Childhood illnesses play a vital role in shaping the immune system of the child. Till the age of 2 the immune system is immature and hasn’t fully developed. Even after 2 years, the immune system keeps getting stronger with every exposure.
Why is it important to let your child fall sick?
If you consider the caterpillar which is about to burst from the cocoon, it struggles every hard to break the barrier to get out of it. If during this process you help it by cutting open the cocoon, the butterfly can definitely come out easily but its wings will end up weak and its lifespan will be shortened. How does this analogy work for children?
With each passing illness, the child’s immune system is actually getting stronger and is learning to fight its way out of it. It is therefore vital that you let the child go through the illness rather than suppressing it.
Signs of a strong immune system in a child:
1. Able to throw a fever
Only a strong immune system can mount a high fever to fight against the disease. Fever is the first defense mechanism the body has. Increasing temperature helps kill the invading organism and also increases production of various other immune factors that limit the spread of the disease
2. Short disease spells
A child with a strong immune system will usually have short disease spells. There might be high fever, vomiting diarrhea etc but the duration will be short and the severity will be mild.
3. Expels easily
Any sign of expulsion like vomiting, loose motions, sputum etc. shows the body is strong enough to throw the phlegm out. This is extremely important in children.
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