Pathways to Family Wellness - Issue #12

issue 12$7.95 USD

Holistic Perspective on Digestion

Brushing Up: Toothpaste Toxins

Confused About Fat? Choose Grassfed

Better Choices for Colic

Epidurals

Breastfeeding Twins

Crying for Comfort

The Body Has a Mind of Its Own

brought to you courtesy of:

Chiropractic Family Wellness Lifestyle

Pathways magazine is a quarterly publicationoffering parents articles and resources tomake informed health care choices for theirfamilies. Pathways provides thought provok-ing information from the holistic health perspective and invites parents to exploreoptions for family wellness.

The individual articles and links to health care information in Pathways are based upon theopinions of the respective author, who retainscopyright as marked. The information provid-ed is not intended to replace a one-on-onerelationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medicaladvice. It is intended as a sharing of knowl-edge and information.

The publisher of Pathways encourages you tomake informed health care decisions basedupon your researched knowledge and in part-nership with a qualified health care provider.

Pathways is provided to you by theInternational Chiropractic Pediatric Associationin collaboration with the Alliance for HolisticFamily Health and Wellness.

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Holistic Perspective on Digestion

Brushing Up

Confused About Fat? Choose Grassfed

Better Choices for Colic

Epidurals

Breastfeeding Twins

Crying for Comfort

The Body Has a Mind of Its Own

Down with Homework

The Gift Every Child Wants

News to Know and Share

The Beneficial Nature of Childhood Infection

F E A T U R E

W E L L N E S S L I F E S T Y L E

N U T R I T I O N A L N U G G E T S

C H I R O P R A C T I C F O R L I F E

P R E G N A N C Y & B I R T H

B R E A S T F E E D I N G

PA R E N T I N G

M I N D — B O D Y

FA M I LY L I F E

S E A S O N A L S E C T I O N

R E S E A R C H R E V I E W

FA M I LY W E L L N E S S F O R U M

Executive EditorJeanne Ohm, D.C.

Editorial Board of AdvisorsSarah Buckley, M.D.Bruce Lipton, Ph.D.Stephen Marini, Ph.D., D.C.Jeanne Ohm, D.C.Larry Palevsky, M.D.Lisa Regan

Assistant EditorsTracey Beck-CampbellAlissa Pond

Creative DirectorTina Aitala Engblom

Pathways327 N Middletown Rd Media, PA 19063

www.icpa4kids.org

[email protected]

610-565-2360

© 2005–2006

issue 12 , December 2006

issue 12

The other day our office assistant informed us that a partic-ular parent had decided to stop having her baby adjusted.When the mother and I discussed this, she told me she hadbrought her baby to the pediatrician and she had told themother that “there was no reason the baby should need chiropractic care, and the baby would ‘outgrow’ the head tilt.

I was not surprised about the pediatrician’s erroneous com-ment that children “out grow” ailments. I was more concernedwith the fact that by recommending that the infant discontinuecare, she was speaking completely out of her scope of practiceon a topic she had not received any formal education on.

I looked at the mother and responded, “I am disappointedthat a doctor would step out of her expertise into the specialty of another with an unfounded recommendation to discontinue care. Pediatricians have no training in the biomechanics of the spine, in spinal deviations and the long term neurological effects this may have on the infant’soverall health and well-being. A pediatrician has no clinicalexperience with chiropractic spinal correction and its efficacyin infants. A similar scenario would be if you asked yourpediatrician if she thought your child needed dental care. If you did and she responded that she didn’t think so, sheagain would be completely out of her scope of practice bysuggesting you avoid care. So, too, her response about theimportance of chiropractic care came from ignorance, notclinically based knowledge.”

In the above scenario, you can replace the word chiropracticwith the word homeopathy, naturopathy, acupuncture ormidwifery and the word biomechanics with the word remedies,nutrition, meridians or natural birthing respectively. The factof the matter is that most pediatricians are becoming awareof holistic care, but remain limited in their knowledge of thecare. The comments made about these types of care areoften based on personal opinion. As a result, most parentsare receiving “professional” advice based on assumptions,not clinical experience or education.

When reading current surveys and papers published by the American Academy of Pediatrics it is clear that a large

percent of today’s pediatricians are curious about holisticcare but do not know where to begin to learn. Althoughsome medical schools are beginning to offer classes onComplimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), they

are simply courses on theory, not practice and are

of course subject to the knowledge and perspective of theinstructor.

As parents, here are some suggestions when discussingholistic modes of care with your pediatrician.

1. Ask them what they know about it

2. Ask them how they have come to that conclusion

3. Ask them about their clinical experience with it

4. Ask them if they are interested in learning more

If your conversation is progressing and they are offering youan interested ear, ask them if they would like to meet yourpractitioner. I know that any doctor listedwith the ICPA for example, would be willingto meet with a pediatrician in their commu-nity and take the time to explain the impor-tance of chiropractic care in infancy tothem. Ask the pediatrician if you could givetheir contact information to your practition-er so that he or she could follow up with acall or letter.

If your conversation with the pediatrician isnot progressing well and there seems to beno interest, or even resistance to your health care choices foryour family, it is time to find a new pediatrician. According tonumerous studies, many pediatricians are interested in learn-ing and supporting more holistic models of care. Sometimesthis may mean going out of your “insurance network” to findthem, but you cannot rely on or expect your insurance compa-ny to be consistent with the best health care for your family.(Ah yes, this is another whole editorial.)

As for the mother and infant in our practice? The motheralso realized that the pediatrician’s personal opinion wasjust that: a personal opinion outside her scope and experi-ence. Her daughter will continue under regular care withus. Next week, I will call this pediatrician’s office and inviteher to lunch. If we have the opportunity to meet and she is open to a new perspective on helping the infants in herpractice—great! I will be supportive of her practice andprobably subscribe her to Pathways so she can continue to learn more about the Family Wellness Lifestyle.

Many Blessings,Jeanne Ohm, DC

from the editor jeanne ohm,dc

safe sleeping

Tips for Safely Sharing Your Bedroom with BabyOf the many philosophical debates in the world of infant care, few are ascombustible as whether or not parents should share a bed ( bed sharing )with their babies.Critics warn of dire consequences, from an increased risk of SIDS to difficultyin learning to sleep independently later in life. But an increasing body ofresearch supports what many Eastern cultures have always believed. Havingbaby sleep nearby can be safe and beneficial for both parents and child.

Despite institutional and social pressure to put babies to sleep by themselves,studies show that at least 50 percent of all American parents co-sleep withtheir infants at some point. Research by Dr. James J. McKenna and his teamat the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of NotreDame indicates that not only can co-sleeping be done safely; it can helpreduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related problems.

The vast majority of scientific studies on infant behavior and development conducted in diverse fields during the last 100 years suggest that the question shouldnot be “is it safe to sleep with my baby?” but, rather, “is it safe not to do so?” James McKenna, Ph.D.

Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratories Notre Dame University

Taking note that there are many lifestyle demands, Arm’s Reachprovides a rich assortment of basic units, a variety of conversion

options and a large selection of color and decorative choices. To learn more about Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper® Bassinets, visit

www.armsreach.com or call 800-954-9353

“Co-sleeping infants nurse more often, sleep more lightly,and have practice responding to maternal arousals,”McKenna reports. “Arousal deficiencies are suspected insome SIDS deaths, and long periods in deep sleep mayexacerbate this problem.”

Further, co-sleeping makes it easier for a mother to knowand respond when her child is in trouble, he says.McKenna’s research shows that co-sleeping is not just a question of convenience for breastfeeding mothers.To safelyco-sleep with your baby, consider the following guidelines.

Follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendationto put all babies to sleep on their backs. It is the safestsleeping position for young babies, regardless of wherethey sleep.

Never drink, take drugs or use prescription medicationsthat cause drowsiness if you are co-sleeping with yourinfant. One of the major benefits of co-sleeping is the parents’ ability to rouse and respond to the baby. Alcohol, drugs and some medications will impair your ability to wake up if needed.

Always leave your baby’s head uncovered while sleeping.Consider putting him in a “sleep sack” rather than using a conventional blanket that may work its way over thebaby’s head during the night.

Make sure you use the proper bedding and that yourmattress fits snugly to the bed frame and headboard.There should be no gaps into which a baby might slide.Eliminate pillows, comforters, quilts, or other soft or plush items.

Never place a baby to sleep in an adult bed alone.

Consider using a Co-Sleeper® Bassinet, a small, separatebed with one open side that fits up against your bed. Arm’s Reach produces a number of co-sleeping productsthat give mothers easy access to their babies, while keepingthe infant in his or her own space. They provide the convenience of co-sleeping without the risk of a sleepingadult rolling over on the baby.

CO-SLEEPING GUIDELINES PROVIDED BY ARM’S REACH CONCEPTS

Arm’s Reach has pioneered

the movement toward safe

co-sleeping with a newborn baby.

Not bed-sharing, but having

baby right next to your bed

for watching and listening,

for breastfeeding and

for just plain loving !

© 2006 Arm’s Reach Concepts, Inc. Patent No.7,013,505 ARM’S REACH,CO-SLEEPER,Mother & Child Logo and all other trademarksare rigorously protected. All rights reserved.

Safe and secure attachment to parental bed

www.armsreach.com

800-954-9353 or 805-278-2559

at fine stores everywhere

4 pathways | issue 12

f e at u r e


Infants and children arenot simply small adults, especially when it comes to feeding and

nourishing their little bodies. They are less

able than adults to receive, transform and

assimilate the nutrients given to them.

Infants and children are born with immature

digestive systems. Digestive enzymes are

not as plentiful and efficient. Intestinal

materials, including undesirable particles,

are more readily absorbed into the blood-

stream through the porous lining of the

digestive tract. Their digestive capacity

may be weakened and impaired due to

an early exposure to poor dietary choices

and environmental stressors. This weakness

can persist well into adulthood increasing

the likelihood of chronic childhood and

adult illnesses.

If children are fed appropriately, their digestive systems will

naturally strengthen and mature by age 6 or 7 years. With

proper maintenance and barring any genetic or other envi-

ronmental problems, their digestive systems will continue

to strengthen as they grow. Western science, nutritional and

functional medicine and Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine

teach that the overall health of infants and children corre-

lates with the strength and health of their digestive system.

The digestive lining interfaces with the outside world and

houses the largest part of a child’s immune system. The

nervous system plays a key functional role in maintaining

the health of the digestive lining and its immune system.

Due to the immaturity of their systems, children require

different food choices and preparations.

The digestive system is more than a physical space that

provides enzymes, hormones and surface area for digestion.

The digestive system is also an energy system, one that

is affected by the energy of the food and the environment.

The digestive energy system works by generating a certain

amount of heat, or kinetic energy, to help ignite the digestive

processes. In chemistry lab, stirring and heating are two

processes that help drive the efficiency and completion of

a chemical reaction. Stirring helps to generate heat, break

down molecules and provide greater surface area in order

to maximize enzyme efficiency and the completion of a

chemical reaction. Digestion is also a series of chemical

reactions. In the body, the physical act of chewing food,

or the ingestion of food that appears to have already been

chewed, accomplishes for digestion what stirring does for

chemical reactions:

pathways | issue 12 5

A Holistic Perspective on the Digestive System of Infants and Children

Laurence B. Palevsky, MD


f e at u r e

Stirring Heat + Increased Surface area + Mechanical breakdown of

molecules Efficient, completed chemical reaction

Chewing Heat + Increased Surface area for enzyme activity + Mechanical

breakdown of food into smaller particles Efficient, completed digestion,

maximal absorption and assimilation of micronutrients.

Children, and especially infants, have few teeth and rarely chew their foods

well. The ingestion of incompletely chewed foods places an undue stress on

a child’s digestive and immune systems. The mechanical work of digestion

increases. Energy reserves are called on through the work of the autonomic

nervous system to help increase the mechanical breakdown of the food.

There is a demand for an increase in the secretion of enzymes and digestive

juices. Invariably, digestion is incomplete, diarrhea may ensue or larger

macronutrients are inappropriately absorbed into the body stimulating an

immune system response. Over time, added stress is placed on the diges-

tive, immune and nervous systems, potentially weakening the child’s

defense and limiting absorption of important nutrients.

Our bodies are also equipped with an innate ability to generate necessary

digestive heat within a narrow range of body temperatures to cook (digest)

the foods even further. On the whole, children, and especially infants, have

an inherently weak digestive heating system, which I refer to as a weak or

flickering pilot light.

Giving a predominance of foods to infants and children that are either cold

in temperature or cool in nature may further weaken this fire and reduce the

child’s capacity to heat and digest foods efficiently. Foods given to infants

and children that are heating in nature, like spicy foods, or prepared under

high temperatures, like frying, may also weaken the pilot light. Foods that

are heavy and thick will tend to smother the digestive fire as well.

We know that infants and children begin life with a weak pilot light; there-

fore, it is important to offer them a balance of foods that strengthens, or

at the very least, does not weaken it. For optimal digestion, infants and

children require foods that are whole, simple, warm, cooked and easy to

digest, since they have few if any teeth and are not apt to chew their foods

well. Foods that will potentially weaken the digestive fire include those that

are cold, both in temperature and in quality; damp, otherwise known for

Select fresh organic fruits and vegetables for your family.

