Tips on how to help your baba stay snuffle free this winter

It begins with a cough, turns into a sniffle and then, suddenly, your baba has developed a full-blown cold. For many parents, it feels as though the winter months are filled with one cold after another – as young children slowly build up their immunity to the more than 100 different cold viruses.

We understand that it’s never nice to see your child sniffling, sneezing and clearly in discomfort, so we have created our top 5 tips to help them stay as well as possible this winter.

Keep warm & dry 
Changes in the winter climate mean that the world outside gets wetter, windier and colder. Whilst there is very little truth in this causing pneumonia and viral infections, there is definitely sense in wrapping up and staying dry. The best way to do this is by wearing thin layers of natural fabrics like cotton, wool, and fleece rather than a single bulky layer, topped with a waterproof layer if it’s raining. This helps to control your children’s temperature by adding and removing layers as needed. Hats, loosely fitting scarves, and gloves also keep their extremities warm.

Wrapping up is particularly important for babies and children with asthma – as the frigid temperatures can exacerbate asthma attacks. If you know your child has asthma, make sure they take their prescribed medications and carry their inhaler and spacer with them throughout the season.

Get outside
If dressed appropriately, it is actually very healthy for children to be outside during the winter months so don’t hibernate away for 3 months! Exercise is a great way to keep warm and the fresh air and sun are important for both psychical and psychological well-being during the long nights. Letting children play outside will also give them a vitamin D boost, which is important to help support a healthy, balanced immune function. 

Friendly bacteria
The healthy bacteria found in many types of probiotics are a fantastic way to help boost the immune system and keep your baba’s whole body in tip top condition. While colds can’t be avoided, did you know that 70% of their immune system is located in their gut? This means it is constantly in contact with their gut bacteria and works to support their immune system. Nourishing the gut microbiome is therefore a great way of keeping the winter colds at bay or can help your child to recover quicker.

Baba West, along with our partners at Probio 7, have conducted a significant amount of clinical research into the strain of friendly bacteria used within Kidskalm (as well as our infant product Bifikalm) and we are confident that the addition of this daily friendly bacteria (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) to your child’s diet is a simple and effective way of helping to ensure a healthy gut, a healthy immune system and a healthy child this winter. 

Eat healthily and take supplements if necessary
Eating a healthy, balanced diet with a good mix of fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates, protein and some fats is essential to a growing child, especially so when they are using resources fighting bugs and keeping warm. Dairy, fruits and vegetables provide an essential mix of immune system boosting vitamins and minerals, while meat, fish and pulses are packed full of protein for growth and repair.

Keeping your child well-hydrated is also important as we lose water into the cold air when we breathe out and when we sweat in our warm clothing. If you feed your child a vegetarian or vegan diet or if they suffer from digestive conditions such as lactose intolerance, Crohn’s disease or coeliacs disease, they may benefit from taking multivitamins to supplement their regular intake to help prevent illnesses.

Get enough sleep
When you sleep your body can recharge its immune system and help keep colds at bay – if only it were that simple with children. Just like with adults, rest is key to recovery when it comes to colds and respiratory infections, but one of the biggest barriers to your baba having a good night’s sleep is that they can find it hard to breathe as they are all bunged up. This is why we developed our Snuffle Pillow Mist, with its natural solution containing a gentle yet effective mix of essential oils with anti-viral and antibacterial properties, as well as being enriched with Eucalyptus, Pine and Thyme oils. Simply spray onto a handkerchief or muslin during the day or on their pillow at night to help relieve blocked and runny noses.