By Jane Sheppard We all want our children to be vibrantly healthy and happy. Children will inevitably get sick at times, but some children are dealing with illness on a continual basis. Unfortunately, an increasing number of children are burdened with chronic illnesses or disorders that can make their lives pretty challenging. The current system…
Principles of Holistic MedicineBy American Holistic Medical Association Holistic medicine is the art and science of healing that addresses the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. The practice of holistic medicine integrates conventional and alternative therapies to prevent and treat disease, and most importantly, to promote optimal health. This condition of holistic health is…
By Jane Sheppard Antibiotics have saved many lives over the past 45 years. We are truly fortunate to have them available for serious bacterial infections. Unfortunately, antibiotics are excessively prescribed, especially to children. The Center for Disease Control estimates that of the 235 million doses of antibiotics given each year, between 20 and 50 percent…
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By Shiroko Sokitch, MD Symptoms of Ear Infection One of the most common problems pediatricians see is ear infection. Almost half of all children will have at least one middle ear infection during their first year, and by age three, over two-thirds of all children will have had at least one middle ear infection….
Randall Neustaedter OMD, Lac, CCH What are the symptoms of an ear infection? Ear infections can be accompanied by mild or severe pain, or no pain at all. In babies, symptoms often only include fussiness and night waking, runny nose, or fever. Sometimes all three symptoms are present. Ear pain tends to worsen at…
Excerpt from FLU: Alternative Treatments and Prevention, by Randall Neustaedter OMD, North Atlantic Books, 2004
Some special issues apply to children with the flu. First, children can develop high fevers with much less severe accompanying symptoms than adults. A child with a 104 (40º C) temperature is miserable, but can also quickly rally. An adult with this level of fever feels as if he will die. Second, because children have easily weakened digestive functions, they tend to develop more digestive symptoms than adults. They often have vomiting and diarrhea with the flu, sometimes as one of the first few symptoms of illness. Third, children go through stages of the flu fairly quickly and the treatment regimen may need to change frequently during the course of the illness to match the symptom picture. This applies especially to homeopathic medicines. A medicine that fits the picture on day one may transition to a new medicine on day two and again on day four.
Randall Neustaedter OMD, LAc, CCH The Issue of Attention How does a child pay attention, focus, and concentrate persistently on tasks? What constitutes the norms of attention? What are the cultural expectations projected on children? How do these effect the child’s view of herself? How do attention functions intersect with other issues in a child’s…
Randall Neustaedter OMD, LAc, CCH The number of children put on drugs for attention problems is staggering, and school authorities pressure parents to use dangerous stimulant medications and antidepressants to keep children behaving in specific desirable patterns in the classroom. The approach of holistic pediatrics offers an effective management system for attention problems (so-called ADD…
Randall Neustaedter OMD, LAc, CCH Excerpt from Child Health Guide: Holistic Pediatrics for Parents, North Atlantic Books, 2005 (Click here to order Child Health Guide) Attention and attentiveness are somewhat paradoxical when viewed by adults. We expect children to pay attention. We expect them to be alert to subtle differences in similar written statements and…
Fred Baughman, MD In her recent PLoS Medicine article, Christine Phillips writes: “ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] joins dyslexia and glue ear as disorders that are considered significant primarily because of their effects on educational performance” [1]. A “disorder” is “a disturbance of function, structure, or both,” and thus, the equivalent of an objective abnormality/disease…
October/November 2006 Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D In our recently published paper, Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D, we document the evidence that epidemic influenza, and even some of the viruses that cause the common cold, may be prevented by adequate doses of vitamin D. The Independent ran a feature article on our paper, but you’ll…