Items that are cold and damp in quality to a child’s digestivefire include:

Dairy products (milk, cheese,sour cream, yogurt, ice cream)Soybeans and processed soy products (soy milk, soy cheese, TVP,soy bars, soy burgers, soy powders)

Commercial infant formulas (milk and soy based)

Other commercial milks,e.g., rice milk

Raw fruits and raw vegetables

Wheat and most flour products

Baby cereals and commercial cereals

Juice, soda, soft drinks, shakes,smoothies

Sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.

Artificial sweeteners

Fried foods and oils,foods cooked under high heats

Iced or refrigerated foods and beverages

Peanuts

Processed, packaged and refinedfoods with dyes, chemicals,preservatives, additives, metals,colorings, partially hydrogenatedoils, margarine, shortening

Antibiotics

Items that are smothering in quality to a child’s digestive fire include:

Wheat and most flour products

Baby cereals

Heavy, thick fruits, e.g., bananas

Thick, creamy foods

Greasy, oily foods


their ability to produce mucus and phlegm; and smothering, those that are

heavy and thick in quality. In addition, overfeeding and offering multiple

food choice at one time can also weaken children’s digestive fire.

The list of cold, damp and/or smothering foods may seem daunting. Most

of the foods that children eat are found on this list. In many cases, adults

eat a diet containing many of these foods as well. Nonetheless, the preva-

lence of these items in children’s diets often contributes to the develop-

ment of many of the undesirable clinical symptoms that are seen in the

pediatric population.

Mucus and inflammation are byproducts of poor digestion. The symptoms

that are produced include colic, vomiting, spitting up, constipation, diar-

rhea, ear fluid and chronic ear infections, fever, chronic nasal congestion,

sinusitis, acute and chronic allergies, acute and chronic coughs and asth-

ma and eczema.

An acute illness, like fever, vomiting or diarrhea, is a healthy way for the

body to cleanse itself of the accumulation of foods and environmental

stressors that are difficult to receive and digest and stressors that have

weakened the digestive, immune and nervous systems. With a chronic ill-

ness, the child’s body is often unable to cleanse itself of the accumulation

of foods and stressors that have weakened the digestive, immune and

nervous systems.

There are many environmental factors that can stress a child’s digestive,

immune and nervous systems. Aside from the dietary factors listed above,

children are exposed to heavy metals, pollutants, solvents and carcinogens

found in food, water, air, medicine, plastics and injected materials that can

injure the digestive, immune or nervous systems.

Other stressors include poor sleep; disharmony in the home; problems at

school or with peer groups; conflicts with siblings and parents; a lack of

play time, down time and sufficient exercise; and a lack of attention paid to

who children really are and how they are feeling. Children need to be able

to digest their environments as well as the foods they ingest.

So what and how to feed infants and children? Optimal foods for infants

and children (and for adults) consist of a balance of cooked foods made up

of whole fresh vegetables, pre-soaked and well cooked legumes, antibiotic

and hormone free meats, poultry and eggs from grass fed animals, wild

and ideally mercury-free fish, whole grains, fruits and water. Feed children

local foods that are in season.

Soups, casseroles, dips and spreads are fun foods to feed children.


Healthy cooking methods for children include stewing,

pureeing, potting, steaming, boiling, sautéing, baking and

roasting, all of which use lower flames for longer periods of

cooking time. Soups, casseroles, dips and spreads are fun

foods to feed children that provide them with the nutrients

they need. One way to enhance the flavor of these foods is

to add warming culinary herbs either while cooking or before

serving. Many of them can be hidden or blended into foods

or made into teas.

Some of these culinary herbs are used to treat many of the

common ailments frequently brought on by food choices

that produce mucus and inflammation and weaken the

digestive system. While it is hard to avoid many of the cold,

damp and smothering foods, culinary herbs help to counter

balance the weakening effects these foods have on a child’s

digestive and immune systems.

Most of the chemicals that make up the body’s immune

system are derived from the diet we feed our children.

The proteins, fats and carbohydrates in our food become

the amino acids, fatty acids and saccharides of pro- and

anti-inflammatory chemicals in the immune system. These

nutrients also stimulate the activity of the sympathetic and

parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system

in different ways specific to each individual child.

Most of the vitamins, minerals and water needed as co-fac-

tors for these reactions are derived from the diet as well.

A diet of foods that contain healthy proteins, fats, carbohy-

drates, vitamins, minerals and water will feed the immune

and nervous systems the necessary nutrients for maintain-

ing health and homeostasis. A weakened and stressed

digestive system in a child is more likely to contribute to a

state of acute and/or chronic moisture, especially along the

digestive lining, than one that is balanced, supported and

nurtured with the proper nutrients and environment.

A child’s body consists of almost 70% water. Water is the

best beverage for children and adults. A diet of salty and

sweet beverages and foods has a dehydrating effect on the

body as does a low consumption of water. The body natural-

ly responds to dehydration by increasing the production

of mucus membranes. This moisture appears as an increase

in mucus production, most often in the airways, nasal

passages, oropharynx, intestines, and skin, sometimes even

as rashes or inflammation. Excess mucus is produced in

these areas to maintain hydration and a strong defense

against invading pathogens. Over time, an increase in mucus

production can be excessive, often providing an ideal envi-

ronment for bacterial or viral growth.

If a child’s system is strong enough, he or she will get sick

and burn off the excess mucus, usually with a fever, to

restore the proper lining of the mucus membranes. If the

child is not strong enough, or continues to be given too much

salt and sugar, overproduction of mucus in the body will

continue. By lifting the burden of excess sugar and salt in the

diet and offering water as the main beverage, a child’s body

can then use its innate healing ability to clear the excess

mucus and restore homeostasis to the defense system.

When a child presents with any of the above undesirable

symptoms or illnesses, a switch to a diet of whole, simple

foods and a reduction and/or elimination of the cold,

damp or smothering foods will often alleviate many, if not

all, of the clinical problems. In so doing, the child’s digestive,

immune and nervous systems will become stronger, allowing

him or her to better deal with external environmental

stressors. In many cases this normal healing process

occurs without complication or even an awareness that it is

happening in the body at all.

For references and additional information about the author and topic, please visit:www.icpa4kids.org/research/references.htm

wellness lifestyle

If you are one of the majority of Americans that

dutifully brushes with Colgate Total® on your

dentist’s recommendations, you may be doing

yourself more harm than good. What is first in

the eyes of the dental dictocrats may be the last

thing you want in your mouth.

Brushing Up Smile! You’re about to change toothpastes.

Brian Wimer



AAmerican Dental Association (ADA)-approved Colgate Total®

claims to be the only toothpaste “clinically proven” to “pro-tect both above and below the gum line.” It has a patentedformula for “12–hour” protection against cavities, gingivitisand plaque, due to the active ingredients: fluoride and triclosan (paired with gantrez, an adhesive copolymer).

Let’s start with fluoride. Now, listen closely: fluoride mightcause cavities. Sounds like heresy, doesn’t it?

But this has been known since 1942, when Proctor &Gamble’s own initial clinical studies found a 23% increase in dental caries among children who used their fluoridetoothpaste Teel. The reason: for fluoride to bond to teeth, it must remove calcium—that’s called fluorosis.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which currentlyruns de-fluoridation programs for the World HealthOrganization, says: “Agreement is universal that excessivefluoride intake leads to loss of calcium from the tooth matrix,aggravating cavity formation throughout life rather than remedying it.”

Sorry, water fluoridation is quite likely a bust. And that’s not news.

In 1999, the New York State Department of Health completedan unprecedented 45-year study comparing children inNewburgh, New York, which had fluoridated water for 45years, with Kingston, New York, which never had fluoridatedwater. Conclusion: there was no significant difference in the amount of cavities between the two cities, but statisti-cally there was more dental fluorosis in fluoridated Newburgh.

This critical study effectively nullified the prior findings of thebenchmark 10-year 1955 survey comparing these same towns.The 1955 study allegedly found 70% fewer caries in fluoridatedNewburgh and stood as the ADA’s primary clinical “evidence”for the nationwide fluoridation policies that followed.

Again, the 1999 findings were no revelation. In 1988, theNational Institute of Dental Research and the United StatesPublic Health Service completed a massive $3.6 millionnationwide survey to assess fluoridation efficacy. The data(unveiled by a Freedom of Information Act filing) revealed no difference in tooth decay between fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities. Similar findings had been made by public health officials in New Zealand and Canada.

Water fluoridation promotion boils down to bad research. A 2000 review of 214 water fluoridation safety and efficacystudies (which censured both fluoridation proponents andcritics) found little more than a wealth of poor science.Among researchers’ conclusions, “The most serious defect ofthe studies of possible beneficial effects of water fluoridationwas the lack of appropriate design and analysis.”

A similar summation of fluoridation efficacy studies is spelled

out in a statistical overview undertaken by the University of California, Davis Department of Mathematics. “Theannounced opinions and published papers favoring mechani-cal fluoridation of public drinking water are especially rich infallacies, improper design, invalid use of statistical methods,omissions of contrary data, and just plain muddleheaded-ness and hebetude.”

There’s more. Fluoride may even cause gingivitis. Accordingto a 1998 US patent (#5,807,541) by the pharmaceutical company Sepracor, fluoride activates the very oral “G pro-teins” that lead to chronic gingivitis, periodontal disease and ultimately tooth loss.

Besides, fluoride is poison. EPA scientists rate fluoride as“more toxic than lead, and not quite as toxic as arsenic.”That’s why all fluoride toothpaste tubes warn: “If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional assistance or contact a Poison Control Centerimmediately.”

Fluoride (despite ADA claims) is also a carcinogen. Studies by the National Cancer Institute’s former Chief ChemistEmeritus, Dr. Dean Burke, show that fluoridation is responsi-ble for 10,000 cancer deaths yearly. “In point of fact, fluoridecauses more human cancer deaths, and causes it faster, than any other chemical,” says Burke.Research from St LouisUniversity, Japan’s Nippon Dental College, and the Universityof Texas show that fluoride stimulates tumor growth rate. The New Jersey Department of Health found the risk ofosteosarcoma among males under 20 was up to seven timeshigher in fluoridated areas.

A 1995 peer-reviewed study by Harvard neurotoxicist Dr.Phyllis Mullinex concludes that fluoride also causes braindamage. Her findings were corroborated by more recent clinical surveys in China. Also, in 1999, 1,500 EPA scientists,lawyers and engineers signed a joint resolution to opposefluoridation because they found that fluoride causes “genemutations, cancer, reproductive effects, neurotoxicity, bonepathology, and...decreases (of ) about 5 to 10 I.Q. points inchildren aged 8 to 13 years.” Robert Carton, Ph.D, a formerpresident of the EPA professionals union who spent 15 yearsas a US EPA toxicologist, says, “Fluoridation is the greatestcase of scientific fraud of this century, if not of all time.”

Now, let’s talk about triclosan. It’s a pesticide, technically a chlorinated aromatic, similar in molecular structure to themost toxic forms of dioxins and PCBs. It’s also the antibioticdisinfectant used in kitchen sponges and hospital soap.

Microbiologists at the Tufts University School of Medicinebelieve overuse of triclosan promotes the creation of anti-biotic-resistant “superbugs.’’ Worse still, findings presentedto the American Society for Microbiology over the past sever-al years suggest that triclosan actually helps resistant bacte-

ria thrive, forming resilient biofilms on teeth and waterpipes. Moreover, triclosan is a nonspecific biocide. It kills allmicrobes, the good and the bad—even those flora necessaryfor digestion. The copolymers used in Colgate Total® keeptriclosan active for 12 hours after you brush.

Lastly, triclosan may even contain true dioxins. A report from Quantex Laboratories, in Edison, New Jersey, states,“Polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (dioxins) and polychloro-dibenzofurans (dibenzofurans) can be found in varying lowlevel amounts, as synthesis impurities in triclosan.” Similarfindings were made in 2003 by researchers at the Universityof Minnesota.

Triclosan is also used in Crest®, Mentadent®, Sensodyne®

and Macleans® toothpastes, all of which also contain fluoride. And let’s mention sodium and potassium hydrox-ides (also known as lye), the whitening ingredient in manyconventional toothpastes. Lye is considered a poison by the Food and Drug Administration.

So, what to use? Try natural toothpastes, which battle cavities without potentially dangerous synthetic ingredients.Many natural brands utilize neem (Indian lilac) bark, a natural astringent and antiseptic, containing immunomodu-latory polysaccharides that increase antibody production.Neem also increases lymphomatic counts of red and white blood cells, and aids in treating digestive disorderslike diarrhea, hyperacidity and constipation—just what you need after a meal.

Another popular natural ingredient is peelu, from the EastAsian Siwak (chewstick) tree. Peelu’s non-abrasive vegetablefiber gently cleans teeth without eroding them like chalk(widely used in toothpastes) can. Peelu also contains anti-septic tannin, Vitamin C and natural resins that strengthentooth enamel.

Most natural toothpastes also use myrrh, an anti-microbial,astringent immuno-stimulant, beneficial against gingivitisand mouth ulcers—and propolis, an immuno-stimulatinganti-bacterial resin. Many contain plaque-fighting eucalyptus,and are flavored and sweetened naturally with fennel, aniseand cinnamon, all of which are herbal aids for digestion.

Auromere® Ayurvedic toothpaste contains such holisticastringents and therapeutic agents as Indian licorice root (excellent for mouth sores), pomegranate rind (anastringent), Persian walnut, Indian almond, Asian holly oak and geranium extract (an antiseptic anti-inflammatory).Weleda makes a toothpaste with calendula. Nature’s Gate®

has goldenseal.

