Petri-dish Power:

Setting your child and family up to weather the storms of co-mingled education and its viral diversity.

In the northern hemisphere, as we prepare for shorter days, longer nights, re-engagement with the school system, and all of the beautiful vibrant viral exposures that it brings to our household… let’s prepare. There are so many ways that a family can prepare for and harness the 500+ viruses that your child will be exposed to in their early school-age years. In my practice, working with parents, I like to support them with the reminder that it is only through exposure to viruses from classmates and teachers and the general environment of close quarters that we become strong, immunologically competent humans. I am able to say this because in the next sentences, I provide them with practical strategies to make the viral exposures that their child will likely encounter, a nuisance requiring extra tissues and hydration, but nothing more.

I reside in a culture that insists on pointing fingers at the coughing person who came back to school after being out sick for three days as the “spreader” of the illness as the “one responsible” for my now sniffly, snotty, fevered self. We have taken the concept of viral exposure and turned it into something that allows us to point fingers to all of those around us who “expose us”, make us “vulnerable” and are constantly “threatening or undermining” our well-being.

At Malone Pediatrics we don’t espouse that view.

We know, and remind each other that a virus is very smart and very adaptable and most likely we were exposed to it on the avocados at the grocery store, or on the door handle at work three days before our coworker even felt a symptom. Because we are armed with this information, and knowledge that most viral illnesses are at their peak contagion before a person has their first symptoms, we don’t even try to find out who the culprit is or spend any of our energy pointing fingers or placing blame. Examples of viruses that are most contagious BEFORE symptoms develop are: Influenza, common colds, respiratory syncytial virus, mononucleosis and covid-19. At Malone Pediatrics we know that our body’s physical well-being is the direct result of all the many small things we do in the lives of ourselves and our children to support their immune system and give it the robust ability to tolerate exposure. Everyday, all year, but with more attention during the school season. In this way we enable the development of our child’s immune system. Hopefully with only a snotty nose, an irritating, cough, perhaps a fever for one night, but experiencing the viral exposure with the interest and ability to play the next day.

So how does this work?

There are many parts of the immune system, the part that we will talk about this minute is the adaptive immune system. It is the part that is responsible for seeing and noticing a foreign particle or virus in our body and responding. The first response (if our body is two years old and has never seen this virus before) can be dramatic. This is, in part, because the adaptive immune system is learning about the antigen ( in this case virus) and figuring out the best mode of containing and eliminating it. Once the body has seen a type of virus, not even the specific one that the child places in their mouth today, just its relative, it has a library of information that it holds and will know for the next time. The previously exposed immune system will now know how to react in order to efficiently contain and eliminate the virus while also gathering more information for the immune system library. So the first time our body sees a type of virus, it will take a little longer to clear it- our symptoms may be a bit more pronounced but during that time, the immune system using the white blood cells and our lymphoid tissue (tonsils, lymph nodes, mucosal/gut lymph tissue) will learn as much as they can about that virus all in preparation for next time. The second time our body encounters, a type of virus, it knows very quickly how to respond and eliminate the virus. When we understand what the body is doing and why it is responding in the way that it is, it helps us to decrease our fear about the symptoms and what they mean for our sweet child.

How do we prepare for this?

If our child’s body doesn’t know what to do with the virus the first time, and the second time has a little bit more information. How do we as parents prepare our child for exposure and thriving through viral illnesses? Wait… what is this ‘thriving through viral illness thing”? My goal for a child is an immune system that is so supported that they can be exposed at school or play groups, get a runny nose or a mild cough for a few days without developing any debilitating symptoms (fevers that prevent them from attending school or being interested in playing, cough that keeps them up at night) and I will work with the parents over time to get us to the point where this is how their child tolerates viral exposures. Well, there are many facets of life that can be manipulated to support them. Now of course, the degree and extent to which each of these variables must be changed/supported differs for each child. Here I present the basic first steps, and at the end, I will give you specifics on how to contact me or my office to set up a more detailed viral immunity consult if you are looking for that support.

