early childhood centre in
winter and been met with a cacophony of chesty coughs or an
unseemly spread of streaming noses? Keeping kids well in daycare
can be a constant battle for some parents, as their children are
exposed to so many bugs, and even kids who have a hard time sharing
don't seem quite so possessive about their germs! Children in these
environments are certainly vulnerable to illness, but still, some
kids get sick and some don't - why is this? Well, there's a genetic
component for sure, but there's also a whole lot you can do to keep
your kids robust, vibrant, and healthy at daycare. The absolute
basics are good nutrition, adequate sleep, and lack of
stress.
Nutrition
Nutrition provides our building blocks. We truly are what we eat.
It doesn't take an expert to devise a good diet; we know both
instinctively and from a multitude of media what is good for us and
our children. Fresh is best, always. Where possible, start food
from scratch and avoid pre-packaged foods. Read labels and try to
avoid added sugars, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and
flavourings. Vegetables are the kings and queens, fruits are gifts
from God. Good proteins (fish, egg, lean red meat, legumes) are
essential for growth and immune function. Whole-grains are so much
better than their pale, refined cousins. And as for sugar, the goal
is reduction - especially when your child is sick. Sugar and dairy
foods are mucous-forming, so aim to reduce or eliminate when your
child is unwell. Naturally sweet options include:
Molasses and maple syrup (pure) have higher nutrient
levels (calcium, iron) than other sources of sweetness. Agave syrup
is also delicious.
Stevia is a plant that is naturally sweet without having any
sugar content.
Where possible, avoid sugars and use natural whole fruit
instead.
Dilute fruit juices at least 50% with water, as these are
very high in sugar also.
Add fresh herbs to foods for added antioxidant support and
natural anti-microbial activity (eg thyme, rosemary). Use parsley
like it is going out of fashion for vitamin C, folate, calcium, and
iron.
Sleep
Sleep is our sustenance. It is the place we go to grow and to heal,
especially when we are little. Enough sleep is so important, as is
the quality of sleep. If your child is not sleeping well, for
any reason, don't give up. There is much that can be done to make
your nights more pleasant, and your child much happier by day. Seek
professional advice if need be, from your doctor, Plunket nurse, a
sleep expert, or a behavioural specialist.
Stress
We think of this as an adult issue, but our children get stressed
too. Stress can significantly suppress our immune function. If your
child is showing signs of stress, this is something to be
addressed. Children need quiet time. Daycare is busy! Lots of
people, lots of kids, lots of stimulation. Make sure your child has
some quiet time to wind down and enjoy their own space. And, of
course, some one-on-one time with you. And cuddles. Lots of
cuddles.
In our view, there is a cultural need to
change our view of common childhood illness from something to be
suppressed or medicated to something that should be supported for
the greater good of a child's immune system development. There has
been much in the media of late concerning the overuse of
paracetamol in young children, with detrimental effects ranging
from increased risk of allergy and asthma through to liver damage.
As with all medicines, there are appropriate times for use of
paracetamol, but even immunologists and paediatricians are now
expressing concern at the way paracetamol is marketed to parents
and the ways in which is it used for all manner of symptoms.
Supporting illness may mean keeping your child at home when he is
sick and allowing him a period of convalescence. Ideally, we want
kids to be healthier after an illness than they were
beforehand!
5 steps to healthy daycare kids
Beyond the basic steps outlined previously, here are some choice
tips gleaned from many years of helping parents see their kids
right after recurrent illness and low immunity. Even other
naturopath friends are amazed at how much extra support is needed
when their kids start daycare, which just goes to show, diet and
lifestyle can only go so far, and sometimes, in this day and age,
we need to pull out all the stops. We all know that kids are in
daycare at younger and younger ages, which makes extra immune
support even more important.
Probiotics: There is an
abundance of research now around the use of probiotics in daycare,
concluding that specific strains of beneficial bacteria most
definitely prevent the incidence of illness in children at daycare
(both respiratory and tummy bugs), and also reduce the length of
time kids are needing to stay home if they do get sick.
Echinacea: This really is
a little powerhouse of a herb - it stops the growth of bacteria and
fungi and has anti-viral and immune boosting activity.
Vitamin C: Proven to
increase resistance to bacterial and viral infection. We find that
once parents know about echinacea and vitamin C, they never look
back. Both of these can be given at a daily preventative or
maintenance dose depending on age, and then increased quite
radically as a treatment (at least four times, sometimes five or
six) if your child does get sick. Doing this at the first sign of
illness can dramatically, and favourably, alter the course of
events. We can't stress enough how important it is to get a
good quality product, though, as echinacea has such a good
reputation that everyone wants a piece of the action. Look for a
product that only uses the root of the plant, which is where the
active constituents are highest, or ask your practitioner for a
good recommendation.
Allergenics testing: The
increased incidence in food intolerance and allergy makes it
prudent to get your child tested to see if any foods or
environmental irritants are causing unnecessary reactions and
putting strain on your child's immune system. Reducing triggers for
inflammation can vastly improve immune function and reduce the
incidence of infection. Visit www.allergenicstesting.com to find
out more.
Cod liver oil: Why, oh
why has this hated bane of many an adult's childhood existence made
such a comeback? Three jolly good reasons: Vitamin A, vitamin D,
and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Vitamin A is of special
significance to any discussion of immunity, because it interferes
with viral replication, and increases the production of antibodies.
Good stuff. Most naturally brightly-coloured foods like carrots,
pumpkin, and kumara have vitamin A too, but when you need an extra
boost for your littlies, get the good oil (even though it does
still taste revolting).
Mineral deficiencies
Some children may also be low in zinc or iron, and should be
assessed by a GP, naturopath, medical herbalist, or appropriate
health professional. Often, if a child is low in one of these
nutrients, they could be low in the other. Many of the deficiency
signs are similar, such as recurrent infection and poor recovery.
Mineral supplements should always be age-appropriate, in terms of
the form and the dose, so don't just top up at the
supermarket.
These little morsels are just the tip of
the iceberg. The natural medicine cabinet has so many choice tools
for supporting children through their days at daycare.
If you're struggling to keep those lurgies
away from your kids, don't be discouraged, or think your child is a
lost cause. Sometimes it's just a tweak that is needed, sometimes
it's an overhaul, but there is always hope, because our children
are amazing, growing, thriving and vital little human beings, and
with the right support - they can grow into robustly healthy
adults.
Natasha Berman and Asti Renaut are experienced naturopaths.
Quintessence Free Kids Clinics are available in Auckland and
Christchurch. www.qhealth.co.nz
As seen in OHbaby!
magazine Issue 12: 2011
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