What is true that children should be actively immunized?

Candy falls to the ground, from where we take it and give it a powerful blow. Bfff! With regard to our little ones, the candy has just gained an immunity that neither Superman nor has, and they take it to their mouths. In the process, it is possible that a real immunity has been gained by the child. But, To what extent do we justify the spread of a virus in return?

What is natural active immunization, and what role does it play?

The natural active immunization (last names come from the way immunity is gained) is a type of resistance achieved after acquiring antibodies , either by having ingested the defenses in a natural way, as is the case with breastfeeding, or by having fought against a virus, such as when our children become infected with a cold or catch chickenpox.

It is the latter that is won in nurseries or in parks in contact with other children, by going with little shelter in winter, or through gastric infections (such as that candy with which we opened the article).

There are two extremes: protect the little one against all the elements and leave him isolated or, absolute passivity to anything that gets in his mouth. Like all extremes it has a midpoint (and healthy) based on living day to day without unnecessary alarms and in which daily hygiene has much to say.

Differentiate some viruses from others

On one side are those viruses that can rarely run away from and whose consequences (always attended by a GP) are usually rest for a week or two. This is the case of the common cold, twice as frequent in children as in adults, and even healthy ones usually infect us two or three times a year.

Then there is another group of frequent viruses in children who immunize to the little ones. These contagions during childhood play a decisive role in adult health, and having passed certain small diseases avoids future problems. To name a few: in adults, mumps can cause sterility, chickenpox can lead to hepatitis or pneumonia, and measles can cause encephalitis.

Far from running with our son in search of groups of children to become infected (doctors never recommend this practice) we should not be afraid that our little one will contract them naturally in the media in which they usually occur: crowded places such as nurseries, parks, birthday parties or any other event that includes people together.

Finally there is a third group of particularly harmful viruses It is recommended to flee at all times, which do not provide any type of immune advantage and for which we have no obligation to pass. Some examples of them are toxoplasmosis or E.coli.

What measures should we take in this regard?

As always when we talk about the health of our small and possible infections, hygiene and prevention are crucial. Both the little ones and the adults around them, as well as their surroundings.

At home it is important to maintain hygiene, paying special attention to disinfecting, not just cleaning, attending to areas where serious viruses may arise. As we mentioned, a cold is not the same as E.Coli.

We must take special care with hygiene in the kitchen, this is where we handle food and where it is advised to use specific products that disinfect in addition to cleaning, such as Star 2in1. In the kitchen we also have cloths and cloths that usually accumulate bacteria becoming a source of contamination. For proper disinfection it is advisable to change them daily and wash them with Neutrex with bleach whenever they are light colors.

He bathroom It is another of those places to take into account, where we must take special care in the disinfection of faucets, knobs, the button of the cistern ... They are objects that many hands pass through throughout the day, and where there can be a high concentration of bacteria and viruses.

In public spaces, we will not have control over cleaning and disinfection so it is very important to teach them from small hygiene guidelines such as hand washing to prevent infections before eating, after using the bathroom, or after playing with their Friends in the park. Turning this little challenge into a game will prevent contagion when we are not present to help them clean.

But more than anything we must pay attention to the opinion of the experts , go to the doctor when we suspect that our little one has taken something, and not worry too much. Children learn by interacting with their environment just like we did.

Images | iStock / evgenyatamanenko, iStock / X-Star, iStock / monkeybusinessimages

Video: The Journey of Your Childs Vaccine (March 2024).