5 Questions Healthy Parents are Asking #4

So where do we start? The following 5 questions are often asked by parents looking to improve or maintain their children’s health. My answers are my professional opinion as a health care practitioner*, and my personal opinion as a father.

Question #4: When it Comes to Ear Infections, Are Antibiotics My Only Choice?

Ear infections are the most common reason for the prescription of antibiotics. But new research shows that up to 80% of uncomplicated ear infections will resolve within 4-7 days without antibiotics (This article summarizes the JAMA paper). In short, antibiotics are not required for healing.  

What Causes an Ear Infection?

To answer this, we start with a little anatomy.  The ear is divided into three parts. The middle ear space is where infections typically occur and is attached to the back of nose through the Eustachian tube.  It is the angle of these tubes in infants and toddlers that make it easy for bacteria to find its way into the middle ear and cause an infection. As children grow, the Eustachian tubes become longer and more vertical, making it more difficult for bacteria to thrive.  

When a child gets a cold, mucus abounds. Thanks to the Eustachian tube passageway, the chance for bacteria growth and migration increase as the sinuses and middle ear both produce mucus to as a line of defense. Pus is also produced and is what causes ear pain by pushing on the sensitive ear drum.  Chronic ear infections occur when the fluid in the middle ear is not able to drain properly.

What are My Other Options?

Garlic Oil and Colloidal Silver are both holistic approaches to ear (or any) infections.  Both are considered anti-bacteria, anti-fungal, and anti-viral. Essentially, they are nature’s all-purpose cleaners. As with any new regiment, it is best to consult a health professional when starting something new (For example, our midwife first introduced us to colloidal silver). This is not recommended if their ear is draining.

Chiropractic is another great option. One cause for poor drainage may be a misalignment or loss of motion (subluxation) of the upper neck/head. This commonly occurs in the birthing process, learning to crawl or walk, and just generally being a kid. Chiropractors restore the alignment and motion to these areas through safe and effective adjustments. The three biggest reasons I see children in my office (in no particular order) are ear infections, digestive distress, and wellness care.  We see children recover from chronic ear infections and improve their immune system health on a regular basis.

Pain management with a little one can be difficult. The pain associated with ear infections can be decreased by applying a warm compress to the ear. Swallowing will help to relieve some of the pressure (and upping the fluids is always good), so increase their nursing or water intake.  Keeping their head elevated while they sleep will also help. I’m typically not an advocate of medication because it masks symptoms rather than addressing the problem. However, if your child is in extreme discomfort, acetaminophen is also an option.

Why Not Try an Antibiotic?

There are several reasons that I tend to avoid antibiotics when possible. The first, as with any medication, is the possible side effects. Rash, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, and allergic reactions are the most common for the penicillin group typically used for ear infections.

Resistance to antibiotics is another area of consideration. Continued use of antibiotics on a large scale is producing more antibiotic-resistant “super bugs”.  For an individual, the use of repetitive antibiotics or antibiotics of increased strength can cause that same resistance within your body.  

Another reason to minimize antibiotic use is to protect the good bacteria in your body. I see patients that have used antibiotics somewhat regularly and now have digestive issues. That’s because the good bacteria that live symbiotically in your digestive tract and help with the normal digestive processes is attacked just the same as the bacteria the cause infections. I always recommend a quality probiotic to replenish the good bacteria after any bout with antibiotics.

Let’s be clear: Antibiotics are life-saving medicine, but if we overuse them now, they may not be effective when they are truly needed.  Research points to the fact that over 80% of ear infections will resolve themselves if we are patient and let the body do what it was designed to do – HEAL.  In fact, new studies are suggesting that using antibiotics may contribute to an increase in future ear infections (food for thought here).

Prevention is (Always) The Best Medicine!

Here are 8 steps that you can take as parents to reduce the likelihood of ear infections. (I’m happy to say we follow this list and our 2 ½ year old son has never had an ear infection, or antibiotic for that matter.)

