Did you know that babies are prone to at least 200 various types of viruses and bacteria in their environment? The main reason is the fact that their immune system is not yet fully developed. This is the main reason that babies, especially infants, catch colds, cough, and fever more often than big kids and adults do. This is also the main reason that most parents never allow their babies to be exposed to the outside environment, especially in public areas, except during early morning where they get a dose of their required Vitamin D from the sun. How come babies’ immune system is different from adults and big kids, then? You may ask this question.
To answer that, we should first have a good grasp about our immune system and baby’s immune system as well. To define, the immune system is the body’s natural shields and guards from bacteria, viruses, and other foreign antibodies that can make us sick. Its main job is to send out antibodies that combat with these microorganisms in us. However, such process may also have certain side effects like fever and swelling of some body parts, specifically under the pits and near the groins. These are the spots where antibodies inside our system multiply. Meanwhile, these antibodies are quite brainy as they don’t only fight with the bad guys and help relieve infection. These first recognize the culprit, stay in the bloodstream, and easily fight against similar foreigners that might get inside the system, thus, making it immune to these bad guys.
However, the situation can be different in the baby’s immune system. When these little creations were born, they already have antibodies and these can already create cells called immunoglobulins, which are responsible for fighting against bacteria and viruses. These immunoglobulins are transferred from the mother to the baby through the colostrums, which is the first milk released by the mother right after giving birth. Hence, breastfeeding is very vital for infants. In fact, a study showed that breastfeeding for even at least 6 months can lower the child’s chances of inheriting allergies issues from either of the child’s parents. On the one hand, babies are also required to take vaccinations and immunization shots in order to strengthen their immune system to help fight certain diseases.
While baby’s immune system naturally develops throughout its first 12 months on Earth, they become vulnerable to diseases on their 6th month as their mother’s aid has started to decrease during this stage. This should give you an overview on why babies tend to become sickly on 6 months and beyond, especially when they start teething. Nevertheless, it is very essential to keep baby’s environment clean and to sterilize its feeding and nursing stuffs. It is also advisable to never let baby put something into her or his mouth to avoid further infection and gastroenteritis.

