Dr. Lona and Dr. Alice Kephart on building a strong immune system, what a fever is doing, and why your child’s body is stronger than you’ve been told.
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In September, Alice and I sat down over lunch with a room full of parents, a few nursing babies included, for our Raising Healthy Kids Talk here at Cook Chiropractic Center in Chippewa Falls. The questions came fast. Fevers. Teething. The cold that won’t leave the house. Whether you really need a cabinet full of supplements.
I have two boys, Jack, who’s 11, and Max, who’s 6, so I know these questions well. Here’s what we shared.
What builds a strong immune system in kids?
We start with what we call the core: a healthy, adaptable nervous system, good sleep, movement and play, and real food. Kids and chemicals don’t mix, so the more natural their food, the better their bodies can grow and develop.
None of it has to be perfect. Consistency is what builds resilience. If you’re already doing a lot of this, good for you.
How does the nervous system affect a child’s immune system?
Your child’s nervous system helps coordinate how their body responds to the world around them, including how their immune system responds. The more regulated their nervous system is, the more ease they have handling everyday stressors like a new school schedule, a change of seasons, or a week of extra sugar.
That’s why we check it first. We look at how well your child’s spine and nervous system are functioning and adapting, and we adjust the areas of subluxation that need it. The adjustment gives their body the input it needs to do what it already knows how to do.
Why does sleep matter so much for kids?
Sleep is when the body detoxes, heals at deeper levels, and integrates everything it’s taken in.
If your child is suddenly sleepier during a season change, a new school routine, or a big motor milestone, or if they nap more after an adjustment, that’s their body doing important work, and it’s ok to let them sleep. Their body needs rest.
What should you expect in a baby’s first months?
In the first four months (give or take), babies should be good at three things: eating, sleeping, and pooping. When they are, we know things are developing well on the inside.
Motor milestones are a window into what’s developing inside. Tummy time helps with eyesight and head control, and as babies start to move, their sinuses and lymph drain, which supports their immune system.
If your child skipped crawling, play-based crawl time can still offer that movement to their nervous system. Every child is different, and it’s never too late to play.
Breast milk is a living food that changes to fit what baby needs. If nursing isn’t part of your story, your baby’s body is still designed to adapt, and everything else on this list still applies.
Do kids need protection from every germ?
Wash your hands and use good hygiene. Beyond that, we don’t want you to fear the grocery store, the library, or seeing Grandma at Christmas. We talked about research comparing kids raised around dust, animals, and nature with kids raised in cities, and the kids with more natural exposure tended to have stronger immune responses and fewer allergies and asthma.
When we support the internal environment with the core, we can trust the body to handle more of what it meets.
Is a fever bad?
Fevers are one of the main ways the body takes care of what it’s fighting. We’re taught to fear them, and it takes some unlearning. A fever moves in a cycle. It rises, holds for a while, and comes back down. Then it does it again.
I’ve watched both of my boys go through this. A few hours flat on the couch, then they’re asking to watch a movie. When they’re handling it, I let it run its course.
Here’s what we check to see if a child’s body is handling a fever well:
Activity: Lower energy is normal. Can they still watch a movie or rest and then perk up?
Engagement: Are they still following what you’re saying and interacting with you?
Hydration: Are they sipping water? Electrolytes are a great thing to push during this time.
Output: Three to four wet diapers or bathroom trips in 24 hours is a good sign.
Comfort: Irritable is normal. A child who can’t rest, won’t nurse or drink, and won’t engage is a different situation.
If your child isn’t themselves, can’t keep fluids down, or you’re worried, call us or your provider. You know your child best.
What about colds, supplements, and home remedies?
Give their body time to work on a cold. If it lingers, double down on the core: sleep, time outside, real food, and an adjustment.
Supplements fill gaps. They don’t replace the core. If you add something, we suggest, pick one or two things, get your child adjusted, and watching how their body responds.
Flooding a small body with four or five things at once gives it a lot to sort through. Do your homework on dosage and safety for your child’s age, too. We put our go-to home options in the handout from the talk. Give us a call or send an email, and we’ll be sure to send the hand out your way as well!
How do your words and your stress affect your child?
Kids are wired to us. When work is stressful, or things are tense at home, they feel it, even if it isn’t happening right in front of them. If you’re in a hard season, that’s a good time to lean on the core for yourself, too.
Watch how we talk about their bodies. We tell our kids, “Your body is strong. Your body knows how to heal itself.” And watch what being sick earns them. If sickness brings extra attention or a day at home, kids notice. Give them something to look forward to when they feel better.
Do adjustments help kids when they’re sick or teething?
Teething brings a lot of inflammation, and it can involve the ears. We adjust so their system can drain. One parent in the room shared that whenever their child says their ear hurts, they come in, and it feels better by the next day. Now their child asks, “Can I go to the chiropractor? My ear hurts.”
Build your village
It helps to have a few people a step or two ahead of you, a midwife, a mentor, a practitioner you trust, who can look at a picture and tell you what they’d do. So often the answer is to wait, watch, and let the body drain. You don’t have to figure it out alone.
The bigger picture
Your child’s body is more intelligent than most of us were taught. Our job is to teach you about their spine and their nervous system, so you can see what their body is doing and feel confident in what you’re seeing at home.
If your child hasn’t had their nervous system checked, we’d love to meet them. Book your child’s exam
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