By Janet Levatin, MD, Holistic Pediatrician
Last week I had an all-too-common experience at my office: I saw an 18-month old child who was very sick with several chronic conditions.
He was covered with eczema that was itchy, day and night. He couldn’t sleep due to the itching, and was being medicated with a steroid cream. He has asthma, which has led to emergency room visits and repeated courses of inhaled medications to open his airways, and has allergies to multiple foods. His mother keeps an Epi-Pen close at all times in case of a life-threatening reaction to an accidental exposure to an allergenic food.
As if this were not enough, he has acid reflux and is taking a medication to suppress the production of his stomach acid. To top it off, he has had recurrent strep throat and ear infections, resulting in multiple rounds of antibiotics. At the tender age of 18 months, he has been to 4 pediatric specialists… a dermatologist for his skin, a gastroenterologist for his reflux, a pulmonologist for his asthma, and an infectious diseases specialist for his recurrent strep infections. And of course, he has been fully vaccinated.
Many of children I see have combinations of these inflammatory and infectious conditions that start during infancy. Conventional pediatricians give several rounds of multiple suppressive medications, including steroids, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories to these tiny humans, who then require frequent doctor visits for additional pills to treat the side effects of the pills.
Chronic illnesses are now so common, having a sick child seems to be the “new normal.” As a holistic pediatrician, I often point out to a parent that just because a situation is common, that does not mean it is normal! Children are supposed to be vibrant, healthy, and free of disease. They should not need to have multiple medications on a daily basis.
What is contributing causes to the epidemic of sick kids?
It is no surprise that the rates of chronic disease have increased in parallel with the ever-expanding infant and childhood vaccination schedule. For over 20 years, one-day-old infants have routinely been injected with hepatitis B vaccine. Parents never get to see their babies at a normal, un-medicated baseline. By age 2, most children will have received almost 40 doses of 15 vaccines. The medications given to my 18-month old little patient are used to suppress symptoms caused by pro-inflammatory environmental toxins and vaccines. The shots contain bacterial and viral particles, toxic ingredients, more than 60 different chemicals, heavy metals such as aluminum and traces of mercury. Not only does the baby have to mount an immune response to the injected pathogens, (which is not physiological at such a young age), he also has to attempt to clear the toxins, an overwhelming task for his little body. It’s no wonder children are so sick.
The treatment plan for his little boy had several components. I advised the mother to feed him only organic whole foods, avoiding known allergenic and other common inflammatory foods, such as soy and processed, gluten-containing carbohydrates. I also counseled her to use only petroleum-free moisturizers, and to get a bath water purifier so her baby would not be exposed to chlorinated bath water. Petroleum and chlorine are toxic to everyone, but especially those with areas of broken skin. I recommended vitamin D drops, topical calendula oil and a colloidal silver-containing gel to heal infected areas of skin. He was given a homeopathic medicine that was tailored to his individual needs and constitution. Finally, I recommended that she get familiar with TIMC’s allergy elimination program, called SRT, which is safely used by all ages.
I am looking forward to watching his evolution to wellness using natural means to restore his health rather than continuing suppressive medicines that keep him sick. I’ll keep you posted on his progress!
Thank God for you Dr. Levatin!
What are some petroleum free lotions you recommend for infants”
Dr. Janet says: Oils can be used as moisturizers. Organic coconut oil or olive oil
packaged in a glass container is a good choice. Natural, unscented shea
butter can also be used. If you wish to buy a moisturizer product, there
are some healthy brands at natural food stores that do not contain
petroleum (Alba Botanica is one such brand). It is important to read
labels so that you get a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free product.
Commercial lotions, even those labeled natural or organic, can still
contain preservatives, alcohols, and other potentially harmful
ingredients, but they are generally superior to the commercial drugstore
brands. If you wish to research ingredients, the Environmental Working
Group is a great resource (www.ewg.org). Any time you try any product on
your baby or child’s skin, before putting it everywhere, be sure to test
it for a few days on just a small area. What works for one person, may
irritate anther.
