Strollerderby : vitamins

Uninsured Children Turning to Alternative Medecine

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:00:00 GMT

For the first time, the government has officially studied the use of alternative medicine among kids, and the results are both exciting and discouraging. As someone who recovered from a severe childhood kidney disease using a combination of alternative techniques and low-impact mainstream interventions (I refused to do chemo against my doctors’ wishes), I find it exciting that the government is studying alternative medicine in the first place—and that nearly 12 percent of children are making use of unconventional techniques like meditation, acupuncture, and herbal supplements.

Being exposed to these techniques at a young age gave me a holistic approach to my mental and physical health that is invaluable to my well-being as an adult, so I hope the percentage of youth using non-traditional treatments continues to increase—but not as a replacement for traditional health care.

Unfortunately, the study also found that children are more likely to use alternative medicine when their families can’t afford traditional care. Appropriate nutrition and vitamins, no matter how useful they may be, are no substitute for necessary pharmaceuticals and regular doctor visits. Furthermore, studies on the benefits and risks of specific alternative treatments for children are few and far between.

Let’s hope the field of alternative medicine continues to grow in this country, right alongside the number of children with health insurance.

Photo: Shiatsuhealing.com

Dr. Greene's Vitamins one way to get extra D

Brett Singer — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:15:00 GMT

One easy way to get the now-doctor-recommended dosage of 400 IUs of Vitamin D per day is to take one of the new Twinlab DrGreene nutritional supplements. I've been giving them to my kids and despite the fact that the tablets are larger than the Flinstones/Spider-Man/High School Musical variety (that last one I made up – I hope), they take them without protest. Dr. Greene, an author and pediatrician, included the higher dosage of D before the new guidelines came out, for what it's worth.

Also in the supplements are Omega-3s, which are really good for you but are not found in many of the foods kids (or adults) eat. NOT in the supplements are preservatives, high fructose corn syrup or unnatural colors and flavors. Dr. Greene is the doc's real name, and also his philosophy. (I admit I was a little suspicious that he changed his name for trendy reasons, but I've been assured that isn't the case.) Even the packaging is made with recycled content. Hey, every little bit helps, right?

If you want to go whole hog, the Twinlab DrGreene line starts Dr. Greene Prenatal and goes through Dr. Greene Children’s Chewable Multivitamin/Multimineral. I met the doctor at an event a few weeks ago (I'm writing up an interview I did with him) and he seemed like a tremendously nice man. He also acknowledged that it would be great if kids got these nutrients from eating food, but since they don't, these supplements are a way to do it. Bottom line: the kids take the vitamins willingly, they appear to have less crap (HFCS, etc.) in them than other kids' vitamins, and the amount of nutrients in them seems to be better than most. Works for me.

image: Amazon.com

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A Guy's Take on Why Breastfeeding Isn't That Great (and why it is great) -- Part II

Cole Gamble — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:00:00 GMT

We’ve covered some of the drawbacks and false benefits of breastfeeding, now here is the good stuff:

1) Breast Milk Has Antibodies. A breastfed baby is less susceptible to illnesses thanks to the good stuff found in breast milk.

2) You Save Money. No formula or bottles to buy.

3) Makes Mommy Feel Attached. Studies may have found that breast feeding has no particular psychological benefits for children, but it can’t hurt a mother’s bond with her child.

4) Breast Feeding Promotes Jaw Strength. And I don’t mean yours after gritting your teeth at 3 am because you’re up with the baby and your significant other is sleeping soundly. I mean the baby has to work his little jaw harder to get that precious milk, exercises it until he’s got a super jaw. And who doesn’t a toddler that looks like Jay Leno and can chew through steel?

5) Breast Milk Might Make Your Kid Smarter. The evidence on this one isn’t conclusive, but one study found a link between breast feed children and slight increases in I.Q. However, there is a fairly strong argument that the relationship between breast milk and I.Q. is correlation and not causation. The breast milk itself may have nothing to do with grey matter, but mothers (and couples even) who breast feed are more inclined to be attentive and nurturing toward their children generally. So the magic milk may not be the solution, but once again, it couldn’t hurt.

Back to Part I: Breastfeeding Negatives

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5 Reasons Breast Feeding Isn't That Great (and 5 Reasons Why It Is) Part 1

Cole Gamble — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:00:00 GMT

I know a guy commenting on breastfeeding is just asking for trouble. Raising ire be damned, I think it’s a personal choice for a woman to breast feed and no one should be bullied into it, especially if said woman may not have the choice. My wife was such a person, a woman ostracized for her inability to breastfeed. Even our government put out a commercial featuring a pregnant woman thrown from a mechanical bull, equating that action to not breastfeeding. There’s an unnecessary hysteria surrounding the practice. Does it have benefits? Yes, but if you believed what you read you’d have the impression the world is made up of two types of people: those vehemently against BF’n and those who think not breastfeeding is tantamount to child abuse. I’d like to think people are not so extreme (though I have met my share of boob Nazis). So in the spirit of unity, here are the top reasons not to breastfeed and the top 5 why you should.

The Cons:

1) Mastitis. An inflammation of the mammary gland occurring in lactating mothers. Nipple can get infected and turn into an abscess that must be surgically removed. Although this can occur in non-breastfeeding women, it’s more likely in breast feeders.

2) The Psychological Benefits are False. The conventional wisdom was breastfeeding led to a more focused, less hyperactive child adept at forming peer relations. However, an exhaustive study recently proved these assumptions wrong. Experts and laymen presumed that the constant physical closeness involved with breastfeeding would do all kinds of psychological wonders. Nope.

3) B-Milk in the Bottle is Just as Good. Some women can’t get their kids to latch. Some women simply don’t like the feeling of breast feeding. No problem, just pump a bit of that magic elixir and give it to junior via bottle. Not only is there no shame in it, but now that we know the physical act of breast feeding comes with no special benefits, the bottle is more acceptable than ever.

4) Where’s the D? This news is hot off the presses: there is insufficient vitamin D in breast milk. A lack of vitamin D can lead to rickets. So, if you breast feed, your kid will become a pirate.

5) You Should Never Do Anything Just Because of Peer Pressure. Like I said above, breast feeding is a choice. If you want to get a little breast milk to your kid but can’t or don’t want the suckling, that’s your business. And if you don’t want to do it at all, you are not abusing your child.

Continue for Part II: Breastfeeding Benefits

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