Children tend to get sick a lot when they’re young. In fact, children under age 6 get an average of six to eight colds a year¹.

While there’s not a lot you can do to keep germs from wreaking havoc on your child’s defence system, one of the best-kept secrets in preventing illness and boosting the body’s defence system can be found in the gut.

Here are 4 easy and simple things that can help optimise your child’s gut health for a better body defence system.

#1 Move more

Exercise may also diversify your child’s gut microbes, a study in the journal Gut found.

Make sure they get at least 60 minutes of activity each day at the park, the playground or an indoor play space on rainy days.

From the moment a child enters the world, the gut microbiome begins to develop.

The first years of life are an especially critical time for growing trillions of bacteria to benefit the body’s defence system.

With a few simple steps, parents can play an important role in helping to build a child’s body defence system – by first building a healthy gut – and laying the foundation for good health.

#2 Know your prebiotics

2’-FL (2’-fucosyllactose), a special nutrient and the third most abundant component of breast milk, acts as a prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in your child’s gut—where 70% of the body’s defense system lives.

Abbott has more than 15 years of pioneering research in 2’-FL and over 20 scientific studies which have shown that 2’-FL can play an important role in helping to build a strong body defence system and improve a child’s digestive health².

Become a pet lover³

Playing with a family or neighbourhood pet has its benefits for the overall health of the body’s defence system—helping to diversify the species of bacteria in your child’s gut.

In fact, studies show that safe interaction with pets can change the composition and diversity of the microbes in a child’s gut.

Let your child get dirty

Encourage your child to play outside and explore the outdoors.

You don’t have to overdo cleanliness, but you should always make sure your child washes their hands after using the bathroom, before meals and when they are sick.

References:
1 UptoDate. Patient education: The common cold in children (Beyond the Basics). Available from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/the-common-cold-in-children-beyond-the-basics. Last accessed December 5, 2019.
2 Vandenplas Y, Berger B, Carnielli V et al. Human Milk Oligosaccharides: 2′-Fucosyllactose (2′-FL) and Lacto-N- Neotetraose (LNnT) in Infant Formula. Available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC6164445/. Last accessed December 5, 2019.
3 Hein M. Tun, Theodore Konya, Tim K. Takaro. Exposure to household furry pets influences the gut microbiota of infants at 3–4 months following various birth scenarios. Available from https://microbiomejournal. biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s40168-017-0254-x. Last accessed December 5, 2019.