Introduction
The human immune system is subject to a life-long learning process and is therefore constantly changing. Therefore it is only logical that children and especially babies do not usually have a particularly pronounced protection by their immune system. This develops only in the course of time and is trained by all kinds of different environmental influences. Although getting older is the best training for the immune system, there are several other ways to strengthen and train it at an early age.
How does the immune system of a child differ from that of an adult?
As already mentioned, the immune system is subject to a constant learning process. In order to prevent the baby from being born completely unprotected, the mother gives the infant a so-called “nest protection” in the last months of pregnancy. This is a certain type of antibodies (IgG), which are small enough to enter the foetus’ circulation in the placenta from the mother’s blood.
Antibodies are produced by the human immune system in a reaction to foreign bodies (antigens). They bind these foreign bodies, such as bacteria or viruses, making them easier to attack and kill. In this way, the infant receives all the antibodies produced by the mother during her lifetime.
This protects the baby for the first months after birth against a large proportion of potential infections. A further protection is passed on from mother to child through breastfeeding. However, this is a different type of antibody (IgA), which is particularly active in the human mucosa.
While the nest protection and the protection through breastfeeding still continue, the baby already starts to build up its own immune system. As soon as the protection of the mother disappears, the baby is completely on its own. Therefore, infants and children have a more incomplete immune system and are much more susceptible to infections and diseases than adults.
