Early Orthodontic Evaluation You may think that an early orthodontic evaluation is only for teenagers who want to straighten their teeth. However, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that your child’s first early orthodontic evaluation be...
Mold can have detrimental effects on children's health. Mold is a type of fungi found both indoors and outdoors, but due to their developing immune systems and unique vulnerabilities, children are more susceptible to the harmful effects of mold exposure. Mold...
What are the best health tips to keep your children healthy? Viral and bacterial infections are all around us; if your child is going to daycare or school, they are exposed to numerous microbes every day. Many of those microbes are not disease-causing, but the many...
I have spent the last week and a half feeling overwhelmed at the unfolding of events concerning COVID-19. There are no words to describe my full range of emotion- shock, denial, anger, sadness, helplessness. This framework of emotion, I realize, is quite similar to...
As a holistic pediatrician, one of the most common questions I’m asked during an office visit is “How do I help my child sleep better?” I’m not sure now is the time to delve into the complexities of sleep patterns, but I assure you, sleep is complex and key to good...
February is Children's Dental Health Month! Starting your child out with good habits and dental care will help to ensure that they have the best chance for a healthy mouth that will last a lifetime. When Should My Child First See the Dentist? Baby teeth have an...
National Integrated Health Associates, NIHA, is pleased to announce that Rachel Cohen, D.O., holistic pediatrician, has joined the integrative medical team. Dr. Rachel Cohen is Board Certified in Pediatrics and a Doctor of Osteopathy, dedicated to helping children reach their fullest potential by focusing on holistic care and disease prevention.
A famous best-seller, The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do, by psychologist Judith Rich Harris, has been circulating for 20 years. Based on amassed studies, parental influences on children matter a lot less than peer group influences, and they both matter less than genetic factors. Parents are advised to not blame themselves if their children don’t become Rhodes scholars, because controlling peer group influences is difficult and controlling genetic expression is impossible. Until the last few years, parents were expected to do the best they can to control the friends that their children hang out with, and hope that their children’s genes will line up well enough to someday produce a productive, happy member of society.
How do you plan to keep your children healthy this year? School is starting back up, and our children are in close quarters, touching every surface, wiping their noses on their hands and sneezing everywhere. It seems regardless of how many times you show them how to...
As a holistic & integrative pediatrician, I see many children with behavioral and psychological issues. A significant part of my evaluation for these patients includes a work up to see if there is the presence of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) or PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome). PANDAS is a complex disorder that can occur suddenly and appears to be more common in boys. The symptoms can be behavioral and physical, and can be debilitating.
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is a wide range of developmental disorders that affect the nervous system. The most recent statistics show that 1 in 68 children in the United States have an autism spectrum disorder. An estimated 1 in 42 boys are diagnosed in the...
The Let’s Talk About Vaccines event held at National Integrated Health Associates was educational, engaging and enlightening. I had the privilege of sharing my experience at this event with students, trainees and colleagues in the Department of Pediatrics and Child...
Dr. Lorelle Bradley, MD, is Board Certified in Pediatrics and Holistic and Integrative Medicine, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has over seventeen years experience as a pediatrician, and has made an ongoing commitment to lifelong learning...
Gastrointestinal symptoms occur frequently in children Unexplained abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea and gassiness all commonly prompt a visit to the doctor’s office. More and more research is showing the importance of gut health for a child's healthy immune...
April is Autism Awareness Month. A holistic approach to autism, treating the whole person, may help improve symptoms of the disorder. It is estimated that 1 in 68 children in the United States has autism, a complex disorder which impairs social and communication...
The baby's mattress matters- a lot! A question about baby mattresses was submitted recently to our Wholesome Mama's Facebook group, and the answer is important to share with new and expectant parents. Babies spend a lot of time sleeping, an estimated 16 to 18...
It’s common knowledge that adolescence is characterized by risk-taking behaviors and experimentation. As a parent, you try your best to warn your adolescent children about the dangers they may face, especially regarding drug and alcohol abuse. One type of drug use that is less commonly recognized is prescription drug abuse. In fact, after marijuana, prescription drugs are the most commonly abused drug by teenagers. Nearly 50% of Americans take at least one prescription medication, and the sale of prescription painkillers quadrupled from 1999 to 2010. Therefore, prescription medications are readily accessible by children and teens. It’s estimated that 25% of teenagers has misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime. One disturbing risk taking trend in regard to prescription drug abuse is for teens to gather for what’s called pill parties, or “skittling.” In these settings, kids are encouraged to bring any pills they can find, and then the pills are dumped into a bowl for them to sample. The risks are very high, given that the child may be taking a very dangerous medication, and is also mixing medications together. These types of gathering have resulted in significant illness and even death for some teens.
Breast Cancer Prevention Starts in Childhood According to a recent interview with Dr. Graham Colditz published by Medscape in December 2014, at least 1/2 of breast cancer cases can be prevented, largely by promoting a healthy lifestyle in girls at a young age. In...
