Wikis tagged with Child-Health

I am the mother of a 2 1/2 yr old, who we have recently discovered has eczema. She has been hospitalized because of this, and she is currently seeing a allergist, whom tested her and she has no allergies and also a dermatologist, but it seems like nothing is helping.. the issue is that her eczema will clear up and then a few days later come back worse then before.. anyway the question that i have is, could there be something that we are missing and not looking for.. or a product that can be recommended i dont like using the RX cream prescribed constantly because it a steroid and isnt good...

Thank you to Julie Lancaster for this guest post. I believe in girl-power. Rich, music-blaring, arm-wrestling, mountain-climbing girl-power. But then my mom got Botoxed. Botulism right in the face. In her forehead and cheeks. Growing up, her lessons to me were how to be real and to always “go big.” We spent three years abroad before I was even six years-old. She took me traveling to thirteen countries before I could tie my own shoes. She created field trips to see the ambulance authority and camping trips in the muggy Pennsylvania hills. She was the campfire starter. She taught me...

By Nadine Artemis of Living Libations (my new very favorite source for aromatherapy, elixirs, and chrisms!) Sometimes, helping children to brush their teeth, or getting children to brush their own teeth, is like herding cats and, when children do brush their teeth, even when they are teenagers, do they do a thorough job? Is their brushing effective? In ancient times, children very rarely had cavities. Today, however, one of the biggest health concerns affecting little ones more than any other in North America and Europe is dental decay, ECC (Early Childhood Caries). Is it...

By Peggy O'Mara and Jane McConnell Earaches are the number one cause of pediatric visits. Fluid can easily build up in a child's tiny middle ear, creating pressure on the eardrum and causing intense pain. Most ear infections are painful but not serious. If your child experiences more than two ear infections a year, you should look for underlying causes. There are several reasons why fluid might build up in the middle ear. They include: Allergy. Many studies have suggested a link between food intolerance and middle ear problems. One study tested 104 children with recurring middle ear...

Thank you to Dr. Bob Sears for this guest post. The California Legislature is currently considering a bill that would require parents to obtain their doctor’s signature on a government form prior to enrollment in public school if they wish to skip one or more vaccines for their child. Current law allows parents to decline vaccines by signing an exemption form at the school – no doctor’s signature needed. The new law would require “a written statement signed by a health care practitioner that indicates that the practitioner provided the parent with information regarding the...

The debate in Vermont continues as the state considers ending the right to a philosophical vaccine exemption for families. The exemption currently allows parents to say no to vaccines for their children and still send them to public school or child care. Vermont is one of twenty states that allow such an option for parents. Vocal opponents of the exemption state that it  jeopardizes “herd immunity,” putting the community at risk.  Others see it as a vital right that allows families to make informed health decisions without excluding them from important resources. “I don’t think we...

Last week, a group of mothers committed to the right to serve their children healthful food staged a rally outside the headquarters of the Food and Drug Administration near Washington, D.C. A crowd of 150 gathered to support a group of “raw milk freedom riders” who transported raw milk illegally over state lines from a farm in Pennsylvania to Silver Spring, Maryland and then drank it and distributed it. With cookies. The main thrust of the November 1 event organized by the Farm Food Freedom Coalition was to call attention to the ban on the interstate sale of raw milk, a rule that keeps...

We've discussed this before, but I think its time to bring it up again. There is a huge misconception of what Autism Acceptance (aka: Pro-Autism) means and what our motivation is that makes us, as parents, choose to accept instead of cure our children. I'd also like to discuss some of the Autism myths, feel free to add your own. To keep this within the UA please refrain from attacking those who do not hold the same opinion as you, this goes both ways. We can do this respectfully and still get our message out there. If you happen to be pro-cure and have questions, feel free to ask, but...

Managing Asthma with Natural Medicine By Randall Neustaedter Web Exclusive Natural medicine can significantly strengthen immune function, preventing asthma attacks and even curing the underlying cause of symptoms. The most successful approach to asthma, and the easiest for parents to adhere to, is constitutional homeopathy as practiced by an experienced, certified, classical homeopathic practitioner (see www.homeopathicdirectory.com ). The constitutional medicine is a single substance that corresponds to the overall picture of a child's physical symptoms, medical history, general...

When I was pregnant with my first child, I spent most of the pregnancy worried about and trying to plan for a great natural birth.  All the “mothering” stuff after that I just didn’t even think about.  I read one baby book though, the Dr Sears classic, “The Baby Book” and thought briefly about vaccines and delayed vaccinations.  When I talked to my child’s pediatrician though she kind of brushed off the idea of splitting up the schedule and I ended up just going along with everything as recommended by the “experts.” I proceeded obediently according to schedule until my son was...