The most important place that parents can support the immune system of their children is in their quality of sleep. There are many factors that go into quality of sleep for a specific child. But increasing the number of hours that your child is asleep so that it correlates with the recommended amount for their age and is supportive of cognitive development is a first step. We aim to increase both the duration and quality of their sleep. Improving sleep duration, of course starts with getting your child to sleep at a regular time every night. So that starts with what we call sleep hygiene the first parameter of which is longer sleep duration and consistency in time, and location of sleep. So many families start a sleep routine. The sleep routine is entirely individual, for some that includes a warm bath, putting on pajamas, brushing teeth, a story, quiet music a kiss good night and their own place to rest their body. It does not include screen time. In fact, our recommendation is that all screens are off more than two hours before sleep for adults and children if we want to optimize getting to sleep and sleep quality. Then improving their quality of sleep is the next focus. There are a number of simple things parents can do try to improve the sleep quality of their children. Sleeping in a familiar location (the same room, bed, pillows etc), exposure to daylight within 30 minutes of waking ( improves body rhythms promoting natural melatonin production a bedtime), cool un-encumbering sleepwear, and minimizing exposure to dust mites are also universal ways to improve a sleep of most people (look up dust mite prevention online there are lots of great resources). If your child is a restless sleeper, snores, wakes frequently in the night is still having accidents beyond the typical potty training period, or other symptoms you have noticed- a more detailed consult is recommended.

A nutritious diet is an excellent way to support our children through the viral season. Every diet can be improved, and we are not striving for perfection here- we are trying to be sane parents who want to hedge our bets this winter by decreasing the severity of illnesses. So please take these recommendations as the guidelines I intend them to be. We can optimally support our immune systems by eating Whole Foods in a variety of colors and not giving our bodies or those of our children excessive exposure to preservatives and additives- so we want to aim to minimize them the diet. Foods in boxes and bags generally have more added substances than those that look like the original food. For example a frozen Dino bite will have more added, non-nutritive ingredients than chicken pieces cut up and lightly battered and baked or fried. French fries and tater tots will have more non-nutritive ingredients than whole potatoes boiled, sauteed or baked or fried. By adding in as many “whole” foods as possible we easily eliminate unnecessary preservatives and additives. Simplifying the diet in this way can help the immune system. Look for foods with labels you can read and recognize the ingredients as food items. Another key ingredient is hydration. If your child is in preschool or above their opportunities and interest in drinking water during their school day are limited. The fun activities and their lack or interest in ‘missing out’ curb their desire to adequately hydrate during the day. Parents can support this by ensuring there is water available to drink on the way to and from school and even perhaps an opportunity to sit down for a snack and some water with their parent or caregiver in the afternoon before we get too close to bedtime. If your child is involved in extra curricular activities it is even more important to provide water and ensure they are drinking before they are thirsty.

Finally there are a few supplement recommendations that help to prevent and minimize the effects of viral exposure. My favorites are elderberry, Vitamin D, Zinc and Vitamin C during the winter months. Elderberries are classified as a plant adaptogen that prevents viral illness when used routinely in small quantities and treats viral illness when necessary by increasing the dosage. They are also anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic and full of antioxidants. Making your own elderberry syrup is easy and has less preservatives and fillers than those available over the counter. Plus there is the added ability to tailor the flavor to your child’s preference. There are many recipes available online, but many children do not enjoy the “spiciness” of ingredients like ginger and cloves.

Elderberry Syrup Recipe

1 cup dried elderberries

3 cups water

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup raw honey

Bring the elderberries, water cinnamon to a boil

Reduce the heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half (approximately 45 min)

Allow to cool- then strain liquid into a jar

Add the raw honey

Mix

Store in the refrigerator.

Take a teaspoon daily for prevention and more frequently when ill.

Dr Frances

Malonepediatrics.com

Consult: specific recommendations for your child and their lifestyle https://dogfishmoon.janeapp.com/#/list

Tailored adaptogenic immunity boosting tinctures and other powerhouse supplements.