The first 1000 days of your baby’s life are the most important for her immunity, brain & physical growth and development. The good nutrition he/ she gets during this time plays a key role in ensuring that he/she grows up to be a sharp, strong and healthy toddler. Alongwith nutrition, the quality and hygiene of her diet also help in keeping her health on track. Your baby is fully protected when she’s in the womb, but at birth, her immune system is quite weak and still under development. That is why, she needs special attention at every stage to boost and support her immunity. Three factors that influence a baby’s immunity – enviornment, vaccination and nutrition.
Enviornment here means not only the natural surrondings around the baby but also the immediate home enviornment in which baby is growing. Enviornmental risks are chemical and physical factors such as allergens, which can prove to be a threat to baby’s immunity. So, proper nutrition through complimentary feding should be provided to infant after 6 months to ward off side-effects of these enviornmental factors.
Vaccination prepares the body’s immune system to protect us from infections and diseases. That is why, babies are vaccinated to help their developing but still weak immune system.
Nutrition’s role in building and developing baby’s immunity starts from pregnancy itself. The nutrients in your diet during pregnancy enhance and build your baby’s immune system. The protective soldiers called antibodies are transfered from mother to baby through placenta.
Once born, your baby will continue to be protected by these antobodies for the first few months. In addition to these, your breat milk will provide her sufficient amount of nutrients which will keep her protected. At around 6 months, the baby is still growing and only breat milk is not sufficient to meet her growing nutritional needs. At this time, her first foods other than milk should be introduced in her diet.
By this time, your baby’s digestive system is mature enough to cope with the introduction of foods and would have received protective layer of good bacteria (probiotics) through breast milk.
When your baby is introduced to her first foods, make sure her diet is enriched with immunonutrients. Lack of good nutrition weakens the immune system, and thus her ability to fight against harmful organisms that causes disease and infections. Inadequate intake of energy or macronutrients can result in weakened immune system.