1. Breastfeeding - Medical literature supports the claim that prolonged breastfeeding lowers your child’s chances of getting ear infections. Also, infants are held during breast-feeding in a position that allows the Eustachian tubes to function well. 
2. Feeding Position -Changing the position of a bottle-fed baby is also helpful. If fed lying, the milk can irritate the Eustachian tube which can contribute to ear infections. Holding you baby at an angle while nursing or bottle feeding helps prevent Eustachian tube irritation.
3. Chiropractic Care – Studies show that chiropractic adjustments can improve middle ear drainage and decrease ear infections. It’s a gentle, safe, and effective avenue to overall health.
4. Prevent Colds Before They Start – Do all the things you already do to keep your little one from getting sick. Wash hands often, get plenty of sleep, eat a well-rounded diet, and keep your nervous system free from interference. 
5. Get the Snot Out - If a runny nose and cold start, try to clear the nose as best you can by using steam, saline nose drops, and suctioning.  Keeping that mucus moving out will decrease the ability of bacteria to grow and put up a fight.
6. Avoid Cigarette Smoke - Just one more reason to keep the kids away from cigarette smoke (did we need another?). There is strong evidence that smoking irritates a baby’s nasal passage. That irritation can lead to Eustachian tube problems and an increased risk of infection.
7. Eat More Raw Fruits and Veggies – Do you ever notice how I slip this in to every post? Fruits and Veggies will boost the immune system and give your child what they need to fight infection.  If you have a picky eater, think about a quality supplement.
8. Decrease or Eliminate Dairy – Food sensitivity and allergies can also be a factor in ear infections. One of the big culprits is diary. Not only can it be an allergen, it is also a great mucus maker. We want to eliminate dairy to improve digestion, boost the immune system, and cut mucus production. (Check out Question #2 for more details about ditching the dairy).

How do we as parents provide the best opportunity for health in our children? Ask questions. Understand the answers. Make the decisions that are right for you and your family. In the end, the best advice that can be given is to lead by example. Strive for health in your life; in turn, they will learn by example. Give them the opportunity to grow in health! This is question 4 of 5 – Check back later this week for the next installment.
 

[Disclaimer: Check out the first entry of this series for background, disclaimer, and Question #1]

Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Follow him on facebook and twitter.

* The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Dan and his community. Dr. Dan encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you would like a personal consultation with Dr. Dan, please contact our office at 412-369-0400 or info@turofamilychiropractic.com. We are always happy to answer questions.

5 Questions Healthy Parents are Asking #3

So where do we start? The following 5 questions are often asked by parents looking to improve or maintain their children’s health. My answers are my professional opinion as a health care practitioner*, and my personal opinion as a father. 

Question #3: Do I Have to Vaccinate My Child?

Vaccines are a very sensitive topic for many people, especially as the information available surrounding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increases and vocal anti-vaccine advocates are

spotlighted and criticized. I will be the first to say that if the pro-vaccination community thinks the only reason there is hype about vaccines is autism, then they are way off the mark. Do I think vaccines cause autism? Absolutely not. There are a multitude of environmental factors that are coming into play, and I do believe vaccines could be part of it in certain cases. Humans are not linear equations. We are a complex interrelated organized system that is living, breathing matter. To think there is only one single cause of autism or any modern disease is very shortsighted.

With that said, the simple answer to the question is no.  Vaccination is a choice; it is a parent’s responsibility to make an informed choice based on what is best for their family’s health.  While some organizations and travel require certain vaccines, there are often exemptions available if you decide to forgo the shots.

How Do We Build Immunity?

There are two distinct ways to build immunity within our bodies. We can do it artificially through man-made vaccinations. Or we can do it naturally (the way we have done for all of human history BV – Before Vaccines.) Natural immunity may be acquired actively through exposure to a disease. This is the only way the body has the capacity to maintain a lifetime of immunity against a disease. Think Chicken Pox Party: When one youngster had chicken pox, everyone came over to play – a few days of itching and immunity for life!  We also participate in natural immunity passively by obtaining antibodies from an outside source such as breast feeding. This does not offer long term immunity, but will provide safety for children with developing immune systems, which is especially important in the first 6 months of life.

