WHAT IS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM?

The immune system is our body's defence against infection and disease, helping to keep us strong and healthy. The stronger the immune system, the better we can fight. Here’s a quick look at how it works.

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A healthy immune system means that when the body is attacked by a disease or virus, it can usually manufacture substances (antibodies) called immunoglobulins that can target a virus and defeat it. Amazingly, the antibodies we make remain in our system and ‘remember’ the virus that has attacked us, giving us the ability to fight off the same virus in future. This explains why we can catch a viral infection like measles, but we only catch it once.

Signs of a weak immune system can include digestive problems, loss of appetite, diarrhea and abdominal cramping. A weak immune system can also be responsible for some growth and developmental delays in infants and children, so it is important to do as much as you can through nutrition and other means to help build defences and to keep your children healthy.

Children’s Immune Systems

The immune system consists of a team of cells, proteins, tissues and organs that fight off illness, viruses and other invaders, but children do not have fully developed immune systems until they are around 7-8 years old. Because the immune system helps the body fight against diseases and infections, children have an increased risk of developing conditions such as infections and food allergies, compared to adults.