Building Blocks for a Health Immune System

You’ve heard about washing hands and covering coughs to protect your child from the flu – on the outside. But what can you do to protect him or her on the inside?


“Good nutrition is a key element of helping kids fight off the cold or flu,” says Rachel Riddiford, manager of clinical dietetics at Dayton Children’s. “Providing the right foods for your child will help create a healthy immune system – a natural defense of the cold or flu.”

Six ways to build a natural defense system:

1. Five fruits and vegetables each day give vitamins C, E and A and phytochemicals, essential for a healthy immune system.
2. Yogurt with active cultures (probiotics) once a day. These foods build defenses against flu and the common cold. Consider daily yogurt with active cultures or even supplements (mixed probiotic strains).
3. What do eggs, nuts, meat and fish have in common? These foods plus poultry provide immune enhancing vitamins B6, B12 (except nuts), zinc and selenium.
4. Got milk? The added vitamins A and D boosts immunity. Cow’s milk also provides vitamin B12 and zinc.
5. Another source of vitamin D? Fish and eggs.
6. Whole and enriched or fortified grains are another power house source of vitamin B6, vitamin A, folic acid (folate), selenium, iron and zinc. Think cereal, bread and rice to keep the flu bug away.

“If your child does get the flu, good nutrition is still important,” says Riddiford. “It’s important to properly hydrate and feed your child in a progression.”

Here are three nutrition tips if your child gets the flu:

1. Stay hydrated. Start with ice chips, progress to sips of clear liquids. Think water, diluted herbal tea and broth. This is even a time to consider caffeine-free soft drinks. Diluted juices such as cranberry and grape may also be well tolerated.
2. When your child is ready to progress to food, start with small bites several hours apart. Good foods to start with are grains without added fat like bread, plain cereal or dry and crispy crackers.
3. Finally, monitor your child depending on how they are tolerating food. Start with more frequent feedings, then mix food (grains) and drink. Next, add fruits and vegetables. Then milk and dairy, finally add meat.

About our expert - Rachel Riddiford, MS, RD, LD


Rachel has been an employee of Dayton Children's since 2004. She is currently the Manager of Clinical Dietetics and works as an eating disorder specialist in the Nutrition Clinic. Rachel completed her BS in Dietetics at Western Michigan University, Master's degree at University of Dayton, and dietetic internship at Indiana University/Purdue University. She has also completed an American Dietetic Association Pediatric and Adolescent Weight Management Certificate. Rachel has worked as a Registered Dietitian for over 20 years in a variety of settings, including adult hospitals, private practice, and child development centers. She has also served as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Dayton and has held leadership positions in various professional associations, including the Dayton Dietetic Association and the ADA Hunger and Malnutrition Dietetic Practice Group. Rachel loves gardening, sailing, hiking, and cooking, and raising a rambunctious family of five children with her husband.

It’s Time to Talk to Your Teen About Safe Driving

National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW), October 18 – 24, has been designated by Congress as a time for communities, schools and families to raise awareness and provide solutions to teen driver crashes, the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S.

We encourage parents to talk with their teens about the risks associated with driving and to set clear expectations for teen drivers and passengers. Here are 5 tips to get the conversation started:

1. Absolutely No Alcohol. Teen drivers (ages 15-20) are at far greater risk of death in crashes where alcohol was present than the rest of us, even though they cannot legally purchase or possess alcohol.
2. Seat belts: Always Buckle Up! Teens buckle up far less frequently than adults do. The very first thing you can do is to be a role model for your children by buckling yourself up every time you get in the car. When your teen is ready to drive, remind them that whether they are driving across town or just around the neighborhood, wearing seat belts is the absolute best way to protect themselves and their passengers from severe injury or even death in the event of a crash.
3. Cell phone/texting: No talking or texting while driving. Talk to your teen drivers about the risks of talking, texting and other distractions, and set clear expectations about driving habits. Distracted driving results in a slower response rate which could be deadly to a pedestrian or a driver.
4. Curfew: Have the Car in the Driveway by 10 p.m. Talk to your teen driver about when you expect them to have the car back in the driveway. The reason for setting a “home-by” rule is to protect your kids by keeping them from driving during the high-risk nighttime hours.
5. Passengers: No more than one at all times Research shows that the risk of a fatal crash goes up in direct relation to the number of teenagers in the car. Non-adult passengers can be a dangerous and fatal distraction for young novice drivers. Also teach your child to be an considerate passenger who doesn’t distract the driver.

And remember, it's also extremely important to lead by example. Follow the rules of the road. Always wear a seat belt, don’t talk on a cell phone while driving and don’t speed. Your child watches your every move.

School Bus Safety Week

School Buses Are Nearly 8 Times Safer than Passenger Vehicles
Dayton Children’s and Safe Kids Greater Dayton provide tips to keep kids safer for National School Bus Safety Week

As child safety advocates, we often get asked why the majority of school buses don't have seat belts.

While carpooling is a common practice in many communities, a school bus is the safest way for children to get to school. Fatal crashes involving school bus occupants are extremely rare events, even though school buses serve children daily in nearly every community.

Getting to and from the bus is actually more dangerous than riding the bus itself. In 2007, 26 children were killed as pedestrians getting on or off a school bus, or while waiting at the school bus stop in the United States. This means that five times as many children were killed while getting on or off the bus than while riding it. Oct. 19 to 23, 2009, is National School Bus Safety Week, making it a good time to teach children how to stay safer around school busses.

Here are some tips to share with your children to make sure their bus ride is as safe as possible:

1. Arrive at the bus stop five minutes early.
2. Stay in a safe place away from the street while waiting for the bus.
3. Stand at least 5 giant steps (10 feet) away from the edge of the road.
4. Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says it is okay before moving towards the bus.
5. Have your parents help you check that your clothing does not have drawstrings and that your book bag does not have straps or dangling objects. They can get caught in the door when exiting the bus.
6. If something falls under or near the bus, tell the driver. Never try to pick it up yourself!
7. When you get on or off the bus, look for the bus safety lights and make sure they are flashing. Tell the driver if they are not.
8. Be alert to traffic. When you get on or off the bus, look left, right, and left again before you enter or cross the street.
9. Stay in your seat and sit quietly on the bus so that the driver is not distracted.
10. Some school buses now have seat belts. If you have seat belts on your school bus, be sure to learn to use the seat belt correctly on every ride.

In Ohio, it is against the law to pass a stopped school bus or approach within 10 feet, and motorists should never pass a school bus with its lights flashing. National School Bus Safety Week is held every year in the third week of October and led by the National Association for Pupil Transportation.