Artificial immunity is built through vaccination.  The exposure of our immune system to a live or weakened virus in order to “trick” the body into believing it has been exposed to the disease. Studies have shown that this type of immunity is limited; it is not effective long-term, leading to the need for “booster” shots.  The recent Whooping Cough (Pertussis) outbreaks have been attributed to vaccine effectiveness decreasing over time and another booster has been suggested for teens (that makes 6+ recommended pertussis boosters). This type of immunity also bypasses primary and secondary immune defenses by injecting these diseases directly into the blood stream.

I’ll pause here to say that I do believe there is a time and place for artificial immunity, especially in children who are not able to breastfeed or who have weakened immune systems for whatever reason. I feel that natural immunity is more beneficial in the majority of cases because, although the theoretical idea of vaccination is an evolutionary breakthrough, the current implementation falls gravely short of success.   My three biggest concerns with the current vaccine regiment are simple: Contents, Volume and Accountability.

Contents

There is a massive amount of ingredients that accompany any vaccine.  These ingredients include but are not limited to formaldehyde (used for embalming a corpse), aluminum and Thimerosal (heavy metal neurotoxins), and detergents ( A full list can be found on the Center for Disease Control’s website ). These are additives we avoid like the plague (excuse the pun) and slap Mr. Yuck stickers on. As parents, we are diligent about checking food labels for MSG, dyes, and preservatives like Polysorbate 80 (found in half the vaccines on the market). We lock the cleaning supplies away. Why then is it okay to use them as stabilizers and inject them directly into our children? We know the ingredients are bad news individually; nothing changes when we package them together.

Volume

Another shortcoming in more recent vaccine history is the increase in sheer number. If my son were to follow the current recommended vaccine schedule, then he would receive three times as many vaccines by 6 years of age than my wife and I received when we were children.

Why is this a problem? Let’s take Aluminum as an example. Studies show that a safe range of Aluminum for premature babies and those with impaired kidney function to receive intravenously is 4-5 mcg per kg of body weight per day. We can assume that a healthy baby should be able to handle more than that, but no safety studies have been done to substantiate that claim. We'll use 5 mcg/kg/day as a conservative estimate because, well, we like to be conservative when talking about toxicity and children's health. Doing a little tedious math, you can find the  level of aluminum a healthy baby should be able to handle in a day.

12 pound, healthy baby: about 30 mcg of aluminum

25 pound, healthy toddler:  about 63 mcg of aluminum

50 pound, healthy child: 125 mcg of aluminum

Now how much Aluminum is found in a vaccine? Each is different, but we’ll keep it simple and look at just one.  DTaP (for Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus) contains 170 to 625mcg depending on the manufacturer. Looking at our calculation, 170 mcg is more Aluminum than a 50 pound healthy toddler should receive in a day. But this vaccine is given at 2, 4, 6, and 18 months…with other vaccines on the same visit (CDC proposed schedule).  That’s a lot for a little (or any) immune system to handle. (Dr. Sears carries out a more detailed example here with links to related studies.)

Many parents are now spreading out their children’s vaccinations through delayed schedules or choosing only certain vaccines to administer. These are perfectly responsible parenting decisions. 

Accountability

If the ingredients themselves do not concern you as a parent, then perhaps $2 Billion might. That is the amount of money awarded to vaccine injured parties, since the inception of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and estimates believe these injuries are grossly under-reported (Details).  What’s more, the Act prevents vaccine manufacturers from being held liable for those injuries. That $2 Billion is paid for through TAXES! If a toy company sold a toy that injured a child they would be sued right out of business. This act prevents pharmaceutical companies from baring that responsibility.  Without accountability, there’s little reason to maintain highest standards that should be demanded of this industry. (And frankly, I am more than a little irritated that my tax dollars pay for their mistakes. Especially when those mistakes are negatively impacting the lives of children and their families.)