Herbal Vedic, made by Auroma™, contains banyan tree bark,wild celery (an anti-inflammatory carminative) and nutrient-rich Irish moss.

Tom’s of Maine® toothpastes are the most widely available.They don’t do animal testing or use artificial sweeteners like carcinogenic saccharin or aspartame (unlike most majornational brands like Colgate and Crest).

Perhaps the most innovative alternative toothpastes arethose made by Jason Natural Cosmetics®. Jason Sea Freshcombines detoxifying, biologically-active blue green algaewith sea salts. Jason toothpastes also use plaque-inhibiting,omega-3-rich Japanese perilla seed extract—and CoenzymeQ10 (ubiquinone), a naturally-occurring, detoxifyingnutraceutical. They also avoid the use of caustic foaming-agent sodium lauryl sulfate and humectant propylene glycol(a component of anti-freeze), both questionable ingredientsof many national-brand toothpastes.

Consider also the addition of baking soda, a low-abrasioncleanser, which chemically neutralizes the staph-generatedoral acids responsible for tooth decay.


More on FluorideNew York – October 12, 2006 : A 52-year-old American man’sarthritic-like joint pain and immobility went away after hestopped brushing his teeth with fluoridated toothpaste,according to a new study in the Journal of Bone and MineralResearch.1

There’s no scientific dispute that large fluoride doses causecrippling skeletal fluorosis over time. But, “less well-knowncauses of chronic fluoride toxicity include fluoride supple-ments, certain teas and wine and some toothpastes,” reportresearchers Kurland, et al.1

Skeletal fluorosis often results in abnormal bone hardeningand thickening (osteosclerosis) with painful and impairedneck and spine mobility, spine curvature, and/or painfullower extremities, ultimately causing crippling and incapac-itation, report the researchers.

“Fluoride at any level accumulates in the body,” says PaulBeeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed toFluoridation. “So even water fluoridation will cause arthritic-like symptoms in susceptible individuals, which is com-pounded by U.S. physicians’ and dentists’ lack of training to diagnose fluoride toxicity.”

In this case, the only obvious fluoride exposure was tooth-paste. The patient drank no fluoridated water, tea or wine;had no occupational fluoride exposure; did not chew tobacco, inhale snuff, cook with Teflon pots, use fluoridatedmouthwash or get fluoride treatments at twice-yearly dentist visits. But he brushed before and after all meals(minimum 6 times daily) with fluoridated toothpaste.Fluoride was elevated in his serum, urine and iliac crest(bone), the researchers report.

Within 8 months of eliminating all obvious fluoride sources,the patient’s urinary and blood fluoride levels dropped and

bone function markers showed clear-cut improvement, theresearchers report. “By approximately two years after diag-nosis and apparent elimination of excess fluoride exposure,the patient had complete resolution of his neck immobilityand no longer required analgesics,” the researchers write.

Roos, et al. documents a woman whose painful swollen fin-gers healed after she ceased eating fluoridated toothpaste.2

Whyte, et al. report a woman’s fluoride-caused debilitatingjoint pains disappeared when her two-gallon-a-day iced teahabit stopped.3

Eichmiller, et al. report a patient’s leg and joint pains from adentist-prescribed, high-concentration fluoride product.4

“We know US schoolchildren are fluoride-overdosed5. What’sit doing to their bones?” asks Beeber.

ResourcesPaul Beeber, President NYSCOFEmail: [email protected] Connett, PhD, Emeritus Chemistry Professor and Executive Director, Fluoride Action NetworkEmail: [email protected]

More about skeletal fluorosis:www.fluoridealert.org/s-fluorosis.htm www.nalgonda.orgwww.fluoridealert.org/health/bone/fluorosis/arthritis/ Fluoride Action Networkwww.FluorideAction.Net Fluoridation 101www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscofFluoridation News Releaseswww.tinyurl.com/6kqtuTooth Decay Crises in Fluoridated Areaswww.fluoridenews.blogspot.com/

The final word: Dental health is moredependent on your diet than your denti-frice. According to the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture, Americansper capita consume 34 teaspoons ofsweetener per day. And not just incandy. Sweeteners are used in every-thing from breakfast cereal to pastasauce. The worst is soda. Acidic, car-bonated soft-drinks dissolve toothstructures—and their massive sugarcontent feeds plaque. And don’t drinktoo much green tea made with fluori-dated water. Indeed, green tea hasbeen shown to inhibit tooth decay.Green tea catechin (epigallocatechingallate, an antioxidant 100 times more

powerful than Vitamin C ) suppressesthe process by which decay-causingbacteria create plaque, and acts as ananti-bacterial, as well. But green teacontains considerable natural fluorine.Steeped in fluoridated water, green tea can put you way over your USDArecommended daily allowance of whatis the new DDT at the EnvironmentalProtection Agency.

All in all, consider your options whenchoosing dental products for you andyour family. Make informed choicesbased on the literature, not the commer-cials, and try to find practitioners whosupport your choices and decisions.

For references and additional informationabout the author and topic, please visit:www.icpa4kids.org/research/references.htm

Jo RobinsonIn my Grandma’s day, there was nosuch thing as a bad fat. All fat was“good” simply because it tasted good.My Grandma fried her eggs in bacongrease, added bacon grease to hercakes and pancakes, made her piecrusts from lard, and served butter withher homemade bread. My grandmotherwas able to thrive on all that saturatedfat—but not my grandfather. He sufferedfrom angina and died from heart failureat a relatively young age.

My grandfather wasn’t alone.Population studies from the first half ofthe 20th century showed that Americansin general had a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease than peoplefrom other countries, especially Japan,Italy and Greece. Was all that saturatedfat to blame? The Japanese were eatingvery little fat of any kind, while the people of the Mediterranean wereswimming in olive oil, an oil that is verylow in saturated fat but high in monoun-saturated oils.

So, in the 1960s, word came from onhigh that we should cut back on thebutter, cream, eggs and red meat.

But, interestingly, the experts did notadvise us to switch to an ultra-low fat

diet like the Japanese, nor to usemonounsaturated oils like the Greeks or Italians. Instead, we were advised to replace saturated fat with polyunsat-urated oils—primarily corn oil and safflower. Never mind the fact that nopeople in the history of this planet hadever eaten large amounts of this type of oil. It was deemed “the right thing todo.” Why? First of all, the United Stateshad far more corn fields than olivegroves, so it seemed reasonable to usethe type of oil that we had in abundance.But just as important, according to thebest medical data at the time, corn oiland safflower oil seemed to lower cho-lesterol levels better than monounsatu-rated oils.

Today, we know that’s not true. In the1960s, researchers did not differentiatebetween “good” HDL cholesterol and“bad” LDL cholesterol. Instead, theylumped both types together andfocused on lowering the sum of the two.Polyunsaturated oils seemed to do thisbetter than monounsaturated oils. Wenow know they achieve this feat by low-ering both our bad and our good choles-terol, in effect throwing out the babywith the bathwater. Monounsaturatedoils leave our HDL intact.

In hindsight, it’s not surprising that our death rate from cardiovascular dis-ease remained high in the 1970s and80s even though we were eating far less butter, eggs, bacon grease, and red meat: We had been told to replacesaturated fat with the wrong kind of oil.

During this same era, our nationalhealth statistics were highlightinganother problem, this one even moreominous: an increasing number of people were dying from cancer. Whywere cancer deaths going up? Was it the fact that our environment was morepolluted? That our food had more addi-tives, herbicides and pesticides? Thatour lives were more stressful? That wewere not eating enough fruits and veg-etables? Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes.

But there was another reason we werelosing the war against cancer: the sup-posedly “heart-healthy” corn oil andsafflower oil that the doctors hadadvised us to pour on our salads andspread on our bread contained highamounts of a type of fat called “omega-6 fatty acids.” There is now strong evi-dence that omega-6s can make cancercells grow faster and more invasive. Forexample, if you were to inject a colony of rats with human cancer cells and thenput some of the rats on a corn oil diet,

n u t r i t i o n a l n u g g e t s


Confused about Fat? Choose Grassfed!


some on a butterfat diet, and some on a beef fat diet, the ones given theomega-6-rich corn oil would be afflictedwith larger and more aggressive tumors.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us, we weregetting a second helping of omega-6sfrom animal products. Starting in the1950s, the meat industry began takinganimals off pasture and fattening themon grains high in omega-6s, adding toour intake of these potentially cancer-promoting fats.

In the early 1990s, we learned that ourmodern diet was harboring yet anotherunhealthy fat: trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are formed during the hydro-genation process that converts vegetableoil into margarine and shortening.Carefully designed studies showed thatthese manmade fats are worse for ourcardiovascular system than the animalfats they replaced. Like some saturatedfats, they raise our bad cholesterol. But,unlike the fats found in nature, they alsolower our good cholesterol—delivering a double whammy to our coronary arteries. “Maybe butter is better afterall,” conceded the health experts.

Given all this conflicting advice about fat,consumers were ready to lob their tubsof margarine at their doctors. For decades

they had been skimping on butter, eventhough margarine tasted little betterthan salty Vaseline. Now they were beingtold that margarine might increase theirrisk of a heart attack!

Some people revolted by trying to abandon fat altogether. For breakfast,they made do with dry toast and fat-freecottage cheese. For lunch, they ate saladgreens sprinkled with pepper and vine-gar. Dinner was a skinless chicken breastpoached in broth. Or better yet, a soyburger topped with lettuce. Dessert?Well, after all that self-denial, what elsebut a big bowl of fat-free ice cream and a box of Snackwell cookies. Thank good-ness calories no longer counted! Only fatmade you fat!

Or, so the diet gurus had told us.Paradoxically, while we were doing ourbest to ferret out all the fat grams, wewere getting fatter and fatter. We werealso becoming more prone to diabetes.Replacing fat with sugar and refined carbohydrates was proving to be nomore beneficial than replacing saturatedfat with polyunsaturated oils.

At long last, in the mid-1990s, the firsttruly good news about fat began toemerge from the medical labs. The firstfats to be given the green light were the

monounsaturated oils, the ones that had helped protect the health of theMediterraneans for so many generations.These oils are great for the heart, the scientists discovered, and they do notpromote cancer. They are also a deter-rent against diabetes. The news camefifty years too late, but it was welcomenonetheless. Please pass the olive oil!

Stearic acid, the most abundant fat inbeef and chocolate, was also found to bebeneficial. Unlike some other saturatedfats, stearic acid does not raise your badcholesterol and it may even give yourgood cholesterol a little boost. Hooray!

Then, at the tail end of the 20th century,two more “good” fats were added to the roster—omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, the fatfound in the meat and dairy products ofruminants. Both of these fats show signsof being potent weapons against cancer.However, the omega-3s may be the bestof all the good fats because they arealso linked with a lower risk of virtuallyall the so-called “diseases of civiliza-tion,” including cardiovascular disease,depression, ADHD, diabetes, Alzheimer’sdisease, obesity, asthma, and autoim-mune diseases.

So, some of you may be wondering,what does this brief history of fat haveto do with grass farming? Few peoplerealize that all omega-3s originate in the green leaves of plants and algae.Fish have large amounts of this good fat because they eat small fish that eatsmaller fish that dine on omega-3-richalgae and phytoplankton. Grazing animals have more omega-3s thangrain-fed animals because they get theomega-3s directly from the grass. Inboth cases, the omega-3s are ultimatelypassed on to humans, the top of thefood chain.

Products from grassfed animals offer us more than omega-3s. They containsignificant amounts of two “good” fats,monounsaturated oils and stearic acid,but no manmade trans-fatty acids. They are also the richest known naturalsource of CLA and contain extra amountsof Vitamin E and beta-carotene. Finally,grassfed meat is lower than feedlot meatin total fat and calories, making it ideallysuited for our sedentary lifestyles.

I don’t believe it’s a matter of luck orchance that grassfed products have somany of the good fats but so few of thebad. In fact, I’ll wager that the more thatis discovered about fat in the coming

years, the more grassfed meat willshine. The reason for my confidence issimple: our bodies are superbly adaptedto this type of food. In the distant past,grassfed meat was the only meataround. Our hunter-gatherer ancestorseither brought home a grazing ruminantsuch as elk, deer, or bison, or a predatorthat preyed on those animals. Eitherway, the nutrients found in grass madetheir way into the animals’ flesh, andultimately, into our own.

Over the eons, our bodies began to“expect” the kinds and amounts of fatfound in grassfed meat. Our heartscounted on the omega-3s to stabilizetheir rhythm and keep blood clots fromforming. Our brain cells relied on omega-3 to build flexible, receptor-rich mem-branes. Our immune systems used theomega-3s and CLA to help fend off can-cer. And because wild game is relativelylean, our bodies weren’t burdened withunnecessary amounts of fat or calories.

When we switch from grainfed to grass-fed meat, then, we are simply returningto our original diet, the diet that is mostin harmony with our physiology. Everycell and system of our bodies functionbetter when we eat products from animals raised on grass.

Jo Robinson is a New York Times bestselling writer. She is the author or coauthor of 11 nationally publishedbooks including Pasture Perfect, which is a comprehensive overview of the benefits of choosing productsfrom pasture-raised animals, and The Omega Diet (with Dr. ArtemisSimopoulos) that describes an omega-3enriched Mediterranean diet that maybe the healthiest eating program of all.

To order her books or learn more about grassfed products, visitwww.eatwild.com.

