Infants and Children

1) If Mom is breastfeeding she should eliminate totally for 2 weeks: Cows milk, wheat, oranges, eggs, chocolate , peanuts, soy, corn. Also garlic, onions, cabbage and beans . Then introduce one food at a time every 4 days and watch for colick-y reactions or skin rashes. If no colic or other indications of sensitivity after the reintroduction of the food, then try eating that food again and see if baby remains colic-free.

2) Try massaging baby with fingertips around naval in a clockwise motion. Also the corresponding vertebra in the back: T9-T10 which is around the scapular area of the spine.

3) Try a hot water bottle on baby's stomach.

4) Massage baby's stomach with essential oils in a clockwise fashion on stomach: Di-tone and Relieve it are two good oils by Young Living. Apply on stomach and on the spine in back.

5) You can try 1t. apple cider vinegar to 8 oz. of water. Give baby 1T. of this diluted vinegar mixure when colicky. Some babies just lap it up. Mom can also take 1T. apple cider vinegar daily to purify her system and balance the pH. of her breast milk.

6) Pylorospasms and a hard, spasm-y tummy could be caused by inhalants from fabrics such as treated flannels, new crib mattresses or anything not cotton, wool, organic or natural. Wash everything in pure soaps and use no softeners or bleaches.

7) Rub fennel oil on Mom's nipples before feeding.

8) Mom should have more oils in her diet: Olive oil, Fish oil (molecularly distilled to get the heavy metals out) Flax, nuts and seeds.

9) Have your baby visit your chiropractor for a hiatal hernia adjustment, food allergy testing, digestive evaluation and birth trauma realignment. I will often suggest a visit or two to a cranial-sacral therapist.

When you can't breastfeed. Breastfeeding is the very best source of nutrition for any baby. There is no close second to this, but sometimes breast feeding is just not an option. When you have to use baby formula, I think that my Fortified Infant Formula is best. Ask me for a handout on how to make this. Second to this are the commercial brands. Find a few that baby seems to tolerate and then rotate them, so s/he won't become sensitive to one brand. This will reduce the chance for colic and digestive disturbances that are common in bottle-fed babies.

Suggestions for Foods: A baby should not have any solid food until 6 months of age because their digestive systems are not ready for it and solid food introduced too early may cause food sensitivities later on. At 6 months, however, you can try hypoallergenic pureed or mashed foods or organic veggie baby foods. If at all possible, please make your own. It's not that hard or time consuming. Just mush up whatever healthful foods you are eating for meals.

At 7 or 8 months start them on organic meat, rice cereals and fruit. Go easy on the fruits so that you don't sugarize their palates. In other words, get them used to the real taste of grains and veggies and not the sweetness of fruit puree.

Cows milk should be avoided, but rice and goat milk are usually OK. Soy is controversial esp. for boys. I also have the Fortified Infant Formula handout which you can ask me for.

Fruit juice is also not OK as it is nothing more than watery sugar with no nutritional value. If you insist on giving your child fruit juice, at least wait until they are at least a year old and dilute it down drastically so that it is mostly water.

At 21 months, try eggs, turkey, beef, milk, citrus, wheat, corn. I will never recommend peanut butter for two main reasons: 1) Because it is too weighted on the side of Omega-6's EFA's and because the peanut can very toxic to the liver due to a mold called aflatoxin. Get your child used to eating almond butter right from the get-go. Every 4 days or so introduce one of these foods and look for sensitivity reactions. Both milk and wheat can be very serious allergens, so be very wary of these two.

Goopy Eyes, Cradle Cap, "Baby Acne" or Rashes: If Mom is breastfeeding, this is usually due to a fungal or bacterial infection in Mom which baby gets through the milk. In this case, we need to test Mom to see what toxins are getting into the breastmilk. We usually treat baby through Mom by targeted supplementation. If Mom is not breastfeeding, we will treat babies directly with targeted tinctures, probiotics and/or homeopathics.

