6 practical steps to boost your child’s immune system

By “healthy” I mean a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. Provide five servings a day, and these portions should take up half of every meal plate.

A healthy diet also has whole grains, lean protein, dairy or another source of calcium, and healthy fats, like vegetable oils.

The foods to ideally avoid or at least limit are processed foods, foods with added sugar and foods with saturated fats.

If you have a child who refuses vegetables or otherwise has a limited diet, a multivitamin with iron may make sense; talk to your doctor about whether vitamins or supplements are a good idea for your child.

The amount of sleep a child needs varies by age (from 12 to 16 hours a day for infants to eight to 10 hours for teens) and also from child to child (some just need more than others).

You can encourage healthy sleep by limiting screens. Devices really should be shut off an hour or two before bedtime and preferably not be in the bedroom at night — and keep to a regular schedule.

Exercise keeps us healthy and less likely to get sick. It’s recommended that children be active for at least an hour a day.

“Active” doesn’t have to mean playing a sport or going to the gym; it could be playing at the playground or going for a walk.

Stress makes us less healthy and more prone to infection. Make sure that kids have downtime to play and access to activities and people that make them happy (or whatever version of that the pandemic allows).

Spend time together as a family, and create opportunities for your children to talk about anything that might be worrying them.

Check with your doctor to see if your child is up to date on immunizations. The flu shot is recommended yearly for everyone 6 months or older.

Everyone in the family can take simple precautions to help stay healthy. Wash your hands. Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow. Keep distance from sick people to the extent that you can.

Dr. Claire McCarthy is an assistant professor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a senior faculty editor at Harvard Health Publishing.