For references and additional informationabout the author and topic, please visit:www.icpa4kids.org/research/references.htm


c h i r o p r a c t i c f o r l i f e

Better Choices For ColicAnnette Gouker, DC, DACCP

As I work with small children in my practice, I am witnessing a distressing trend in thepediatric medical care of infantile colic.

Colic is described as a complex of symptoms in early infancy characterized by incon-solable crying that persists for long periods of time, apparent abdominal pain visualized bydrawing of the legs to the chest or arching of the back with stiffening or rigidity of the legs,and irritability.1 It has been defined by periods of crying or fussing for more than three hoursa day, more than three days per week and lasting for more than three weeks.2 It is most common in the late afternoon or evening hours and often starts around two weeks of ageand can continue up to twelve weeks of age. Colic occurs in 20% to 39% of infants making it a very common parenting nightmare.3 Most infants with colic seem to eat well and gainweight appropriately. It has been speculated that colic may be associated with immaturity of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal intolerance to milk, or family distress.4 Othergastrointestinal causes include excessive intestinal gas, intestinal hypermotility, or digestivehormone imbalance.5 Excessive crying can cause aerophagia, swallowing of air, resulting inflatulence and abdominal distension, which may also be an early manifestation of an insis-tent and impatient personality.1 The persistence of day after day crying spells brings chaosand family strain. Parents are distraught over the unexpected challenges their newbornbrings, fatigued with sleeplessness, and desperate for any help. With the high rate of colicaffecting so many infants, the help, support, and encouragement we can provide may helpprevent occurrences of child abuse like shaken baby syndrome.

There is no unified definition and therefore no unified treatment protocol for infantilecolic. Correct diagnosis is the key. A skilled doctor must first rule out other conditions withsimilar presentations such as allergies, vaccine reactions, viral infections, or bacterial infec-tions as in thrush. A child should be referred if vomiting, cold symptoms with RespiratorySyncytial Virus (RSV) association, fever, hard stools, or lack of weight gain is present.

Without surprise, the typical western medical approach has fallen to the drug companiesto help manage colic. Recommendations include, in exceptional circumstances, sedatives such as pheonobarbital to be given to the child one hour prior to anticipated fussy period.1

I am seeing increased use of other newer drugs like Zantac, which has not yet been safely and effectively established for use in infants less than one month of age.6 Many doctors havealso recommended the use of over-the-counter gas drops, managing the symptoms withoutaddressing the cause. The use of these drugs does not come without side effects. Adversereactions to prescribed drugs are estimated to be 2.2 million per year. In annual deaths due to drug therapy7 in children under 2 years of age, 41% happened during the first month of lifeand 84% during the first year.8 I feel we need to step in and offer a safer way to care for ournation’s infants.

It is this doctor’s opinion that there are other options in the treatment of colic that aremuch safer. Some children respond well to being held, walked, rocked, or patted gently.Swaddling the child in a tight blanket may help them feel comfortably secure. Riding in the


car or sitting on top ofa running clothes dryercan sometimes providerelief. Soothing whitenoise like running avacuum cleaner, wash-ing machine, blowdryer, or clothing dryermay be used. Holdingthe infant close andmaking “shushing”noises into their ear

along with rhythmic rocking has beenshown to ease and calm the infant. Of course baby-wearing and co-sleeping offerthe infant the contact comfort they are often craving.

If the infant has a strong sucking urge after eating, with a seem-ingly continued need tosuckle, parents may wantto ask their doctor of chiro-practic about cranial carefor their infant. Frequently,cranial misalignment causesa distress that is relieved bythe sucking mechanism. Bottle feed-ing should be reduced to a minimumand when absolutely necessary. Ifbottle-feeding takes less than twentyminutes, a nipple with smaller holes should be tried. Gentlymassaging the child’s backwith soothing oils or plac-ing a warm water bottle onthe infant’s stomach mayoffer relief. Darkening thechild’s room and controllinghousehold noise at naptimesmay allow for uninterrupted rest.

Nursing mothers should take theirdiets into consideration. Eating warmcooked food like soup or broth whileavoiding cold raw food is recommend-ed. Mothers should remove dairy(except butter) from their dietand limit sugar intake as these

are transferred to the infant. Foods thatinduce gas for the nursing mother should be avoided like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower,lettuce, onions, peppers, garlic, or spicy foods.Caffeine and alcohol should be eliminated.Maternal use of diluted herbal tea remedieslike chamomile, comfrey, fennel, dill, anise,and caraway can offer some help. Allergenicfoods should also be avoided like cow’s milk,milk products, wheat, corn, citrus, eggs,yeast, soy or peanuts. Additionally, whenmothers take digestive enzymes, their diges-tive processes are improved and frequentlythis improves the quality of their milk supply.

In formula-fed infants, one must rule outdairy intolerance or constipation due to thehigh iron content in formulas. A whey-basedformula may be a suitable substitute, butsoy-based formulas should not be used dueto their high aluminum and phytoestrogencontent.9 There are suggestions for naturalformulas on the ICPA website:www.icpa4kids.org.

Intestinal flora colonization may alsocontribute to infantile colic. Flora colo-nization is essential for health and astrong immune system. Flora are alsoresponsible for controlling cholesterol

levels, increased resistance to disease,better sleep, and increased

energy. The primary source of flora is maternal vaginaland fecal floras that areusually ingested at the time

of delivery.10 Infants born of cesarean delivery do not

have an opportunity to ingestmaternal flora and have some delay in

the acquisition of permanent flora asthe child then must acquire them fromtheir environment.11 In 2001, 24% of

births were delivered cesarean giving us a greater number of infants with

decreased or absent intestinalflora.7 Also antibiotic use

kills off the normal neededessential flora. Excessiveunnecessary use of antibi-

otics prescribed for viralinfections is estimated to

20 million prescriptions per year.7

Parents may want to ask their doctor of

chiropractic about cranial care for their infant.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Dunn, DC

There are nutritional probiotics that babiescan take to help restore decreased or absentintestinal flora.

I believe chiropractic care has a significantrole in the care of infants with colic. The vertebral subluxation complex could be a direct or indirect contributor as it affectsthe nervous system and therefore the entire function of the body. Stimulation ofthe interspinous tissues in the thoracic and lumbar spine was associated with arrest of peristaltic movement and a sharp declinein gastric muscle tone.12 This indicates that adjusting the spine of these infantscould have an affect on the digestive tract,immune system and nervous system result-ing in normalization of an improperly functioning body. Vertebral subluxation with special attention to the upper cervicalspine, especially occiput through C2, andmid-thoracic spine, T4 through T9, should be addressed.13 I have noted in my practicethat the sacral segments also seem to be

significant. Studies have shown that spinaladjustment is effective in relieving infantilecolic when compared to medication.14

A 1999 study showed that chiropractic care had a positive short-term effect on thesymptoms and discomfort of infantile colic.15

This has been confirmed in additional studiesas well.16

Safer alternative choices should be usedin the management of infantile colic. Yourfamily wellness doctor of chiropractic willoffer you information on safe and effectiveapproaches. To find a doctor of chiropracticin your area who works with children, visitour website at www.icpa4kids.org

For references and additional information about the author and topic, please visit:www.icpa4kids.org/research/references.htm


p r e g n a n c y & b i r t h

Sarah Buckley, MD

e p i d u r a l s

Epidural pain relief is an increasingly popular choicefor Australian women in the labour ward. Up to one third of all birthing women have an epidural,1 and it is especiallycommon amongst women having their first babies.2 Forwomen giving birth by caesarean section, epidurals are certainly a great alternative to general anaesthetic, allowingwomen to see their baby being born, and to hold and breast-feed at an early stage; however, their use as a part of a normal vaginal birth is more questionable.3

There are several types of epidural used in Australian hospi-tals. In a conventional epidural, a dose of local anaesthetic isinjected through the lower back into the epidural space,around the spinal cord. This numbs the nerves which bringsensation from the uterus and birth canal. Unfortunately, the local anaesthetic also numbs the nerves which controlthe pelvic muscles and legs. So, with this type of epidural, a woman usually cannot move her legs and, unless theepidural has worn off, cannot push her baby out, in the second stage of labour.

More recent forms of epidurals use a lower dose of localanaesthetic, usually combined with an opiate, such as pethidine, morphine or fentanyl (sublimaze). With this low-dose or combination epidural, most women can move

around with support; however, the chance of a woman beingable to give birth without forceps is still low.4 Another formof epidural, popular in the United States, is the CSE, or combined spinal-epidural, where a one-off dose of opiate,with or without local anaesthetic, is injected into the spinalspace, very close to the end of the spinal cord. This givespain relief for around 2 hours, and if further pain relief isneeded, it is given as an epidural. These forms of “walkingepidural” may seem advantageous, but being attached to acardiotocograph machine to monitor the baby, and hookedup to a drip which is also a requirement when an epidural isin place, can make walking impossible.

Many women have a good experience with epidurals.Sometimes the relief from pain can allow a woman to restand relax sufficiently to go on and have a good birth experi-ence. However deciding to use an epidural for pain relief canalso lead to a “cascade of intervention,” where an otherwisenormal birth becomes highly medicalised, and a woman feelsthat she loses her control and autonomy. Often the decisionto accept an epidural is made without an awareness of these,and other, significant risks to both mother and baby.

Although the drugs used in epidurals are injected around thespinal cord, substantial amounts enter the mothers blood


Although findings are not consistent, possibleproblems, such as rapidbreathing in the first fewhours and vulnerability to low blood sugar suggestthat these drugs havemeasurable effects on thenewborn baby.

stream, and pass through the placenta into the baby’s circu-lation. Most of the side effects of epidurals are due to these“systemic”, or whole-body effects.

One of the most commonly recognised side effects is a dropin blood pressure. Up to one woman in eight will have thisside effect to some degree,5 and for this reason, extra fluidsare usually given through a drip to prevent problems. A dropin the mother’s blood pressure will affect how much of herblood is pumped to the placenta, and can lead to less oxygenbeing available to the baby.

An epidural will often slow a woman’s labour, and she isthree times more likely to be given an oxytocin drip to speedthings up.6, 7 The second stage of labour is particularly slowed,leading to a three times increased chance of forceps.8 Womenhaving their first baby are particularly affected; choosing anepidural can reduce their chance of a normal delivery to lessthan 50%.9

This slowing of labour is at least partly related to the effect of the epidural on a woman’s pelvic floor muscles. Thesemuscles guide the baby’s head so that it enters the birthcanal in the best position. When these muscles are not working, dystocia, or poor progress, may result, leading to the need for high forceps to turn the baby, or a caesarean

section. Having an epidural doubles a woman’s chance ofhaving a caesarean section for dystocia.10

When forceps are used, or if there is a concern that the sec-ond stage is too long, a woman may be given an episiotomy,where the perineum, or tissues between the vaginal entranceand anus, are cut to enlarge the outlet and hurry the birth.Stitches are needed and it may be painful to sit until the episiotomy has healed, in 2 to 4 weeks.

As well as numbing the uterus, an epidural will numb thebladder, and a woman may not be able to pass urine, inwhich case she will be catheterised. This involves a tubebeing passed up from the urethrer to drain the bladder,which can feel uncomfortable or embarrassing.

Other side effects of epidurals vary a little depending on the particular drugs used. Pruritis, or generalized itching of the skin, is common when opiate drugs are given. It maybe more or less intense and affects at least 1/4 of women11, 12:morphine or diamorphine are most likely to cause this.Morphine also causes oral herpes in 15% of women.13

All opiate drugs can cause nausea and vomiting, althoughthis is less likely with an epidural around 30%14 than whenthese drugs are given into the muscle or bloodstream, where larger doses are needed. Up to 1/3 of women with an

© gm

grant - FOTO

LIA

epidural will experience shivering15, which is related toeffects on the bodies heat-regulating system.

When an epidural has been in place for more than 5 hours, a woman’s body temperature may begin to rise.16 This willlead to an increase in both her own and her baby’s heart rate,which is detectable on the CTG monitor. Fetal tachycardia,or fast heart rate can be a sign of distress, and the elevatedtemperature can also be a sign of infection such aschorioamnionitis, which affects the uterus and baby. This canlead to such interventions as caesarean section for possibledistress or infection, or, at the least, investigations of thebaby after birth such as blood and spinal fluid samples, and several days of separation, observation, and possiblyantibiotics, until the results are available.17

Less common side effects for a woman having an epiduralare; accidental puncture of the dura, or spinal cord cover-ings, which can cause a prolonged and sometimes severeheadache (1 in 100)18 ongoing numb patches, which usuallyclear after 3 months (1 in 550)19; and weakness and loss of sensation in the areas affected by the epidural, (4-18 in10,000) also usually resolving by 3 months.20

More serious but rare side effects include permanent nervedamage; convulsions and heart and breathing difficulties

(1 in 20,000)21 and death attributable to epidural (1 in200,000).22 When opiates are used, a woman may experiencedifficulty in breathing which comes on 6 to 12 hours later.23

There is a noticeable lack of research and information aboutthe effects of epidurals on babies.24 Drugs used in epiduralscan reach levels at least as high as those in the mother25, and because of the baby’s immature liver, these drugs take a long time—sometimes days—to be cleared from thebaby’s body.26 Although findings are not consistent, possibleproblems, such as rapid breathing in the first few hours27

and vulnerability to low blood sugar28, suggest that thesedrugs have measurable effects on the newborn baby.