More vaccines are being created every year, adding to the artificial immunity. My question as a parent and health care practitioner is what is the limit? We already know that artificial immunity does not provide the lifetime effectiveness that natural immunity does.  I wonder if there will ever be a shift back towards building immunity naturally, the way we were designed. All I hope for is that parents make the best decision for their families based on all the information that is currently available. Get informed and then decide.

For more information on vaccines, I recommend the following resources:

1. National Vaccine Information Center (www.nvic.org)
2. International Medical Council on Vaccination (http://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/)
3. The Greater Good Movie (http://www.greatergoodmovie.org/) 
4. The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child by Dr. Robert Sears, M.D.

In general, you don’t have to be pro or anti vaccine. But we should all be pro information.

How do we as parents provide the best opportunity for health in our children? Ask questions. Understand the answers. Make the decisions that are right for you and your family. In the end, the best advice that can be given is to lead by example. Strive for health in your life; in turn, they will learn by example. Give them the opportunity to grow in health! This is question 3 of 5 – Check back later this week for the next installment.
 

[Disclaimer: Check out the first entry of this series for background, disclaimer, and Question #1]

Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Follow him on facebook and twitter.

* The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Dan and his community. Dr. Dan encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you would like a personal consultation with Dr. Dan, please contact our office at 412-369-0400 or info@turofamilychiropractic.com. We are always happy to answer questions.

5 Questions Healthy Parents Are Asking #2

So where do we start? The following 5 questions are often asked by parents looking to improve or maintain their children’s health. My answers are my professional opinion as a health care practitioner*, and my personal opinion as a father. 

Question #2: Does My Child Need Milk for Calcium? 

The short answer? No. 

Let’s look at what we know through observation. Humans are the only species that will drink milk from another animal after being weaned in childhood. Think about cows or horses and how large and strong their bones are and they do not drink milk. 

So where do these animals get their calcium to obtain such large and strong bones? From the grasses they eat. Yes, milk does have a larger concentration of calcium than most green vegetables, but most calcium rich veggies (i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, spinach, and collard greens) have a bio-availability (the amount absorbed into the blood stream) twice as high as milk and other dairy products. Therefore, I strongly recommend a wide variety of vegetables and nuts to achieve your daily calcium. It isn’t about how much you eat, it is about how much you absorb!

It’s also interesting to look at our body’s ability to break down milk, or more specifically milk sugar known as lactose, as we age. Lactose is broken down by an enzyme called lactase, which is produced by cells that line the small intestine. Now, isn’t it interesting that we automatically start to decrease our production of lactase (and therefore our ability to break down lactose) around the age of two, which is an average age for children to wean.  How is that for intelligent design! When someone stops producing lactase altogether, they become lactose-intolerant and will suffer from severe gas, bloating, and diarrhea with any milk consumption. 

The truth is, even if we don’t completely stop making lactase, everyone slows down production and therefore cannot handle milk by the gallon, especially into adulthood. We all fall somewhere on the lactose-intolerant spectrum. You may have bloating or gas after meals and not associate it with milk of dairy. (A great test is to go dairy-free for a few days and note the difference in digestion).

So do your family a favor and cut down the milk and increase the vegetable intake. THAT will do your body good! 

How do we as parents provide the best opportunity for health in our children? Ask questions. Understand the answers. Make the decisions that are right for you and your family. In the end, the best advice that can be given is to lead by example. Strive for health in your life; in turn, they will learn by example. Give them the opportunity to grow in health! This is question 2 of 5 – Check back later this week for the next installment.
 

[Disclaimer: Check out the first entry of this series for background, disclaimer, and Question #1]

Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Follow him on facebook and twitter.

* The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Dan and his community. Dr. Dan encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you would like a personal consultation with Dr. Dan, please contact our office at 412-369-0400 or info@turofamilychiropractic.com. We are always happy to answer questions.

5 Questions Healthy Parents are Asking #1

Let me begin by stating that I have a 2 ½ year old son who is one of the healthiest kids I know. This isn’t bragging and I’m not worried that I’m tempting fate by saying it out loud. Much of what I have learned about health and healing over the last decade has been substantiated simply by observing his growth, behavior, and development. He is not healthy by luck or chance or “good genes”.

