Children, especially babies, are more delicate and have much weaker natural immunity than adults. Although in the womb, they are exposed to a certain degree of natural immunogens through their mother’s blood, they are largely protected by the mother’s placenta. Once out in the real world, the exposure to toxins and allergens as well as potential illnesses increases by a huge amount.

Breastfeeding also provides a large amount of protection to the young developing immune system. Mother’s breast milk contains many naturally occurring antigens which can be absorbed into the baby’s system and give the baby added protection as it grows and develops. Because the mother’s immune system has already dealt with these harmful substances, when they are passed through to the baby they are in the harmless, neutralized form and all the baby needs to do is to produce its own little baby antibodies against them. It is a sort of natural immunization.

But, we all know that babies crawl and pick up everything in site and put absolutely everything into their mouths. This is actually good for them as it is allowing for more exposure to the germs and this gives a baby’s immune system more chance to grow and become stronger. Later in life, they will benefit from this constant oral exploration.

Despite all these protection, babies are still incredibly delicate and must be protected from the usual types of illness which they can encounter through physical contact with others, through contact with contaminated clothing, or by being exposed to air-borne germs and viruses.

The most common types of baby illness are as follows:

1. Coughs and Colds: Some babies have a continually runny nose, so it might be difficult to detect when they have developed a cold. Colds can be caught by babies quite easily if other siblings or parents have them already. If a baby does catch a cold it can be distressing for them since they will not feel comfortable and may cry. They may also have a cough. There is very little to do in this case except keep wiping their nose and keep an eye on them. If the runny nose starts to become yellowish, or green, then it may be time to consult your pediatrician, or if the cough starts to become a hacking, wheezing cough.

2. Influenza, or simply ‘the flu’ is similar to a cold, except that it will be accompanied by a fever. Even through quite a high temperature, babies and toddlers do play and wander around quite happily unless the other symptoms are especially bad. It is extremely important to keep an eye on the temperature and keep it under control by giving baby medicines containing paracetamol. If the fever persists for more than a few days then it is advisable to seek medical advice.

3. Chicken Pox – chicken pox is highly contagious. It is infectious from two days before the first symptoms appear and for up to five days afterwards. It is passed on through saliva and sneezes. Chicken pox is better to be caught when the child is younger because it can be very mild. In adults it can be incredibly virulent and the symptoms of a very itchy red rash can be very troublesome. The good news is, if you have had chicken pox, it is very rare that you catch it again.