As well as these effects, babies can suffer from the interven-tions associated with epidural use; for example babies bornby caesarean section have a higher risk of breathing difficul-ties.29 When monitoring of the heart rate by CTG is difficult,babies may have a small electrode screwed into their scalp,which may not only be unpleasant, but occasionally can leadto infection.

There are also suggestions that babies born after epiduralsmay have difficulties with breastfeeding30,31 which may be a drug effect, or may relate to more subtle changes.Studies suggest that epidurals interfere with the release


These forms of “walking

epidural” may seem advanta-

geous, but being attached to a

CTG machine to monitor the

baby, and hooked up to a drip

which is also a requirement

when an epidural is in place,

can make walking impossible.

of oxytocin32 which, as well as causing the let-down effect inbreastfeeding, encourages bonding between a mother andher young.33

Epidural research, much of it conducted by the anaesthetistswho administer epidurals, has unfortunately focussed moreon the pro’s and con’s of different drug combinations than onpossible serious side effects.34 There have been, for example,no rigorous studies showing whether epidurals affect thesuccessful establishment of breastfeeding.35

Several studies have found subtle but definite changes in the behaviour of newborn babies after epidural36,37,38 with one study showing that behavioural abnormalities persistedfor at least six weeks.39 Other studies have shown that, afteran epidural, mothers spent less time with their newbornbabies40, and described their babies at one month as moredifficult to care for.41

While an epidural is certainly the most effective form of painrelief available, it is worth considering that ultimate satisfac-tion with the experience of giving birth may not be related to lack of pain. In fact, a UK survey that asked about satisfac-tion a year after the birth found that despite having the lowest self-rating for pain in labour (29 points out of 100),

women who had given birth with an epidural were the mostlikely to be dissatisfied with their experience a year later.42

Some of this dissatisfaction was linked to long labours and forceps births, both of which may be a consequence ofhaving an epidural. Women who had no pain relief reportedthe most pain (70 points out of 100) but had high rates ofsatisfaction.

Pain in childbirth is real, but epidural pain relief may not bethe best solution. Talk about other options with your care-givers and friends. With good support, and the use of movement, breathing and sound, most women can give themselves, and their babies, the gift of a birth without drugs.

For references and additional information about the author andtopic, please visit: www.icpa4kids.org/research/references.htm

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More and more parents are taking an active role

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resources to make informed health-care choices.

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Families and friends are always amazed when I mention that I am still breastfeeding my 2-year-old twin boys. Having twins isa very different experience from having a singleton with respectto rearing and baby care but for me having twins has become a normal part of our family life. Once you overcome twin shock,you realize how lucky and blessed you are to not only have onebaby but two. Unfortunately, although the incidence of twins isincreasing due to fertility drugs and treatment, many mothersare discouraged from even attempting to nurse two babies.Mothers of twins need to know that breastfeeding their babies is realistic and possible, you can successfully nurse two babiesfor as long as the three people involved wish to do so.Breastfeeding twins can sometimes be a challenge but theinherent rewards that come out of this experience usually morethan compensate for any drawbacks. Mothers just need to seekout a little bit more help and organization at the beginning butonce the wheel is rolling it becomes very hard to stop this greatbonding relationship.

The health benefits of nursing twins are no different than for asingle baby. Each baby receiving breast milk will have a reducedrisk of developing asthma, food allergies and eczema; in addi-tion s/he will be less likely to suffer from diarrhea, and urinarytract, respiratory and ear infections. Breastfeeding may help inthe development of the nervous system and contribute to increased intelligencequotient. Breastfed babies might also be at a lower risk of childhood cancers,insulin dependent diabetes mellitusand chronic bowel diseases. Breastmilk is easily digested thereforeresulting in less gas, colic andspitting up. Twins have a higherincidence of premature birth.Preemies benefit immensely fromall the benefits of breast milk. Thecomposition of the milk changes

at each feed and as the baby gets older as well. Once themature milk comes in, the composition of milk varies as well formothers of twins. It is higher in fat, protein and immunoglobulin.No formula can compete with this golden milk that adapts andchanges at each feed.

Of greatest importance, breastfeeding affords the baby closenesswith its mother that bottle-feeding does not allow. Many mothersof twins find it difficult to bond with two babies at the same time;the great thing about nursing them, especially together, is that it allows you to really connect with the babies as four eyes stareat you or play in your hair. Mothers of multiple are also usually at greater risk of postpartum depression but it usually does notoccur as readily in breastfeeding mothers. Some of my bestmemories are of my boys holding hands in the middle togetherwhile nursing or when one brother would stroke the other’s head.You never forget special moments like these.

The mother also benefits from nursing her twins because as the baby starts to suckle right after birth, the mother’s bodyreleases the hormone oxytocin,which helps contract the uterus,decreasing postpartum bleeding. Since milk production burnsabout 500 to 1,000 calories a day, the nursing mother returns toher pre-pregnancy shape or weight faster than the non-nursingmother. Research shows that breastfeeding may reduce the risk

of the mother developing breast, uterine and ovarian cancers.

One very important benefit is savingtime. Being able to breastfeed twinstogether allows you to save time

otherwise spent on bottle and formula preparation and sterilization

of bottles and nipples. It allows you toquickly respond to the needs of two scream-

ing babies and therefore reducing the amount oftime during which the babies cry. It is estimatedthat mothers of twins will save on average 8–10

b r e a s t f e e d i n g

Breastfeeding

Twins Valerie Lavigne, DC, IBCLC


hours a week especially if the babies are nursed together as theydo not have to spend this time on bottle preparation. Time is crucial when caring for two babies- you do not want to waste a single minute. Breastfeeding twins can also save you a lot ofmoney! It has been estimated that you can save approximately$2000 per year when you nurse twins. That money can definitelybe used for other things around the house.

A lot of people do not realize that you can produce enough milkfor two babies. It is important to remember that your body isvery well designed, and that the more often the babies are put to the breast, the more milk you will produce. It is very rare thata mother will not be able to produce enough milk. Watch yourbabies’ signs: if they are wetting 6–8 diapers and soiling 3–4 diapers a day, then they are definitely getting enough milk.Remember that during a growth spurt babies can demand milkmore often. These growth spurts usually occur at 7 days, 3weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. Babies also clusterfeed in the evening and will be more demanding. If you cannurse both babies together, you will secrete a higher level of hormones that will also help with your milk production. Makesure you are eating healthy snacks and food to compensate forthe calories you are burning during nursing.

How do you hold two babies at once? Using a quality twin nursing pillow, such as the EZ-2-Nurse Twins by DoubleBlessings, makes a huge difference in your level of comfort. I remember nursing both babies while simultaneously tying my older daughter’s shirt thanks to the EZ-2-Nurse Twins. This pillow also allowed me to burp one baby while the othercontinued nursing. You can alsotry to stack some pillows aroundyou as a makeshift platform.Experiment with different posi-tions and holds and you will findone that works for you. Here aresome of the popular holds formothers of twins:

Criss-cross cradle: in thisposition both babies are cradled in the crook of themother’s arms. One body is behind the other formingan X.

Double football position:this is a favorite positionamong mothers of twins. It does not usually put anypressure on the abdomenwhich will help if the motherhas undergone a C-section.

It also gives you a lot more control over the babies and theirpositioning.

Cradle and football: this is a great position for nursing toddlers together especially if one twin is bigger than theother. One baby is in the crook of the arm while the otherone is in football position.

As a chiropractor, I can not stress enough the importance of getting a baby’s spine checked for nervous interference from birth.Twins have a higher incidence of in-utero constraint as the spacein the mother’s belly is usually limited, especially if the mother carries to term. If you are experiencing trouble nursing, it could be linked to subluxations in your child’s spine. A chiropractor, with the help of a lactation consultant, can help you identify theproblem if this is indeed causing a breastfeeding difficulty.

Nursing your twins can be one of the most rewarding experiencesyou will ever know. Mothers of multiples should seek help from a La Leche League group or a special twin support group. Theycan also contact a board certified lactation consultant who canhelp them prepare for the arrival of their babies. So, the next time you hear that someone is expecting twins, please encourage them to consider breastfeeding. It is the best gift of health for mother andbaby that you can give.


Tips to successfully nurse twins or higher order multiplesHave an open mind.

During the first few weeks of adaptation, get helpwith cooking and chores—you need to concentrateexclusively on the new babies and nursing.

Have confidence in your milk supply.

Avoid introducing artificial nipples and/or pacifiers to avoid nipple confusion which may interfere withobtaining a good latch.

Find a board certified lactation consultant who canhelp you.

Attend a support group such as La Leche League.

Read as much as you can on breastfeeding. The techniques are the same, you just need to double everything.

Find other mothers of multiples who have nursedtheir baby successfully.

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The term “cry it out” refers to the practiceof leaving babies in their cribs withoutpicking them up, and letting them crythemselves to sleep. A modified version of this approach is to go to the baby everyfew minutes to pat her on the back orreassure her verbally (but not pick thebaby up), and to increase the length oftime gradually so that the baby eventually“learns” to fall asleep alone.


pa r e n t i n g

Crying for Comfort: Distressed Babies Need to be HeldAletha Solter, PhD


But there is no doubt that repeated lack of responsivenessto a baby’s cries—even for only five minutes at a time—ispotentially damaging to the baby’s mental health. Babieswho are left to cry it out alone may fail to develop a basicsense of trust or an understanding of themselves as a causalagent, possibly leading to feelings of powerlessness, lowself-esteem and chronic anxiety later in life. The cry-it-outapproach undermines the very basis of secure attachment,which requires prompt responsiveness and sensitive attune-ment during the first year after birth.1

The attachment parenting movement is a healthy reaction tothe harmful promotion of crying it out found in many parent-ing books. Attachment parents are aware of the possibleemotional damage from leaving babies to cry alone, so theystrive to meet their babies’ needs for physical closeness andresponsiveness. However, attachment parents can overlookthe beneficial, healing function of crying, and believe thattheir job is not only to respond to, but to stop all crying. Thisarticle describes how parents can further promote babies’mental health by learning to recognize stress-release crying,and implementing what I call the “crying-in-arms” approach.

History of the Cry-It-Out Approach

The question of whether or not to let a baby cry it out atnight does not arise when a baby sleeps close to his mother.The history of the cry-it-out approach is therefore linked tothe history of cosleeping. There is sufficient anthropologicalevidence to assume that, during prehistoric times, babiesslept on their mothers’ bodies or very near their mothers,and that babies were never ignored when they cried.Cosleeping is a common practice in many traditional tribalcultures today. However, where civilizations became moretechnologically complex, parents gradually abandoned the practice of sleeping with their infants and adopted thepractice of separate sleeping arrangements, especially inEurope and North America.

When and why did parents in Western cultures abandon the natural practice of sleeping with their infants? During the 13th century in Europe, Catholic priests first began recommending that mothers stop sleeping with their infants.It is likely that the primary, perhaps unconscious reason forthis advice was the rise of patriarchy and the fear of toomuch feminine influence on infants—especially male infants.However, the reason the priests gave for this advice was the danger of smothering the infants, commonly known as“overlaying.” Historians now believe that most of the infantdeaths during the Middle Ages in Europe were caused by illness or infanticide. When accidental smothering occurred,it was probably caused by parents who were under the influence of alcohol.

After the industrial revolution in the 18th century, the notionof “spoiling” became widespread in industrialized countries,and mothers were warned not to hold or respond to theirinfants too much for fear of creating demanding monsters. If the home was big enough, parents moved cradles andcribs to a separate room. With the infants sleeping alone inanother room, it was easy for parents to follow the cry-it-outadvice, even if it went against their gut instincts.

The decline in breastfeeding further contributed to the separation of mothers and infants. With bottle-feeding frombirth on, the last remaining link to the mother’s body wasremoved, resulting in the deplorable, detached methods of child-rearing that predominated in Western civilizationsduring the 20th century.

Dr. Luther Emmett Holt, an American pediatrician and child-rearing expert, was the first person to make the cry-it-outapproach explicit and popular in the United States. Over 100years ago, his best-selling book, The Care and Feeding ofChildren, was the child-rearing bible of the time. The book is structured as a series of questions and answers. Onequestion is, “How is an infant to be managed that cries fromtemper, habit, or to be indulged?” The very wording of thisquestion reveals Holt’s bias. His answer: “It should simply be allowed to ‘cry it out.’ This often requires an hour, and, in some cases, two or three hours. A second struggle will seldom last more than ten or fifteen minutes, and a third will rarely be necessary.”2 Several generations were raisedaccording to this advice.

Dr. Benjamin Spock, the medical and parenting guru of thesecond half of the 20th century, recommended a similar cry-it-out approach in his best-selling book, Baby and Childcare.Modified versions of the cry-it-out approach can be found inmany current, popular parenting books.

The Trend Toward Attachment Parenting

Beginning in the 1960s, there has been a healthy trend in the opposite direction, commonly known as “attachmentparenting.” This approach recognizes the infant as a vulnera-ble, feeling human being who needs sensitive attunement,prompt responsiveness, and nurturing. Proponents claimthat the need for physical closeness is paramount, and thatbabies should never be left to cry it out alone. They adviseparents to respond promptly to crying and to soothe babies,generally by rocking or nursing. Attachment parenting is theexact opposite of the cry-it-out approach.