This article is written with one idea in mind, one underlying question that I think all parents have in common:  How do I provide the best foundation for health in my children? At the end of the day, we all want what is best for our kids and we make the absolute best decisions with the information available to us. In our world, there is more information out there than one person could comprehend in 10 lifetimes. 

So where do we start? The following 5 questions are often asked by parents looking to improve or maintain their children’s health. My answers are my professional opinion as a health care practitioner*, and my personal opinion as a father.

[Disclaimer: The information you are about to read is strongly opinionated and against the grain. It is largely based on our personal experience, colleague and grassroots agreement, and observational conclusions. If you are looking for FDA or CDC approval STOP! If you are looking for some fresh ideas from a dedicated father and determined healthcare practitioner who consistently strives to improve the health of all those he touches, keep reading.  I will try my best not to offend anyone, but no promises.]

Question #1: How will this test or procedure improve my child’s health?

For every sneeze, cough or hiccup, there are 10 tests that could be run to investigate the cause, measure data points, and maybe even diagnosis something that requires more tests and data points, and maybe a new diagnosis, this time with a regiment of medication with, perhaps more tests.  Often, the right question is not being asked: What are the results of this test or procedure going to tell me about my child’s health and what will I do with the results?

The entire healthcare industry is built upon the foundation of diagnosis and disease intervention. In order to diagnose, a practitioner must gather information through consultations, exams, and testing. If the information fits a certain criteria, then a certain course of action or treatment is recommended. Our intuitive nature as humans has led to countless breakthroughs in technology for calculating a host of data to measure the functions of our body.

We have had such a rapid expansion in technology over the last several decades that our ability to calculate certain body functions has greatly surpassed our ability to logically interpret the results and apply them in a healthful manner.  If we’re not interpreting the results of tests correctly, we are often causing more harm than good. If we’re carrying out unnecessary procedures based on misinformation, we’re adding risks and potentially creating additional problems. If the overall goal is health, then the question is obvious – Is this course of action going to benefit the health of my child? Sometime that answers is yes. Sometimes that answer is no.

A great example is one with newborns and jaundice. I recently had a patient who was blessed to add another grandbaby into her life, but she was sharing that they had to stay in the hospital for monitoring because the baby had jaundice (a yellow tinting of the skin due to the liver’s inability to process a metabolite called bilirubin). Now this is very common in newborns, but has anyone ever wondered why? In our infinite ability to measure body functions, we know that newborns do not develop clotting factor in the blood until they are approximately 8 days old, due to the need for vitamin K in their diet from mommy’s milk to stimulate clotting factor growth. Therefore, if a baby would need emergency surgery or a simple “convenient” circumcision, they would not be able to survive without clotting factor. So again in our infinite wisdom, healthcare professionals can deliver a large injection of vitamin K to stimulate the body’s development of clotting factor from day one. However, vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin and all fat soluble vitamins must be processed through the liver. Large doses can be toxic and cause the liver to be placed under ton of stress while trying to detox from the large dose of vitamin K. In the process, the metabolite bilirubin is placed on the back burner and builds up in the body to cause the yellow tint of the skin and eyes known as “jaundice.”

The next time your child’s health care professional suggests a test or procedure for YOUR child, remember that YOU have the right to know the risks and overall benefits of that procedure.  You should be comfortable asking questions and taking the time to understand the answers. If he or she cannot give you a complete answer or you are not comfortable with the answers given to you, it may be time to shop for another provider that fits your family health goals.

How do we as parents provide the best opportunity for health in our children? Ask questions. Understand the answers. Make the decisions that are right for you and your family. In the end, the best advice that can be given is to lead by example. Strive for health in your life; in turn, they will learn by example. Give them the opportunity to grow in health! This is question 1 of 5 – Check back later this week for the next installment.

Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Follow him on facebook and twitter.

* The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Dan and his community. Dr. Dan encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you would like a personal consultation with Dr. Dan, please contact our office at 412-369-0400 or info@turofamilychiropractic.com. We are always happy to answer questions.