SAN ANTONIO – The two weeks that kids have been back in the classroom was just about all the time doctors needed to see that the years of pandemic masking up and antibacterial soap have affected children’s immune systems.
“You can’t keep him in a bubble, so no matter what you do, they’re going to get something right,” said Dr. Kelly Basaldua, a pediatrician at Here We Grow.
Local children are already showing up at clinics around the area, mostly with run-of-the-mill viruses, but a good number are experiencing allergens for the first time and COVID-19.
“We’ve seen them leading up to their sports physicals, up to the beginning of school. And then everyone kind of congregates and gets back together, and then we see everybody back in the office two weeks later,” Basaldua said about her patients.
She said the last few years may have interfered with our children’s immunity memory since that mingling and freedom were denied to them, and their bodies were not challenged. Basaldua said to take a hard look at what your children eat to combat it.
“Kids just really don’t get the wide variety of foods that provide the natural vitamin supplements, so any multivitamin with vitamin C, maybe even with iron, can be beneficial,” Basaldua said.
She said she is also a fan of natural supplements that are considered antivirals like zinc and elderberry.
Basaldua admits it’s impossible to keep your child from ever getting sick even with precautions. Still, you can help them to be stronger by developing their immunity memory so that when they do get sick, it won’t be as bad the next time around.
Finally, doctors say it’s time to let kids be kids, even if it means they’ll be spreading germs and viruses along with their toys. That will improve their mood and let them blow off some stress, which has its health benefits.