Several factors have contributed to the growth of attachmentparenting. One of the original influences came from Britishpsychoanalyst John Bowlby, who coined the term “attach-ment” in the 1950s to refer to a child’s bond with hermother.3 Thanks to Bowlby’s work, people became aware of


the potential damage to a child that can result from a pro-longed separation from his mother.

Researchers in the field of attachment have discovered thatit is impossible to spoil babies by responding to their cries.On the contrary, prompt responsiveness leads to a solidfoundation of trust and a secure attachment in the infants by one year of age. Infants whose parents delay in respond-ing to their cries become demanding and clingy by one yearof age, and are described as being “insecurely attached.”4

One influence on the growth of attachment parenting hasbeen the gradual return to breastfeeding. Organizations suchas La Leche League have encouraged mothers to trust theirown bodies to produce the perfect food for their infants. A revival of the age-old practice of cosleeping is anotherimportant aspect of attachment parenting.

Further support for attachment parenting has come fromresearch in stress physiology. Cortisol levels are a reliablemeasure of stress, and can easily be measured from a sam-

ple of saliva. Researchers have found that even brief separa-tions of human infants from their mothers can affect theinfants’ cortisol levels. In one study, nine-month-old infantswho were briefly separated from their mothers and left alonein an experimental situation experienced an increase in cortisol levels, indicating a physiological stress response.However, when the babies were left with a substitute care-giver who was warm and attentive, their cortisol levels didnot increase as much.5 The researchers concluded that it isquite stressful for infants to be left alone.

The Recognition of Stress-Release Crying

While the attachment parenting approach is a healthy trendin the right direction, it is possible that, in an effort to coun-teract the harm caused by the cry-it-out approach, parentsmay overlook an important function of crying. In our eager-ness to persist in soothing and hushing our babies, we maybe missing opportunities to help them release stress andheal from trauma. Although it is stressful for babies to cryalone, there is no evidence that crying in a parent’s arms isharmful, once all immediate needs are met. On the contrary,crying in arms can be beneficial for babies who have an accumulation of stress.

Many psychotherapists recognize the therapeutic value ofcrying and encourage their clients to cry. There is a currenttrend toward deep-feeling therapies (sometimes known as“regression therapy,” “primal therapy,” or “emotional releasetherapy”) in which therapists encourage clients to reliveearly childhood traumatic experiences, and to cry and rage.6-8

It is impossible to spoil babies byresponding to their cries. On thecontrary, prompt responsivenessleads to a solid foundation of trustand a secure attachment in theinfants by one year of age.


The therapists assume that people who did not feel safeenough to cry as children can “catch up” on their crying laterin life and heal themselves from the effects of early traumat-ic experiences.

Our culture tends to block and suppress the healthy expres-sion of deep emotions. Some adults remember being pun-ished, threatened, or even abused when they cried as chil-dren. Others remember their parents using kinder methodsto stop them from crying, perhaps through food or other dis-tractions. This early repression of crying could be one factorleading to the use of chemical agents later in life to represspainful emotions. The goal of deep-feeling therapy is to helpadults overcome the inhibition against crying, thereby allow-ing them to cry as much as needed in a supportive environ-ment with an attentive, empathic listener.

Researchers have measured physiological changes in adultsfollowing therapy sessions in which they cried hard. Theresults showed lower blood pressure and body temperature,slower heart rate, and more synchronized brain-wave patterns.This state of physiological relaxation was greater followingcrying than following physical exercise for an equivalent period of time.9 Biochemical studies have discovered greaterconcentrations of stress hormones in emotionally inducedtears than in irritant-induced tears, leading to the theory that one purpose of crying is to rid the body of excessiveamounts of these hormones.10 It is obvious that, when wecry, something important happens.

A growing number of psychologists believe that the healing function of crying begins at birth, and that stress-release crying early in life will help prevent emotional andbehavioral problems later on.11-14 However, babies shouldnever be left to cry alone. This healing process will be effective only if babies are allowed to cry in the safety andcomfort of a parent’s loving arms. When toddlers and olderchildren cry or have temper tantrums, it is still important tostay close and be attentive, even when holding may notalways be appropriate.

The stress-release function of crying in restoring emotionalhealth is comparable to the beneficial function of fever in fighting an infection and restoring physical health. Wise doctors know that it is often best to let a fever run its course rather than use drugs to cut it artificially short.15

Stress-release crying and fever both help children (andadults) regain homeostasis. There is no easy shortcut toemotional or physical health.

Sources of Stress for Infants

What kind of stress or trauma do babies experience? Theemerging field of prenatal and perinatal psychology hastaught us that, if the pregnant mother is anxious or

depressed, babies can be stressed even before birth.16-18

Furthermore, the birth process itself can be frightening andpainful for infants, especially when medical interventions are used. In the absence of emotional healing, early traumacan have a lifelong impact. Studies have shown that compli-cations at birth correlate with later susceptibility to psycho-logical problems, including schizophrenia, drug abuse,depression, suicide, and violence.19-25

There is evidence that prenatal and perinatal events aremajor causes of extensive crying in infants (commonlyreferred to as “colic”), and that “high-need” babies are often those who have experienced early stress or trauma.Researchers have found that babies whose mothers wereextremely stressed during pregnancy, or whose mothersexperienced a difficult delivery, cried more and awakenedmore frequently at night than babies who did not have thesetraumatic experiences.26-30 It is possible that the crying wesee in these stressed infants represents their attempt to healthemselves and regain homeostasis. Sheila Kitzinger men-tions the need for babies to cry in arms following a stressfulpregnancy,31 while William Emerson emphasizes the healingeffects of crying following both prenatal and birth trauma.32

After birth, overstimulation is a possible stressor to keep inmind, especially for infants born prematurely,33 or those whoare highly sensitive by nature.34 During the first few months,it is typical for babies to have a crying spell at the end of astimulating day, even though all of their immediate needsare met. T. Berry Brazelton calls this time of day the “fussyperiod,” and claims that babies need to “blow off steam”because of information overload to their immature nervoussystems.35 This kind of crying peaks at about six weeks ofage, then declines.

Stress can also result from the inevitable frustrations thatarise as babies strive to accomplish new skills, such asgrasping, crawling, or walking. These frustrations build up and find an outlet in crying spells, providing further fuelfor the end-of-the-day “fussy periods.” Researchers havefound that babies tend to cry more frequently for a few daysor weeks before attaining these developmental milestones,presumably because of high frustration levels.36

Other sources of stress include jealous siblings, stressed oranxious parents or frightening events. In addition to thesedaily stresses, some babies experience major traumas, suchas hospitalization, surgery, parental divorce or the illness or death of a parent. All of these traumas increase the needfor stress-release crying. While it is important to minimizestress, frustration, and overstimulation in babies’ lives, it is also helpful to remember that crying in arms is a healthyrelease for babies whose current needs are met, but who aresuffering from the effects of stress or trauma.


Implementing the Crying-In-Arms Approach

I recommend seeking the advice of a health professional forbabies who cry a lot for unknown reasons, or for thosewhose crying suddenly increases or has an unusual sound.Sometimes there is a medical condition that requires promptattention. Some crying is the result of allergies or food sen-sitivities. It is definitely worth checking into all possiblecauses for crying and searching for remedies. However, ifthere is no medical reason for the crying, it is likely that yourbaby simply needs to release stress.

To implement the crying-in-arms approach, the first thingto do when your baby cries is to look for all possible needs.

When all immediate needs are filled and your baby is stillcrying, even though you are holding her lovingly in yourarms, a helpful response is to continue holding her whiletrying to relax. This is not the time to continue searchingfrantically for one remedy after another to stop the crying.Take your baby to a peaceful room and hold her calmly in a position that is comfortable for both of you. Look intoher eyes and talk to her gently and reassuringly while

expressing the deep love you have for her. Try to surrenderto her need to release stress through crying, and listenrespectfully to what she is “telling” you.37, 38 Your baby will probably welcome the opportunity to have a good cry.

If you have had the good fortune to cry without distractionsin the arms of someone who loves you, it helps to rememberthe wonderful feelings of relief, relaxation and connectionthat follow such an experience. Don’t worry if your babycloses her eyes while crying. She will peek at you from timeto time to make sure you are still emotionally attuned andpaying attention. After she has finished crying, you will findyourself holding a relaxed little person who will probably fall asleep peacefully in your arms, sleep soundly and thenawaken, bright and alert.

The success of the crying-in-arms approach lies in correctlyinterpreting your baby’s cues. Obviously, you don’t want tooverlook legitimate needs by assuming that your baby “justneeds to have a good cry.” On the other hand, it is not help-ful to assume that all fussiness indicates an immediate needthat you can “fix,” because you will eventually fail. For somecrying there is no immediate remedy, and it is not your fault.Once you begin to view crying in this way, you will learn toread your babies’ cues more accurately, to recognize theneed for stress-release crying, and to relax when it occurs.In my consultation practice, I have found that this approachhelps prevent parents from feeling anxious, angry, guilty, or helpless when their baby cries. It can even help preventchild abuse.

It is important to emphasize that the crying-in-armsapproach is totally different from the cry-it-out approach:Your baby is with you at all times, so he will not experienceany stress from separation. If you feel that you cannotrespond compassionately to your baby’s crying, try to findsomeone else to hold him rather than leaving him to cryalone. Your baby will not cry indefinitely. After the crying has run its course, your baby will probably fall asleep peacefully, or become calm and alert.

Advantages of the Crying-In-Arms Approach

There are numerous advantages to allowing your baby torelease stress by crying in your arms. First, you will help him heal from trauma, thereby avoiding the possible lifelongimpact of prenatal or birth trauma. He will also heal regular-ly from the minor upsets of everyday life. Releasing pent-upstress from daily overstimulation or frustrations will allowhim to have a longer attention span and greater confidencein learning new skills. He will probably also be more relaxed,and less whiny or demanding.

After she has finished crying, youwill find yourself holding a relaxedlittle person who will probably fallasleep peacefully in your arms,sleep soundly and then awaken,bright and alert.

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Your baby will also sleep better. Many parents who startusing the crying-in-arms approach with older babies aredelighted to find that their babies begin to sleep through the night, sometimes after months of frequent night wakings. The parents accomplish this shift while honoringtheir babies’ attachment needs, without ever leaving theirbabies to cry alone.

Another advantage of this approach is that toddlers whohave cried enough as infants (while being held), and whocontinue to be supported emotionally as they grow older, are calm and gentle. They do not hit or bite other children.Toddlers who do not have opportunities to cry freely can become aggressive, hyperactive, obnoxious or easilyfrustrated. These disagreeable behaviors are often causedby an accumulation of pent-up stress, or the impact of early trauma that has had no healthy outlet.

Most important, by practicing the crying-in-arms approachyou will enhance your emotional connection with your baby.She will learn that you are able to listen and accept herentire range of emotions, and that nothing can damage theloving bond between you. If you continue to be an empathiclistener, your child will grow up with a feeling of being lovedunconditionally, which will lead to high self-esteem.

Finally, you will be rewarded with children who continue toexpress their emotions and bring their problems to youthroughout childhood and adolescence, because they willtrust in your ability to listen. There is nothing more touchingthan a teenager who can say to his mother or father: “I need to cry. Will you hold me?”

Originally published in Mothering Magazine, Issue 122January/February 2004. Copyright © 2004 by Aletha Solter.All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproducedor transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical (including posting on the Internet, and includingtranslations), without written permission from Aletha Solter.

For references and additional information about the author and

topic, please visit: www.icpa4kids.org/research/references.htm

Warning/Disclaimer: The information in this article is not intended to beused as a substitute for medical advice or treatment. When babies dis-play emotional, behavioral, or medical problems of any kind, parentsare strongly advised to seek competent medical advice and treatment.Some of the suggestions in this article may be inappropriate for babiessuffering from certain emotional, behavioral, or physical problems.


m i n d — b o dy

The Body Has a Mind of Its OwnMatt Rushford, DC

I noticed this phrase recently in a book by Dr. Deepak Chopra. The body has a mind of its own. What a wonderful image! It immediately conveys a sense of reassurance, of innate self-sufficiency. Many of uswere taught from an early age, by inference or directly, that our bodies are weak and vulnerable. Healingwas a process that occurred from the outside—via medicines and doctors. Even today, the pharmaceuticalindustry endorses this mentality with the full force of one billion dollars a day devoted to promoting ourdependence on medications. One recent television commercial featured a concerned mother who swore, “I will never let little Cindy heal another cut without Neosporin!” What responsible mother would?

In fact, our miraculous bodies possess an intelligence that is beyond measure. Little Cindy’s body knowsmore about anatomy, physiology, osteology, biochemistry, cytology, endocrinology, pathology, and neurolo-gy than our greatest scientists know now—or will probably ever know. She furthermore possesses the latest information on mind-body-spirit connections and quantum healing. While scientists have been strug-gling in their labs for decades, trying to create one single living cell from scratch, little Cindy has beensilently creating vast networks of synergistically co-functional cells, tissues, and organs, some at the rate of over one million per minute, all from one originally microscopic speck of matter. She is capable of organ-izing the individual and shared functioning of an estimated 70 quadrillion cells. She knows how to cureeverything from a common cold to cancer, and has already done so countless times. Quite frankly, ques-tioning whether she can heal a half inch paper cut without chemical intervention is like questioningwhether a falling building can crush an ant.

