Early treatment with vitamin B12 injections or high dose pills can correct the deficiency and improve symptoms.

Without vitamin B12, the body can’t make healthy red blood cells, causing them to become abnormally large and fragile. This leads to weakness, fatigue, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, abdominal discomfort, weight loss, and a red, swollen tongue (glossitis). Folate levels may also be low.

In pernicious anemia, the immune system attacks the stomach cells that produce intrinsic factor, so the body can’t absorb enough B12.

Pernicious anemia is a genetic autoimmune disorder that affects the body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12. It develops slowly over several years. Normally, the stomach makes a protein called intrinsic factor, which is needed to absorb vitamin B12.

Until your baby’s immune system is stronger, washing your hands often and limiting contact with anyone who’s sick are some of the easiest—and most effective—ways to protect them.

2. Keep your baby away from sick friends and family.
It’s completely okay to gently ask friends and family to wait until they’re feeling better before visiting your little one. This simple step goes a long way in keeping your baby healthy.

Practicing good hygiene habits, like frequent hand washing and using hand sanitizer, can greatly reduce the risk of passing on bacteria and viruses to your baby.

As parents, what can we do to help?

1. Practice good hygiene!
Because a newborn's immune system is still developing and highly vulnerable to bacteria and viruses, it's important to be extra cautious. Especially during cold and flu seasons!

Good News
Newborns receive some protection from their mothers. Antibodies are transferred through the placenta prior to birth. During breastfeeding, the baby receives some antibodies from their mother’s colostrum and breastmilk; helping the baby fight off infections in the early weeks of life.

Newborn 2nd line of defense - Inflammatory Response
Their inflammatory response is weaker and less effective at killing pathogens.

Newborn 3rd line of defense - Adaptive Immunity
Their B and T cells are not yet mature, meaning they can't mount a strong immune response against pathogens.

Newborn 1st line of defense - Innate Barriers
A newborn's skin and mucus layers are thinner, making it easier for bacteria to get through.

So, how is this different for newborns?

A newborn's immune defense system is very immature and still developing, which makes it less capable of fighting bacteria and healing from infections compared to older children and adults.

3. Adaptive Immunity

If the previous two lines fail, the body’s B and T cells create antibodies to fight off pathogens and destroy infected cells. Memory cells are then created to recognize and fight those same invaders faster in the future.

2. Inflammatory Response

If bacteria slip past our innate barriers, the body reacts by destroying them, removing damaged cells, and then beginning the healing process by rebuilding them.

How they work
1. Innate barriers

Our skin, mucus, and stomach acid act as the first line of defense, preventing harmful bacteria from entering the body.