Boosting a Child's Immune System!

We know that children often get colds when they are young and especially when they begin school. When you have a special needs child, strengthening their immune system is ever so crucial.  Why?  Because when they are sick they will not grow and thrive and learn and progress as well.  At least, that is what I have seen with our daughter.  In fact, when she was younger than 3 y.o I would see her regress in her fine and gross motor skills.  Can't blame her.  She had fevers as high as 106 degrees and digestive issues on top of that.  Who would want to work really hard on building their muscles and using their brains a lot to make new neural connections when you are that sick.

And honestly, at those times I felt so helpless and frustrated.  One step forward and 2 steps back just to start the whole process all over again.  But wait!  There is good news I promise.  I am sharing this with you all to give you hope after all.

Our daughter will be 4 y.o this month :)  Can't help the smile as we are so proud!  And her immune system now seems stronger than my husbands.  She gets less colds than most kids in her class and they are usually short lived.  She is now walking on her own and starting to say short sentences.  It took time, patience, perserverance and consistency but I truly believe all we did with her before then has made her have a strong immune system now.
Here is what I have done the last 3 1/2 years to boost her immune system.

• I gave her cod liver oil, which is high in vitamins A and D.  Vitamin D is crucial for a healthy immune system.  We now use Nordic Naturals Cod Liver oil as the taste isn't as strong and they are a good quality brand.
• I gave her probiotics for children, switching brands every few months so she receives a variety of good bacteria strains.  Some of my favorite brands are Klaire Labs and Pharmax.  I also try to sneak in sauerkraut juice- even just 1 tsp. in her eggs or veggies whenever I can.
• I use homemade bone broth when I cook.  I make a batch of soup every week with bone broth and either coconut milk and/or diced tomatoes.  She may not eat everything in the soup but will slurp up the liquid in the soup, making mama so proud!  I also cook our grains in bone broth often.  Bone broth makes our digestive system strong, and since over 70 percent of our immune cells are in our guts, a strong gut = a strong immune system.
• I don't allow processed sugar in the house or processed grains, which turn into sugar.  Sugar decreasing our immune system big time!
• I try to focus on the majority of our food as whole foods.  More nutrition equals a better gut.  
• At the first sign of a possible cold in our family - tired even though we got enough sleep, grumpy daughter, ate sugar at a party, or sneezing - I use our diffusor with 4-5 drops of doTerra's OnGuard essential oil blend.
• Lastly, this one is important!  I switch up our supplements.  My daughter gets one dose of an immune supplement per day and if she is sick she gets up to 3-4 children's doses.  But I have found if I switch up our supplements, they work a lot better, preventing a cold or making it a lot shorter.  Here are some of our Favorites - Gaia herb's Elderberry Syrup, Umcka Cold Care,  Gaia herbs children's Echinacea tincture, Integrative Therapeutics - V-Clear, Windbreaker (Chinese Herb Formula)
• Okay, I have to admit I also give our daughter non-needle technique acupuncture treatments at least once per week.

So don't give up on strengthening your child's immune system.  It may take months or years, but it will work and will benefit your child and your whole family.  Holistic medicine does take time, especially when working with a child with special needs but it really can help. I believe this whole heartedly.  May your family remain healthy this year!

Disclaimer - This information is not intended to replace seeing your health practitioner.  I am just sharing what has worked for our family.  Every child is different and it is encouraged to seek a health care practitioner for medical advice.