From the instant the damage occurs, her body’s intelligence immediately begins to direct a symphony of orchestrated healing actions, all with the ultimate goal of maintaining optimal integrity and human performance. Impulses generated in her brain are sent along nerve channels to every part of her body,aligning the physiology to the task. The blood vessels near the cut will alter their bioelectrical field to allow for the passage of white blood cells through the vessel. Through an amazing process called positivechemotaxis, the white blood cells will travel directly to the site of injury. As the repair and reconstructiontake place, a wall of healing is formed at its perimeters, which isolates the damage to a limited area protects the rest of the body from infection.

Hundreds of thousands of messages speeding through the nerve system orchestrates the automatic healing of Cindy’s finger. Microscopic threads of fiber, magically constructed from the raw materials ofCindy’s lunch or dinner the previous day, are drawn across the cut and are actually pulled together, muchlike a surgeon’s stitching, to close the wound. Inflammation, with its fivefold regenerative components,ensures that infection does not occur and waste products are cleansed away. In the end, the cut will becontained, clotted, closed, and covered with fresh new skin without the need for Neosporin, bandages, or any other tinctures or potions. Indeed, this process is happening throughout her body at every moment,as cells naturally die and new cells replace the old.

The good news is that we can heal ourselves because the body does have a mind of its own. There aremany names for this “mind”…”the body’s wisdom”…”innate intelligence”…Gray’s Anatomy calls it, “thatmysterious something!” Regardless of what it is called, our bodies express wisdom that is nothing short of remarkable. When we live with respect for, and deference to, this wisdom, we tap into a source of healing, guidance, and personal power which can never be found in a bottle. It is a Bigness of the HealerWithin, and if you are alive, you’ve got it.

After spending most of the day in school,students are given additional assignments to be completed athome. This is a rather curious fact when you stop to think aboutit, but not as curious as the fact that few of us ever stop to think about it. It’s worth asking not only whether there are goodreasons to support the nearly universal practice of assigninghomework, but why it’s so often taken for granted—even by vast numbers of teachers and parents who are troubled by itsimpact on children.

The mystery deepens once you discover that widespreadassumptions about the benefits of homework—higher achieve-ment and the promotion of such virtues as self-discipline andresponsibility—are not substantiated by the available evidence.

The Status Quo

Taking homework for granted would be understandable if mostteachers decided from time to time that a certain lesson reallyneeded to continue after school was over and, therefore,assigned students to read, write, figure out, or do something at home on those afternoons.

That scenario, however, bears no relation to what happens inmost American schools. Rather, the point of departure seems tobe, “We’ve decided ahead of time that children will have to dosomething every night (or several times a week). Later on, we’llfigure out what to make them do.” This commitment to the ideaof homework in the abstract is accepted by the overwhelmingmajority of schools—public and private, elementary and second-ary. And it really doesn’t make sense, in part because of whatthe research shows:

• There is no evidence to demonstrate that homework benefitsstudents below high school age. Even if you regard standard-

ized test results as a useful measure (which I don’t), morehomework isn’t correlated with higher scores for children in elementary school. The only effect that does show up isless positive attitudes on the part of kids who get moreassignments.

• In high school, some studies do find a relationship betweenhomework and test scores, but it tends to be small. Moreimportant, there’s no reason to think that higher achievementis caused by the homework.

• No study has ever confirmed the widely accepted assumptionthat homework yields nonacademic benefits—self-discipline,independence, perseverance, or better time-managementskills—for students of any age. The idea that homeworkbuilds character or improves study skills is basically a myth.

Overtime in First Grade

In short, there’s no reason to think that most students would beat a disadvantage if homework were reduced or even eliminated.Yet the most striking trend in the past two decades has been thetendency to pile more and more assignments on younger andyounger children. (Remember, that’s the age at which the bene-fits are most questionable, if not absent!)

Even school districts that had an unofficial custom not so longago of waiting until the third grade before giving homeworkhave abandoned that restraint. A long-term national survey dis-covered that the proportion of six- to eight-year-old children whoreported having homework on a given day had climbed from 34percent in 1981 to 64 percent in 2002, and the weekly time theyspent studying at home more than doubled.

In fact, homework is even “becoming a routine part of thekindergarten experience,” according to a 2004 report.

Down With Homework!

fa m i ly l i f e

Do bulging backpacks mean learning? With his new book, The Homework Myth, expert Alfie Kohn says no. Here’s why.


Alfie Kohn


The Negative Effects

It’s hard to deny that an awful lot of homework is exceptionallytrying for many children. Some are better able than others tohandle the pressure of keeping up with a continuous flow ofwork, getting it all done on time, and turning out products thatwill meet with approval. Likewise, some assignments are lessunpleasant than others. But in general, as one parent put it,homework simultaneously “overwhelms struggling kids andremoves joy for high achievers.” Even reading for pleasure losesits appeal when children are told how much, or for how long,they must do it.

Even as they accept homework as inevitable, parents consistently report that it intrudes on family life. Many mothersand fathers spend every evening serving as homework monitors,a position for which they never applied. One professor of educa-tion, Gary Natriello at Columbia University, believed in the valueof homework until his “own children started bringing homeassignments in elementary school.” Even “the routine taskssometimes carry directions that are difficult for two parents with advanced graduate degrees to understand,” he discovered.

What’s bad for parents is generally worse for kids. “Schoolfor [my son] is work,” one mother writes, “and by theend of a seven-hour workday, he’s exhausted. But likea worker on a double shift, he has to keep going”once he gets home. Exhaustion is just part of theproblem, though. The psychological costs can be sub-stantial for a child who not only is confused by a work-sheet on long vowels or subtraction but also finds it hardto accept the whole idea of sitting still after school to domore schoolwork.

Furthermore, every unpleasant adjective that could beattached to homework—time-consuming, disruptive,stressful, demoralizing—applies with greater forcein the case of kids for whom academic learningdoesn’t come easily. Curt Dudley-Marling, a formerelementary school teacher who is now a professorat Boston College, interviewed some two dozenfamilies that each included at least one strug-gling learner. In describing his findings, hetalked about how “the demands of homeworkdisrupted...family relationships” and led todaily stress and conflict.

The “nearly intolerable burden” imposed byhomework was partly a result of how defeatedsuch children felt, he added—how they investedhours without much to show for it; how parentsfelt frustrated when they pushed the child butalso when they didn’t push, when they helpedwith the homework but also when they refrainedfrom helping. “You end up ruining the relationshipthat you have with your kid,” one father told him.

And don’t forget: The idea that it is all “worth it” becausehomework helps children learn better simply isn’t true. There’s little pro to weigh against the significant cons.

Play Time Matters

On top of causing stress, more homework means kids have less time for other activities. There’s less opportunity for thekind of learning that doesn’t involve traditional skills. There’sless chance to read for pleasure, make friends, play games, get some exercise, get some rest, or just be a child.

Decades ago, the American Educational Research Associationreleased this statement: “Whenever homework crowds outsocial experience, outdoor recreation, and creative activities,and whenever it usurps time that should be devoted to sleep, it is not meeting the basic needs of children and adolescents.”It is the rare school that respects the value of those activities—to the point of making sure that its policies are informed by that respect. But some courageous teachers and innovativeschools are taking up the challenge.

A New Approach

There is no traditional homework at the BellwetherSchool in Williston, Vermont, except when the children

ask for it or “are so excited about a project that they continue to work on it at home,” says Marta Beede, the

school’s top administrator. “We encourage children to read at home—books they have selected.” She and her colleaguesfigure that kids “work really hard when they’re at school. To

then say that they’re going to have to work more when theyget home doesn’t seem to honor how much energy they wereexpending during the day.”

Teachers ought to be able to exercise their judgment indetermining how they want to deal with homework, tak-ing account of the needs and preferences of the specificchildren in their classrooms, rather than having to con-form to a fixed policy that has been imposed on them.

High school teacher Leslie Frothingham watched her owntwo children struggle with enormous quantities of home-work in middle school. The value of it never seemed clearto her. “What other ‘job’ is there where you work all day,come home, have dinner, then work all night,” she asks,“unless you’re some type A attorney? It’s not a good wayto live one’s life. You miss out on self-reflection, commu-nity.” Thus, when she became a teacher, she chose tohave a no-homework policy.

And if her advanced chemistry students are thriving academically without homework, which they are, surely we can rethink our policies in the younger grades.

Copyright 2006 by Alfie Kohn. Reprinted InstructorMagazine September 2006 with the author’s permission.

For more information, please see www.alfiekohn.org. For references and additional information about the author

and topic, please visit: www.icpa4kids.org/research/references.htm


s e a s o n a l

The

Gift Every Child Really WantsPam Leo

Whether we observe Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Solstice, the holi-days have become more stressful for many parents and less happy formany children. By the time we add shopping, wrapping, baking, decorat-ing, and holiday events to our already busy schedules, we have less timethan ever to spend with our children. When children don’t get enoughattention from the people they love, their “love cup” gets empty and theyfeel disconnected and unhappy.

If adults try to make children happy by buying them more presents tocompensate for spending less time with them, we teach children that“things” are supposed to make them happy. When gifts become a sub-stitute for love instead of a symbol of love, children begin to measurehow much they are loved by how many gifts they receive. The moreempty their “love cup,” the more “things” children ask for to try to fill theemptiness they feel.

The saying, “You can never get enough of what you don’t really need,” isespecially true for children. No matter how many gifts we buy for children


or how much money we spend, if their love cup is empty,there will never be enough gifts to make them happy. Whenchildren with an empty love cup have unwrapped all theirgifts, they are still looking for something more. The “some-thing more” that children are looking for is somethingmoney can’t buy.

The gift every child really wants is the gift of feeling connect-ed, loved, and valued. Those feelings can’t be found in anypresent or in any amount of presents. Children want to bewith us and to do what we do. Feeling connected, loved, andvalued comes from spending time with the people they loveand from doing things with and for the people they love.

One of the best gifts we can give to children is the experi-ence of the joy of giving. We can encourage children tomake an “I want to give” list as well as an “I want to get”list. Children delight in giving their own gifts. When childrenare allowed and invited to fully participate in the holidaymaking, wrapping, baking, and decorating, they becomemore focused on what they want to give than on what theywant to get. Children who feel connected, loved, and valueddon’t need lots of gifts to fill their love cup.

We can break the “presents instead of presence” cycle bydoing the holidays with our children instead of for them.Whether our children are still very young and we have afresh beginning to create meaningful holiday traditions andrituals, or we have older children who have been accus-tomed to receiving lots of presents, we can put the “happy”back into the holidays by filling our children’s love cup withconnection instead of consumerism.

The following tips may help parents create a “less stress —more joy” holiday season for themselves and their children:

• Make the decision that presents will not be the mainfocus of the holidays.

• Invite children to join in creating a list of fun and mean-ingful holiday activities the family can do together and alist of kindnesses your family can do for others.

• Request that family and friends honor your fewer giftsdecision by asking them to show their love for your chil-dren in other ways. A one-on-one “Holiday Date” is awelcome gift and a wonderful way for family members toform closer bonds with children.

• Give children the means to give a few special gifts. Takea friend’s or a relative’s child shopping or help the childmake a gift for his or her parents.

• Ask your children what one gift they want most and asecond choice if that one is not possible. When childrenwith a full love cup get one gift they really want, theyhardly notice what else they do or do not get. Receivingone gift they really want satisfies more than opening tengifts they don’t really care about.

• Try giving children their most special gift first instead oflast. The reason children tear through opening presentsand keep asking for another is that they are looking forthat special one they’ve been hoping for. When they gettheir special one first they enjoy the rest more.

• Slow down the frantic pace of the holidays and reducepost-holiday let down by spreading out family and friendgatherings throughout December into January.

Most of all, we can stop trying to “do it all.” The people whoreally love us will still love us no matter what gifts we giveor do not give them and whether or not we send greetingcards. We can tell family and friends that we are changinghow we “do” the holidays and that we have decided tospend more time connecting with our children. When weslow down the pace and stop doing and buying too much,our children are happier, we are happier, and our holidaysare happier.

Resources

Simplify Your Christmas by Elaine St. James

Unplug the Christmas Machineby Jo Robinson & Jean Coppock Staeheli

The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmasby Madeleine L’Engle

Pam Leo is the author of the new book Connection Parenting:Parenting through Connection Instead of Coercion, throughLove Instead of Fear (Wyatt-Mackenzie, 2005) and is theConnection Parenting instructor for the Academy for CoachingParents, International (www.ACPI.biz) Pam has been writingthe Empowered Parents column for the Parent & Familynewspaper in Maine for the last ten years. You can read otherarticles by Pam on her website www.connectionparenting.com

“ Love is what’s in the room

with you at Christmas if

you stop opening presents

and listen.” – Bobby, age 7

r e s e a r c h r e v i ew

40 pathways | issue

12

SOURCE: Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 17(2), 1995

Sodium fluoride is currently added to the majority of municipal water

systems in the United States to prevent cavities in children. Its use has

risen rapidly since the 1950s. Sodium fluoride is also registered with

the EPA as a rat poison, although advocates say its use in low levels in

water poses no adverse health concerns. There has been considerable

research done on fluoride regarding cancer, birth defects, and risks

to the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary systems, however, very

little has been done on its neurological effects.

First Study to Find Neurological Deficits After Fluoride Exposure

Chinese investigations have shown levels of fluoride in drinking water

at levels of 3–11 ppm affect the nervous system without first causing

physical malformations. Another Chinese study found

Attention Deficit Disorders in adult humans

if sublingual drops containing 100 ppm

of sodium fluoride were administered.