Constipation: If Mom is breastfeeding, this is usually due to Mom not getting enough oils and/or water into her diet. It could also be parasites in Mom and baby. In this case, we will treat Mom directly which will indirectly treat baby through the breast milk. If Mom is not breastfeeding, we will treat baby directly with targeted tinctures, probiotics and/or homeopathics. You could also treat baby by mixing a little olive oil in with his food or formula. If the constipation lasts longer than 2 days, try a glycerin suppository to get things going again.

Diarrhea: A cousin to constipation. Do pretty much the same.

Bright Red Cheeks: Not a healthy glow! Not on you or your child. This usually means a reaction to a food they are eating or some chemical exposure.

Dark Circles under the Eyes: Usually means food allergies, particularly if there is a crease under the eye as well.

Hyperactivity: This can be very complicated to figure out but could be food allergies or parasites or lack of essential fatty acids or a combination thereof.

Colds, Ear Infections, Strep Throat and Swollen Tonsils: These may be common in children but certainly are not normal. The latest medical research shows that only one ear infection in ten responds to antibiotics and that most resolve by themselves. Instead of antibiotics, we recommend that you make a mixture of 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 tea tree oil in a dropper bottle and place a few drops in the ears as needed to control the pain. You should also treat the ear infection internally with herbs like goldenseal, echinacea, black walnut ("Jug Art") and coptis. These same herbs are also useful for many other childhood ailments as well. Start the herbal treatments at the first sign of symptoms to knock them out faster.

Mucus: Green and yellow means a virus or bacteria and can be treated well with the above mentioned herbs. Clear, thin and copious mucus usually means seasonal allergies, chemical or environmental exposures or a food sensitivity.

Regarding Antibiotics: Still overused! Yes, they do certainly come in handy in life-threatening illnesses like systemic staph or strep or meningitis etc, but for the common cold? C'mon. My advice? Please be judicious in your use of antibiotics both for yourself and your children. I have seen life-long ill-health begin by treating recurring childhood ear infections and strep throats with course after course of antibiotics. Find out what is causing the recurring infections rather than suppressing the body's healthy expressions of the elimination of a toxin, then the infections won't recur! Like the vaccination controversy, you have to do your research and make up your own mind about your use or non-use of antibiotics.

Regarding Fevers: Fevers are scary for new parents, or seasoned parents for that matter. We feel so out of control and helpless seeing our little one burning up, sweating, shivering, miserable, sleepy, not eating. It just rings all the alarm bells in us. However, I would like it if you could reframe your thinking about fevers to this: Fevers are your baby's ally not the enemy: It is her body's elegant and natural way to stimulate her immune system and to create an inhospitable environment, by "turning up the heat" for invading organisms.

The natural way to treat a fever is to support it, unless it rises too high or too quickly. To support a fever, I recommend rest, keeping your child warm and fasting or eating only broths and liquids until the fever breaks. Your child will let you know when s/he wants to eat or drink something. S/he won't starve to death, I guarantee!

I also recommend not giving your child anything to break the fever. Just ride it out with cold wash cloths, hugs and water. Here is an apt metaphor for you: What if you noticed that your car's brake warning light is on while you are driving to work one day? Would you hurry over to your mechanic and ask him to disconnect the car's brake warning light so you couldn't see it blinking at you? I don't think so. You would hurry over to your mechanic and ask him to determine what the real problem is or why the brake warning light is blinking. Then you would ask him to fix what caused the brake light to come on in the first place. Brake light equals fever here. We really don't want to suppress our body's (or our car's) warning signals.

Exceptions to the above and when medical care is warranted:

1) In infants less than 1 month old, with a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees F. Seek care right away. While waiting for care, breastfeed as often as the baby desires because Mother's milk has helpful antibodies.

2) Infants from 1 month to 3 months with a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees F. and esp. if they appear ill. Again, seek care right away and breastfeed on demand while waiting for care.

3) Children between 3 months and 36 months with a temperature above 102.2 degrees F. Seek medical attention.

4) Any child with a temperature of over 104.5 degrees F.

For any child not in the above categories, bed rest, TLC and fluids will support the fever and allow it to do its job.

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