Your Newborn’s Immune System

Each day your baby will grow and develop as they explore their environment. This growth and development involves many parts of your baby’s body. That includes their immune system.

The immune system is your baby’s protection against germs, like bacteria or viruses. When your baby encounters new germs in their environment, the immune system creates special fighter cells to fight the germs. These fighter cells are known as “antibodies.” The antibodies will also remember the germs and are able to quickly fight them the next time your baby encounters them.

Your baby’s immune system starts to develop before birth. During pregnancy you help by passing some of your own antibodies through the placenta. This includes the antibodies that you get when you are immunized during pregnancy. This provides short-term protection for your baby when they are born. Breastfeeding your baby also helps your baby’s immune system. Your breastmilk gives them extra antibodies to boost their immune system and helps keep them healthy.

Watch this video to learn how antibodies protect babies, and how they are shared during pregnancy and through breastfeeding:

Your baby’s immune system will keep developing as they encounter everyday germs in their environment. However, the protection your baby received from you starts to decrease when they are around eight weeks old. Your baby will start to receive scheduled Childhood Immunizations around that time. They will help give your baby the best protection as early as possible.

Vaccines, or immunizations, give your baby a head start in developing a strong defence against certain vaccine-preventable diseases. They work by helping your baby’s immune system make antibodies before they encounter the disease. They help your baby stay healthy!

Protecting your baby from vaccine-preventable diseases is important as these diseases can result in serious health problems. Childhood Immunizations are offered by your local Public Health Nurse through Child Health Clinics visits. These visits are a part of the preventive Health Checks program.