Sources of fluoride exposure include

processed beverages, toothpastes, mouth

rinses, dietary supplements, and food.

This is an exposure level potentially

relevant to humans because toothpastes

contain 1000–1500 ppm fluoride and

mouthrinses contain 230–900 ppm fluoride.

In the 1995 article appearing in the jour-

nal Neurotoxicology and Teratology,

Dr. Phyllis J. Mullenix states,

“Still unexplored, however, is

the possibility that fluoride

exposure is linked with

subtle brain dysfunc-

tion. This is the

first study to demonstrate that central nervous

system output is vulnerable to fluoride, that the

effects on behavior depend on the age at exposure

and that fluoride accumulates in brain tissues. Of

course, behaviors per se do not extrapolate, but

a generic behavioral pattern disruption as found

in this rat study can be indicative of potential for

motor dysfunction, IQ deficits, and/or learning

disabilities in humans. Substances that accumu-

late in brain tissue potentiate concerns about

neurotoxic risk.”

Phyllis J. Mullenix, PhDToxicology Department, Forsyth Research Institute, Boston, MA

JOURNAL TITLE: Neurotoxicity of Sodium

Fluoride in Rats

Sources of fluoride exposure

include processed beverages,

toothpastes, mouth rinses,

dietary supplements and food.

Fluoride Exposure During Pregnancy Links to Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit and Behavior Disorders

Nancy Browne Coleman,President, NJ Citizens Opposing Forced Fluoridation

In 1993, the Food and Drug Administration responded to aninquiry by former Assemblyman Kelly. It seems that no fluo-ride supplements (vitamins, tablets, drops, etc.) have everbeen subjected to safety or effectiveness testing. He was toldby the FDA that fluoride supplements are considered “unap-proved new drugs” and have been designated as such for 30 years and that it has never received safety and effective-ness studies for fluoride supplements and that no “new drug”applications have ever been filed by manufacturers of theproducts.

The FDA claims that they were grandfathered in prior to the law that required safety and effectiveness testing for anynew drugs. Kelly responded by asking the FDA which of theseproducts were on the market prior to the law. They didn’trespond. Assemblyman Kelly lost his bid for reelection a yearor so ago (coincidence?)

Considering that fluoride is slightly less toxic than arsenicand slightly more toxic than lead, it is very suspicious that US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows MaximumContaminant Levels (MCL) of only 15 ppb (parts per billion)for lead, 50 ppb for arsenic, and 4000 ppb for fluoride.

In addition, we are all receiving uncontrolled doses of fluoride—through foods and beverages bottled and processed influoridated cities (even almost all domestic beers containfluoridated water.)

Some examples:

Coca Cola Classic: 0.98 ppm

Diet Coke: 1.12 ppm

Minute Maid orange juice 0.98 ppm

Gerber Graduate Berry Juice: 3.0 ppm

Gerber White Grape Juice: 6.8 ppm

Fruit Loops: 2.1 ppm

Wheaties: 10.1 ppm

2% milk (8 ounces: .72 ppm)

We are also receiving doses of fluoride with allowable pesticide residue levels: Cryolite (sodium aluminum fluoride), maximum allowable pesticide residue levels; Lettuce (head), 180.00 ppm; citrus fruits; 95.00 ppm;raisins, 55.00 ppm; tomatoes, 30.00 ppm; and the list goes on.

It is believed by many experts that the human body retains up to 50 percent of these “artificial” sources of fluoride.Naturally occurring fluoride usually occurs in combinationwith a mineral that is easier for the body to get rid of (calciumfluoride, potassium fluoride, etc.).

Even proponents are calling for caution. In the Journal of the American Dental Association (Vol. 126, June 1995 19-s),the article “Intervention: Fluoride Supplementation” givesrecommendations: Birth–6 months: None; 6 months–3 years:0.25mg/day (equals 1 cup of fluoridated water) in areaswhere the fluoride ion level in drinking water is < 0.3 ppm andnone in areas with fluoride levels of 0.3 or above; ages 3–6years: no fluoride supplementation in areas of > 0.6 ppm.

This article also says “Caries reduction benefits must be balanced with risk of mild and very mild fluorosis,” which is white to brown staining and even pitting of the teeth.

In other words, there are levels of exposure that even the proponents admit are bad.

For references and additional information please visit:www.icpa4kids.org/research/references.htm

fluoride: More to Swallow

Did you knowthat some foodsmay contain fluoride, too?

An independent analysis by theinternationally renowned CochraneCollaboration of worldwide influen-

za vaccine studies, published in theBritish Medical Journal on October 28,2006, concluded there is little scientificproof that inactivated influenza vaccine issafe and effective for children and adults.Citing the Cochrane Collaboration findingas well as methodological flaws in a childinfluenza vaccine study publishedOctober 25 in the Journal of the AmericanMedical Association (JAMA), the NationalVaccine Information Center is calling onthe Centers for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC) to stop recommendingannual flu shots for all infants and chil-dren until methodologically sound studiesare conducted.

“There is a big gap between policiespromoting annual influenza vaccinationsfor most children and adults and support-ing scientific evidence,” said epidemiolo-gist Tom Jefferson, Cochrane VaccinesField, Rome, Italy, who coordinated thecomprehensive analysis for the prestigiousCochrane Collaboration. “Given the signifi-cant resources involved in annual massinfluenza campaigns, there is urgent needfor re-evaluation of these strategies.”

The Cochrane Collaboration analysisfound that the majority of publishedinfluenza vaccine studies were method-ologically flawed with selection biases,confounders and heavy reliance on non-randomized studies. The report points outthat potential confusion between respira-tory infections caused by influenza virus-es and those caused by non-influenzaviruses can result in misdiagnosis andgross overestimation of the true impact ofinfluenza on death and illness in a giveninfluenza season. The report concludedthat too few clinical trials have been con-ducted to prove vaccine safety and

current evidence indicates that use ofinactivated influenza vaccine has only amodest or no effect on preventing influen-za in the children and the elderly.

“The CDC has pushed mass use ofinfluenza vaccine in all children withoutscientific evidence the policy is either nec-essary or safe,” said NVIC PresidentBarbara Loe Fisher. “Where is the goodscience to back up the policy? If therecently published CDC-funded influenzavaccine study in JAMA is the kind of flawedscience public health officials are using toconvince the public the vaccine is safe, itis no wonder that many parents don’ttrust what public health officials sayabout vaccination. The CDC should stoprecommending annual influenza vaccina-tion of all young children when there isinsufficient scientific justification for it.”

The JAMA study, which was conductedby Kaiser Permanente doctors with CDCfunding, was a non-randomized retro-spective analysis of the medical records ofchildren 6 to 23 months old who weregiven influenza vaccine as well as othervaccines between 1991 and 2003. Vaccineswere not randomly administered andunvaccinated controls were not used.Children’s case histories were included inthe study only if an HMO doctor had seenthem within 14 days of influenza vaccina-tion. Dozens of convulsions and otheradverse events, including brain injuryexperienced by children after vaccination,were excluded from the study if the chil-dren had not been seen by a doctor within14 days of the adverse event or were sickin the weeks before and after vaccination.

Because of arbitrarily chosen cut-offperiods, adverse events which occurredbefore and after different observationtimes cancelled each other out and werenot classified as vaccine-related. In somecases, convulsions and cases of Guillain

Barré Syndrome were dismissed as “coin-cidental” or caused by other vaccines thechildren received by the 19 KaiserPermanente and CDC authors—nine ofwhom reported financial ties to flu vaccinemanufacturers and all of whom receivedCDC funding.

“Vaccine studies are using increasing-ly complex statistical techniques ratherthan time-tested research designs,” saidNVIC Health Policy Analyst Vicky Debold,RN, PhD “The JAMA study is exactly thetype of study criticized by the CochraneCollaboration. There were so many limita-tions and exclusions in the study designthat it is nearly impossible to interpret orreplicate the findings. The true effect ofthe influenza vaccine on health outcomescannot be identified in this single, flawedstudy, which should not be used as evi-dence that influenza vaccine is safe forinfants and toddlers or to justify nationalvaccine policies.”

The Cochrane Collaboration(www.cochrane.org), which maintains theCochrane Library and is the world’s leadingproducer of systematic reviews of scientif-ic information about health care, is a UK-registered international charity. Cochranereviews are considered the gold standardfor determining the effectiveness ofhealth-care interventions.

NVIC is a non-profit, educationalorganization (www.nvic.org ) founded in1982 and is dedicated to preventing vac-cine injuries and deaths through publiceducation and defending the informedconsent ethic.

Source: National Vaccine InformationCenter: Learn more about vaccines, dis-eases and how to protect your informedconsent rights at www.nvic.org

For references and additional informationplease visit: www.icpa4kids.org/research/references.htm

Studies Fail to Demonstrate Safety or Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccine in Children and Adults National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) Calls for Influenza Vaccine Policy Change


Colic is defined as excessive, inconsolable crying of the infant. The management may range from parentalattempts for baby positioning, stomach massage,maternal dietary changes for the breast fed baby,formula changes, chiropractic spinal and cranial care, homeopathic remedies, herbal teas and allopathic drugs.

The Short-term Effect of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial with a Blinded Observer, Wiberg JMM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1999 (Oct);22 (8): 517-522

This is a randomized controlled trial that took place in a privatechiropractic practice and the National Health Service’s healthvisitor nurses in a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark. One groupof infants received spinal care for 2 weeks, the other was treatedwith the drug dimethicone for 2 weeks. Changes in daily hoursof crying were recorded in a colic diary.

From the abstract: By trial days 4 to 7, hours of crying werereduced by 1 hour in the dimethicone groups compared with 2.4hours in the manipulation group (P=0.04). On days 8 through 11,crying was reduced by 1 hour for the dimethicone group, where-as crying in the manipulation group was reduced by 2.7 hours(P=0.004). From trial day 5 onward the manipulation group didsignificantly better that (sic) the dimethicone group. Conclusion:Spinal manipulation is effective in relieving infantile colic.

Email your questions to Dr. [email protected]

It is not easy to see our children “sick” and we often resort tousing drugs that only suppress symptoms because we thinkthese symptoms are not good. Parents frequently ask the well-ness minded practitioner why we do not support the use ofthese drug to alleviate symptoms.

Ian Sinclair, author and international lecturer has this to say:

In order to understand how childhood infection can actually be beneficial to a child’s health, it is essential to have a clearunderstanding of the symptoms of infection and their real purpose. Whenever a child develops measles, chicken pox,whooping cough or any of the other common childhood infec-tions, s/he will experience several of the following symptoms.

Fever – speeds up bodily elimination of toxic waste.

No Appetite – when a fever is present, the digestive systemshuts down thus removing the need and desire for food.

Vomiting/Diarrhoea – the body’s way of eliminating undigestedfoodstuff from the digestive tract.

Tiredness/Lethargy – the body’s way of forcing a sick person torest thus conserving its energy for the vital tasks of cleansingand repair.

Glandular Swelling – the lymph glands filter the blood for toxicsubstances. Swelling of these glands greatly increases their filtering capacity.

Skin Rash – represents an elimination of toxic waste, the skinbeing a major eliminative organ.

Mucus Elimination – also an elimination of toxic waste. Mucusis made up of the body’s white blood cells which are the body’sgarbage cans containing toxic residue. A good example is therunny nose.

Inflammation – serves the same purpose as fever, to cleanseand repair damaged or poisoned tissue in the body.

In reality, the symptoms do not constitute the disease but thecure. In other words, measles is not the disease but the cure.Whooping cough is not the disease but the cure. Chickenpox is not the disease but the cure. The real disease is toxaemia out of which the symptoms arise. This will explain the words of Hippocrates, who to this day is referred to as the Father ofMedicine. Over 2000 years ago he wrote:

“ Diseases are crises of purification, of toxic elimination.Symptoms are the natural defences of the body. We callthem diseases, but in fact they are the cure of diseases.”

By clearly understanding the true purpose of symptoms, thebeneficial nature of childhood infections becomes readily appar-ent. These so-called infections serve to restore internal puritythereby promoting the health of the child. This will explain whynatural health practitioners make no attempt to suppress thesesymptoms, instead they believe that the symptoms should beallowed to run their course so that complete detoxification isachieved.

On the other hand, should these symptoms be suppressed bymedical drugs or other suppressive measures, then the bodywill be forced to retain within its own tissues the poisonouswastes that it is striving to remove. This can not only result inincreased suffering and complications, but it can lay the founda-tions for chronic disease in later life. If you know of a child whohas ever suffered complications or died from a childhood infec-tion, then find out how the child was treated. For, in the opinionof many doctors, it is incorrect treatment, including suppressivedrug therapy, that lies behind most complications and fatalities.In many cases, poor underlying health is also a factor.

“It should always be borne in mind when thinking of complica-tions, that they too often wait, not upon the original disease,but upon the treatment of it.”

British Naturopath and Author, Harry Clements

Ian Sinclair resides in a small country town on the east coast ofAustralia. For the past 21 years he has studied and researched both Vaccination and Natural Health philosophy. He has written and published three books, Vaccination The Hidden Facts (1992),You Can Overcome Asthma (1993) and Health The Only Immunity(1995). He conducts seminars on these topics throughoutAustralia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and has an openchallenge to any doctor in the world to publicly debate vaccination.


The Beneficial Nature of Childhood Infections

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ie Wilson - FO

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Pathways to Family Wellness - Issue #12