Most parents hate winter as they equate it with runny noses, persistent coughs, aggressive fevers and gastrointestinal bugs. Most parents think these conditions are regular occurrences which are unavoidable when you send your child to childcare or to school.

In fact, studies have shown that a child attending childcare will get between six to ten infections per year. This is just an average, so some kids are getting more and some are getting less. The most common infections are upper respiratory tract infections, such as colds, coughs and blocked noses, followed by gastrointestinal bugs and other illnesses. This can cause frustration and worry amongst parents.

However, do keep in mind that if the child is growing and developing at a normal rate and if the child hasn't suffered from any serious infections (like pneumonia), then the likelihood of having issues with his/her immune system is unlikely.

There are still precautions parents can take to boost their child's immune system:

Tips on how to avoid infections in young children:

Since keeping a child out of childcare or kindergarten isn't a practical option for many parents, some other things to consider which will help your child stay as healthy as possible include:

• Make sure your child is up to date with all the required vaccinations, including the flu vaccine. Keep in touch with your paediatrician regularly.
• Discourage thumb-sucking and use of dummies as your child gets older, as microbes travel fast through this route.
• Teach your child to wash his hands frequently.
• Adopt a well-balanced diet. Focus on plenty of fresh vegetables, whole fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, eggs, fish and meat. Limit the intake of sugar and additives. Explore these healthy habits you should embrace to avoid having a weak immune system. 
• Introduce probiotics: These are the beneficial bacteria that occur naturally in our guts. They protect our intestinal tracts, make sure that our digestive system is working properly, help in toxin clearance from the body, and will protect your child from invading bacteria and viruses. When this bacterial balance becomes disrupted in children, we see changes in a child's ability to fend off infections. Probiotics can also be found in foods such as kefir and natural yoghurt.
• Children need time to play, be creative and rest. High cortisol levels in kids will lead to an imbalanced immune system, so it's essential that children take a break every now and then for their immune system to thrive.
• Avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics. Whilst antibiotics are life-saving medications, they are taken for no reason at all in around 45% of cases according to studies conducted by WHO. Unnecessary use will result in the wiping out of beneficial bacteria, which will in turn lower your children's overall immunity.

Explore how you can strengthen your immune system by learning about the correlation between stress and immunity and whether feeling cold will affect your immune system.