Understanding Childhood Disorders
There are two categories of childhood conditions.
- Diseases: which require treatment and monitoring of the condition.
- Disorders: which are everyday events like asthma, ear infections, colds, flus, skin rashes, allergies and others.
Currently, health concerns are increasing due to environmental factors. The environment impacts health globally. The air that we breathe and the food that we eat all contribute to our health.
At the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, soil analysis studies from around the world showed that North American topsoil contains on average 85% less mineral content now than it did 100 years ago. A large part of this is due to overuse and the effects of modern farming methods which deplete the soil of its elements and then fail to replace all of the sixty minerals found in healthy soil. The foods we eat take minerals from the soil, store some and convert others to vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Thus, the nutritional content of plant and animal foods is directly determined by the health and vitality of the soil. When the soil is unhealthy and deficient, so are the foods grown in it. The decline in the quality of the earth's soil, air and water is drastically lowering the nutritional quality of the foods we eat.
In my clinic, as a homeopathic physician and acupuncturist for the past 20 years, I have had the opportunity to specialize in pediatrics. I treat children with conditions ranging from frequent ear infections, colds, coughs, sinusitis and flu's to allergies, eczema, asthma and digestive complaints to the deeper conditions of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, behavioral problems and autism. In my quest to help my patients lead healthier lives, much of my efforts are dedicated to understanding what causes, what prevents and what cures the conditions afflicting our children.
Studies show that from 1977 to 1986 doctor visits by children for recurring ear infections increased 136%. Asthma increased 200% in the past ten years. Autism 300% in the past ten years. ADHD 500% in the past ten years. According to a 1995 article in the Journal of American Medicine, one in five children suffer from some type of learning, attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder. What is affecting our children's health so much that they are now that much more susceptible to infections, allergies and asthma, as well as to emotional and mental imbalances?
Initially, we must recognize that children are working twice as hard as adults on a daily basis. They require the energy and nutrients both to face the day to day challenges of life and the environment, as well as the energy and nutrients to grow. Their bodies and minds are under-going construction as they develop physically, mentally and emotionally as human beings. From this perspective, we realize the importance of supporting their formative years by supplying their bodies with the essential nutrients that are required for this delicate 'life under construction' stage. The body and mind that are developed during childhood and adolescence become the foundation for the rest of their lives.
The essential nutrients comprised of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids are the raw materials required for proper bone, muscle, organ, immune, neuronal and brain development. These nutrients are called essential because our bodies cannot manufacture them. They must be delivered, on a daily basis, through food and supplements so the body has what it needs to grow and function properly.
There is a wealth of research and information on how the spectrum of essential nutrients supports healthy development, strong immune function, and emotional and mental vitality. This research tells us that one of the fundamental reasons for the decline in children's health and immunity is the decline in the nutritional content and value of their diet and environment. Air, water and food are the elements which support growth. Any imbalances or deficiencies in these elements will sooner or later show up as a symptom of compromised immune, physical, mental or emotional function. A symptom should always be seen as a signal from the body that it is not receiving what is needed to maintain normal functioning.
In the course of knowing and treating hundreds of children, I have observed that good diet and nutritional supplements are the cornerstone for the development and maintenance of good health. Supplementing the diet with additional vitamins and minerals has become a necessity because so much is lacking in the foods available today. The ultimate prevention and cure for recurrent infections, allergies, asthma and the other maladies our children face, is careful nurturing, delivered through the formative years. On the physical level, this is accomplished by means of a good diet and nutritional supplements.
The ChildLife program is made up of those essentials, which my clinical practice has shown to be the most valuable in maintaining healthy development and promoting natural immune and defense strength. ChildLife Essentials are made from the highest quality natural ingredients in formulas designed especially to support children. Their good taste makes all the difference in whether taking nutritional supplements becomes a battle of wills or an easy part of the daily routine.
The ChildLife Daily Maintenance Group provides a foundation of the essential nutrients needed on a daily basis for growth and healthy development. It consists of:
- Multi-Vitamin & Mineral
- Essential Fatty Acids
- Colostrum with Probiotics
- Vitamin C
The ChildLife Immune Support Group stimulates natural immune responses and defends the body. These formulas can be used at the first sign of any cold, cough, flu, sinusitis or ear infection, and also periodically to maintain and increase natural defense protection. The Immune Support Group is made up of:
- First Defense
- Echinacea
- Vitamin C
With a little extra information and a lot of love and care, the issues compromising our children's good health can be understood and overcome. It is my hope that ChildLife Essentials will play an ongoing role in that hopeful and healthful process.
References:
J. Wallach, ND and M. Lan, MD, Rare Earths, Double Happiness Publishing, CA, 1993.
Pediatric Antibiotic Use Soars, Medical World News, November 9, 1987.
Essential Nutrients, Merck Manual, p. 932 , 1992.
M. Werbach, MD, Nutritional Influences on Illness: A Sourcebook of Clinical Research, Third Line Press, CA, 1993.
Price, WA, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Price-Pottenger Foundation, 1945.