A few days after our son was born he caught a cold.  His nose was totally stuffed up, and he was wheezing.  I remember sitting anxiously hunched over his bassinet watching him sleep, when I thought he stopped breathing for a second.  I picked him up more abrubtly than I meant to, and, of course, woke him up in the process.  He started wailing.  And that was the second time in my life that tears of relief slipped out of the corners of my eyes at the sound of my baby crying. When I called the pediatrician and told her about this (my third call that day), she told me that if he was breathing...

A solid, useful piece in today's New York Times: “I think parents feel like it’s their job to just make their children eat something. But it’s really their job to serve a variety of healthy foods and get their children exposed to foods.”

There’s been more candy eating and gum chewing in our house this week than after Halloween. Partly because of the candy throwing at the July 4th parade in Ashland and partly because my mother-in-law was just here for a visit (note to Susan: this is not a criticism of you in any way. We had a wonderful time and want you to come back soon). My kids aren’t just swallowing loads of refined sugar (linked to the huge increase of juvenile diabetes among children in the United States) and hydrogenated oils (so taxing to liver, heart, and other organs it’s considered by some to be a poison),...

Hey mamas out there: Would you use a neti pot for children (as in 3-year-olds)?  I got a few product samples of this squishy plastic neti pot and am wondering if other kids would be into it (because mine are like, “yeah right!”) Do your kids use something like this? When did your kids feel comfortable doing it, if they do it…? Mention in your comment if you would like to receive one of the samples and test it out. I know they are popular in many parts of the world and it’s just a familiarity thing, but, wondering how people bridge the gap to give the kids the benefits of...

Even as online forums, email lists, and blogs have become great resources for sharing knowledge about parenting and all things health-related, there’s something special about going to a conference. For holistic-minded parents, that’s especially true of a huge nutrition conference like Wise Traditions, put on annually in November by the Weston A. Price Foundation, and the smaller Fourfold Path to Healing conference coming to Baltimore next weekend. When I attended the Weston A. Price Foundation’s Wise Traditions conference in 2007– on the topic of Radiant Health for Children and Their...

Thank you to Jane Hersey for this guest post.  Are you anxious about going to a store with your son because of fear he might throw a temper tantrum? Do you wish your daughter could concentrate long enough to do her homework or simple chores around the house? Are you afraid of being called by your children’s school about one of your kids being disruptive in class or aggressive with other students?  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you might be relieved to know that help may be as close as the kitchen table or your child’s lunch bag. The modern American diet is linked...

Wikimedia Commons I’ll never live down my bad reputation as the anti-snack mom in a certain group. Okay, in pretty much every organized activity my kids have been in. At least where we live, a group snack has become de rigueur. It doesn’t seem to matter if the little darlings are twirling at gymnastics or sitting on their butts during Chinese class, there’s built-in time to eat. It’s odd in our weight-obsessed culture that snacks and drinks are expected at nearly every kid-oriented event. It’s a perilous situation for several reasons. Peril #1     Squeezing Our Time Crunch a...

Today is World Down Syndrome Day. Join the National Down Syndrome Society’s beautiful and inspiring My Great Story Campaign to celebrate and honor the 400,000 Americans living with Down syndrome.  Please pass this message on and share with friends on facebook to honor those with Down syndrome. About My Great Story MGS was created pro-bono by NY based Ad Agency, Pedone. After 14 months of market analysis the Pedone team developed a campaign in an effort to shape the future for all people with Down syndrome. The online story book was developed by CT based Interactive Agency York and...

Thank you to Linda Storm, Executive Director of Infant Massage USA, for this guest post. Summer is here and you will no doubt find yourself having fun in the sun. With that, you will be spreading on sunscreen and lotions to protect your skin and your child’s skin.* This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with your child, deepen your relationship, and make wonderful memories through nurturing touch. We never outgrow the need for touch; however, as our children grow we don’t have as many opportunities to touch them as we did when they were babies. The use of sunscreen makes the...

By Sherri J. TenpennyIssue 120, September-October 2003 The time has finally arrived for the highly anticipated trip out of the country. The plans began long ago: airplane tickets, hotel reservations, rental car, sightseeing plans. The bags are being pulled from the attic to be packed, and the excitement mounts with each passing day. Everything is a go. But wait-what about vaccines? Is this one more preparation that needs to be added to the "To Do" list? Traveling out of the country can feel like a venture to another planet. Pictures of exotic destinations coupled with new, curious foods...