Media exposure for children has begun to cause a myriad of problems including obesity, attention problems and behavioral changes. “Literally, the average child now spends more time watching TV than attending school. This kind of electronic engagement has had a profound effect on kids’ behavior and the development of their brains.” Dr. Scott Shannon. The above quote by Dr. Shannon
Starting three years ago, it became routine to test all 9 to 11 year olds for cholesterol level. According to a December 2011 Pediatric News article, “…heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular problems in adulthood are often the end result of cardiovascular risk factors that went unrecognized throughout childhood…”
One in three American children are overweight or obese. It’s now common knowledge that childhood obesity has become an epidemic in our country. One in every three children is overweight or obese. While this issue has been getting less media attention recently, we don’t want to underestimate the looming health crisis that will result from such large numbers of children being overweight. We have already been seeing a staggering increase in common childhood illnesses, such as asthma and allergies, because of the increasing toxicity of our environment. Overweight and obesity add yet another burden to our children’s stressed systems.
Is there such a thing as an ADHD Diet? The answer is yes…and no. What this mean is this: a child’s diet is a critical piece in the treatment of ADHD. However, the right diet doesn’t treat just ADHD symptoms, but it makes the brain work better in general. So, an ADHD...
One of the most important decisions you have to make as a parent is the choice of pediatrician. Whether you are expecting a baby, or have just moved into a new area, or are simply no longer satisfied with your current pediatrician, you have the task of choosing the...
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month We often direct the awareness message to women, recommending steps they can take to detect breast cancer early or to reduce their risk of cancer. But breast cancer prevention actually begins in childhood. Several recent...
In a previous blog, Seven Ways that Exercise Helps Maintain a Healthy Brain, we outlined the importance of exercise for brain health. Now on the flip side of that is the importance of sleep for brain health. Lack of sleep is so significant to brain function that 24 hours without sleep or a week of sleeping four or five hours a night induces an impairment equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.1%. important sleep is to brain health, try these strategies to encourage good sleep hygiene.
We all know that feeling of waking up with a stuffy nose and scratchy throat. That feeling of dread that “I’m coming down with something.” It’s that time of year when we’re are about to be bombarded with the winter viruses, bringing their familiar illnesses such as...
Many people are calling enterovirus D68 the “new respiratory virus.” In fact, there’s nothing new about this virus which was first identified in 1962. Enteroviruses are a common cause of respiratory illnesses in the summer and early fall. This particular strain of...
Exercise and Brain Health There is a key connection between exercise and brain health. Brain health is an issue and we now see more depression, anxiety, mental and addiction disorders, both in adults and teens. Our children’s brains are under attack. Take a look at...
Boost Brain Health for Concentration, Creativity and Cognition How can we boost brain health for children so that they can be calm and learn? Now that our kids are back in school, they’ll need all the brain power they can get. Our brain function is so vitally...
Breast Milk, Superfood for Health The latest report from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) shows that breastfeeding rates have increased over the past few years to almost 80% from 77%. This is great news because of the many benefits of breastfeeding to both Mom...
It’s that time again! As families gear up for the back-to-school rush—shopping for supplies, filling out forms, and organizing schedules—it’s also the perfect moment to plan quick, holistic breakfast ideas to keep mornings smooth and kids energized. Do your...
Do you find yourself getting sick when the weather changes? We can't wait for spring and warmer weather, can we? But as it warms up, then the allergies start and the stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and sinus headaches begin. At this time of year the tree pollen, grasses and...
While spring is a welcome relief from the cold and dreary winter for many of us, it can be a time of misery for children suffering with asthma. The blooming of trees with the accompanying pollen trigger wheezing, coughing, and other unwelcome symptoms for a rising number of children with asthma. Asthma now affects 1 in 11 children. The incidence has been rising over the past few decades,
Starting your child out with good habits and dental care will help to ensure that they have the best chance for a healthy mouth that will last a lifetime. Baby teeth have an important role and beginning to care for your child’s teeth before they erupt should not be overlooked. The first tooth may appear at around 6 months and as soon as it starts to erupt it is at risk for decay.
Yes, a Bad Dental Bite Can Actually Affect Health A bad dental bite has been shown to affect children, teenagers and adults, and be related to other health issues. Studies have been conducted in grade school kids and it has been shown that in kids with below-average...
Parenting Has Limits The best-seller and Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Nurture Assumption, Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do, by Judith Rich Harris makes a compelling case, based on sound research on identical twins and other data, that within reasonable...
Fetus Feeding- Good Bacteria are Part of a Healthy Pregnancy Fetus feeding, nurturing a good pregnancy, includes a good probiotic for a healthy pregnancy. Surely you know that women need a healthy diet and a multivitamin with additional folic acid when they are...
I recently had the opportunity to attend The 4th Annual Public Conference on Vaccination, sponsored by the National Vaccine Information Center. It was both a deeply moving and highly informative event. Vaccination Stories I was touched by the stories of mothers whose...