Arbonne international has amazing baby products and we have been petroleum free for over 32 years since Arbonne was developed. Our motto is pure, safe, and beneficial. Check out our ingredients I know you will be blown away. http://Www.cskillman.myarbonne.com
Add huge purple boils on the butt, chronic impetigo, sinus infections, and chronic allergies/cough to the list that you just named and you will have described our son. No homeopath or naturopath has been able to help him. Can you make any reccomendations? (already tested for food sensitivies, allergens, extremely healthy diet, no vax. ever, but lots of antibiotics from birth on) We are already doing what you recommended! Live in Gig Harbor WA. Any Dr. you might recommend either here or Tacoma?
Dr. Janet says: It sounds as though your son might have dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of his bacterial flora. Often people think of dysbiosis as only occurring in the gut, but it can also occur on the skin and in the respiratory passages and sinuses. He might be helped by a homeopath who knew how to treat with nosodes for dysbiosis. One of the world’s best homeopaths, Louis Klein, resides outside of Vancouver, BC, which is in your area of the world.
You might also check into the GAPS diet to heal and seal the gut and restore the immune system. See my note below for further info and ways to learn about this nutritional program and, if desired, seek guidance from certified GAPS practitioners (see the links below).
I would love to get a bath purifier for the chlorinated water, but do not know which one to get. Could you recommend one?
Dr. Janet says: I have long known about and used the bath ball, available from http://www.gaiam.com. I recently learned about the splish splash, which a patient of mine got on http://www.amazon.com.
We have chosen not to vaccinate our children and I am so happy I didn’t let all the bully pediatricians talk me into it. I wish we had doctors like you in my area of Florida that care for our children the way you do!
Are there any doctors like this in Michigan? We are having trouble finding a pediatrician we feel comfortable with….
Dr. Janet says: I recommend checking Dr. Sears’s list: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/vaccines/find-vaccine-friendly-doctor-near-you
What does SRT stand for? My daughter has eczema, and friends and docs snicker and roll their eyes at me when I suspect it’s gluten or sugar in any form. She’s had some basic vaccs, but is certainly not up to date (she “slips through the cracks” if you follow me.) Thanks for tips like calendula oil, vit D, & colloidal silver. Will try to find a local doc who’ll help w/ this.
Dr. Janet says: SRT stands for Sensitivity Reduction Technique. It is a method of helping decrease allergies and sensitivities using kinesiology and bodywork… no needles or injections, and perfectly safe for people of all ages. It is helpful in many cases where food or environmental allergies are a component of the person’s condition.
I agree. Children are sick due to vaccinations. My son is 7 years old and has never been vaccinated. He is never sick and does not have any allergies. There have been times when he has been the only child in his class because everyone else is sick yet he has never caught anything from them. I also think we over use anti-bacterial soap. Plain soap and water works just fine.
Thanks for the great article. It confirms my decision not to vaccinate my child.
I want to stay informed! yes! i would love to hear of such positive progress and how the results with change both the Mama and the babies life and way of thinking!
All of those symptoms could be caused by petroleum food dyes. Petroleum-based food colorings in the many medications can exacerbate the patient’s symptoms and prolong his/her recovery. I would advise the parent to read all medication labels, and call the manufacturers, because many petroleum-derived dyes, flavorings, and preservatives are not on the label of what looks like otherwise plain white liquid or pills. We learned that the hard way after my daughter had a terrible reaction to plain white liquid antibiotics. I write about the link between synthetic food coloring and health/behavioral problems for adults and kids at http://www.DieFoodDye.com. I also collect guest blogger stories from parents about their journey towards dye-free living, and interviews with dye-sensitive kids.
Sounds exactly like one of my children, but he has NEVER been vaccinated…
I ‘m so happy this family has found this doctor to help them. This story is something I can relate too. My son has a similar story and all doctors want to do is put a bandaid on his health problems and not find the cause. I have done a lot of research and have figured out that the holistic route is the only way to go. I hope this child finds relief from his health problems.
