Healthy Habits that Actually Help

Key Takeaways

• Healthy habits matter:A balanced diet, adequate sleep, regular physical activity, and good hygiene help support your child’s overall health and immune function.
• Skip unnecessary supplements:Vitamins and minerals are essential, but supplements don’t necessarily boost immunity in otherwise healthy children. Ask your pediatrician if you think your child might have a nutritional deficiency.
• Vaccines help protect against serious illness:Recommended vaccinations train the immune system to recognize specific viruses without exposing children to the same risks as natural infections.
• Know when to seek advice:Frequent or unusually severe infections, infections that are difficult to treat, or poor growth along with repeated illnesses are reasons for a conversation with your child’s pediatrician.

From vitamin supplements to foods marketed as immune system boosters, parents have plenty of options to consider when trying to keep their children healthy. But what truly helps support a child’s immune system?

Can You Really Boost a Child’s Immune System?

There’s no quick fix for boosting your child’s immune system, and no single food, vitamin, or supplement can prevent illness. The goal is to support the immune system so it can do its job: recognizing and fighting infections. Healthy, everyday habits can help.

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Vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc are often marketed as ways to boost a child’s immune system. However, supplements may not offer additional immune benefits for children who already get the nutrients they need.

“There is little evidence that vitamin supplementation ‘boosts’ your immune system if you are otherwise healthy,” says Dr. Herendeen.

That doesn’t mean vitamins aren’t important. Vitamin deficiencies can interfere with normal immune function and overall health. For example, a child who isn’t getting enough of a particular nutrient may benefit from supplementation to correct that deficiency. Children with restricted diets or certain health conditions might also have specific nutritional needs.

However, giving a child extra vitamins won’t necessarily help them fight off infections, and excessive amounts of some vitamins and minerals can be harmful.

How Do Vaccines Support a Child’s Immune System?

Vaccines help prepare the immune system to recognize and fight specific infections without requiring a child to experience the actual disease.

“Vaccines introduce small fragments of viruses or bacteria that have been altered so they cannot produce disease but are able to be recognized by your body to produce antibodies,” explains Dr. Herendeen.

The immune system can remember these encounters and respond more quickly if a child encounters the actual germ later.

Some parents believe that getting an infection is a better way to build immunity. However, natural infections can cause serious complications and spread to others. Vaccination helps the immune system develop <a s pediatrician if your child <a t improve as expected

If you’re concerned about your child’s immune health, your pediatrician can help you determine whether their illness history is typical and whether they might benefit from nutritional support or additional evaluation.

Care for Your Child, from Home

Not sure what to do when your child comes down with a cold, cough, or other minor illness? University of Rochester Medicine Virtual Urgent Care connects eligible pediatric patients with a medical provider through a video visit, right from home

Learn more about Virtual Urgent Care