Adjust him, adjust him, adjust him!! My five year old – unfortunately vaccinated at 2 months (only) and then stopped, has had 2 ear infections her whole life. The last time she was crying in pain all night as my wife and I were in the hospital with her new sister while she was at grandma’s house. Both times, I adjusted her (I am a chiropractor) and within a couple hours, the infections and pain went away!
Your spine is extremely important as your nerves go down from your brain, through your spinal column, and out to the organs. Your body has an amazing ability to heal itself, you just need to eliminate the interferences and toxins.
Love what you do Dr Sherri! You have saved my sweet girls from vaccines and the havoc they cause on the immune system. Thank you!!
I loved Dr. Levatin’s article. I also like what Tom Cowan MD says. “Countries with a high rate of vaccination have a high rate of cancer and autoimmune illness.” Which do you want, chickenpox or cancer.? I had chickenpox, mumps and measles. no big deal. Of course, we all ate real farm food in the 1950′s .
My dad and his sisters had few childhood vaccines., born in 1919 and 1921, and 19022.
They all lived into their 90′s.
Here is a short article I wrote that explains the underlying issues at play in cases like this, and a nutritional approach to healing the root causes.
The digestive system is the seat of the immune system, and more and more people are learning about the connection between gut health and human disease. There are many ways gut flora can become compromised in our modern world, and damaged gut flora creates a cascade of malabsorption and malnutrition. Good bacteria is essential for life, but sometimes pathogenic bacteria overtake beneficial bacteria, leading to immune system suppression, toxin build-up, and something called Leaky Gut Syndrome. The weakened walls of the digestive tract allow partly digested food and harmful microbes into the bloodstream and body, triggering many auto-immune and allergic conditions as well as behavior and mental problems if the pathogens pass the blood-brain barrier.
The Gut and Psychology Syndrome or GAPS diet, developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, is a special nutrition program that heals and seals the gut and which has turned around the lives of thousands of individuals and families worldwide. Dr McBride, a neurosurgeon, developed the program in order to help her autistic child. The list of ailments that have been helped or healed with GAPS includes asthma, allergies (all kinds), autism, auto-immune diseases, acid reflux, constipation, digestive issues, ADD/ADHD, OCD, schizophrenia, depression, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, MS, eczema, anaemia, IBS, the list goes on.
These ailments can be triggered by a wide array of factors, from pollutants in the environment to toxins in the body such as mercury fillings. Impaired immune function is often handed down and compounded from one generation to the next not through genetics but through the transfer of compromised gut flora. Leaky Gut Syndrome can be exacerbated by things like antibiotics, vaccine ingredients and nutrient-deficient processed foods. Gone are the days when most everyone ate nourishing whole foods with healing attributes the way our great grandparents did such as homemade soups, lacto-fermented sauerkraut, and fermented probiotic foods – hence the latest craze to artificially apply probiotics to various commercial foods. Our diets are often filled with depleted processed foods and refined sugars and carbohydrates that actually end up feeding the bad bacteria, making us crave the very things that do us harm.
The GAPS diet can offer a path to health and vitality for those wishing to reverse Leaky Gut Syndrome. It gently, safely and effectively promotes detoxification and healing, addressing conditions that plague many people and confound the medical industry. It is usually a temporary way of eating, from 6-24 months, preceded by an “intro diet”, depending on the needs of the individual. The nutritional program is usually self administered, although there are numerous websites, chat groups and health care professionals offering information and guidance. The best place to start is by getting the book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, available at http://shop.gapsdiet.com. Online information is available at http://www.gaps.me, http://www.doctor-natasha.com, and http://www.gapsdiet.com.
Thank you for your continued service to bring help to the children! I appreciate your kindred spirit and your mindfulness. Peace to you and may God Bless you in your journey to heal!