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4 ways your child may not tolerate cow’s dairy: allergy, milk protein sensitivity, cerebral folate deficiency, and lactose intolerance

People may choose to avoid milk products for a variety of reasons, but often they don’t understand the differences in a true milk allergy, a milk protein intolerance, and lactose intolerance. In this article, we’ll discuss the unique causes, symptoms, and treatments related to each condition.  Milk Protein Allergy (IgE-mediated response) A milk allergy differs from a milk intolerance in how the immune system responds. A milk allergy involves an immunological response to the proteins in milk, typically casein or whey. A milk intolerance is a non-immunological response that’s often the result of digestive issues.  A milk allergy is diagnosed using a skin prick...

Why do children need so much calcium? What do naturopathic doctors use calcium for? 

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Approximately 99% of calcium is found in the bones and teeth with the remaining 1% in extracellular fluid like blood and soft tissues. Calcium is critical for many cellular processes, including regulating heart rhythms, nerve function, muscle contraction, blood clotting, and enzyme activation.1  Calcium is so important for physiological functions that the body has built in mechanisms to tightly control the amount of calcium in the blood and tissues. If calcium in the blood drops too low, the parathyroid hormone sends a signal to the bones to release more calcium into the...

Quercetin supplementation for children: research, safety and efficacy

What is Quercetin? Quercetin is a plant pigment found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid known as a flavonol, important for its antioxidant properties.1 Its antioxidant properties help neutralize free radicals that may otherwise cause inflammation and contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases.  Quercetin is best known for its use in treating seasonal allergies, although research continues to demonstrate its versatility in other conditions. In fact, quercetin is known for having “anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antihistamine, vasodilator effects, antiobesity, antihypercholesterolemic and antiatherosclerotic activities."1 Furthermore, it helps reduce blood clots and oxidative stress in the arteries...

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The evidence for fish oil supplementation in children

Studies show that children and adolescents with ADHD have significantly lower plasma and blood concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially omega-3s.4 This has led researchers to investigate the relationship between supplemental omega-3s and the attention and behavior problems associated with ADHD in children.4 Some data suggests mild improvements with combined omega-3 and omega-6 supplements, while others show positive effects on cognition in children who are omega-3 deficient, but no evidence of improvement in those without a deficiency...

The Happy Brain Diet for ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorders

What is the Happy Brain Diet? The Happy Brain Diet is rooted in principles from the Feingold diet, with a special emphasis on balancing blood sugar. It is a one month elimination diet followed by a systematic re-introductory phase. A temporary elimination and subsequent reintroduction can help you better understand how foods uniquely impact your child’s body. The Feingold diet became popular in the 1970s after a psychiatrist named Ben Feingold published the book Why Your Child is Hyperactive. In the book, Feingold attributed hyperactivity to the large amounts of food colorings, flavorings, and preservatives consumed by children. He claimed that hyperactivity...

Supplementing vitamin B6 in children and teens: PMS, ADHD, autism and more!

What is Vitamin B6? Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin known as pyridoxine. The active coenzyme forms of vitamin B6 are called pyridoxal 5 phosphate (PLP) and pyridoxamine 5 phosphate (PMP). Vitamin B6 performs a wide variety of functions throughout the body in these active coenzyme forms. It is involved in over 100 enzymatic reactions, many of which are a component of protein metabolism and to a lesser degree in carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Vitamin B6 is necessary for hemoglobin formation, immune health, nucleic acid production, homocysteine and glucose regulation, and energy production.1 Much of this article focuses on the function...

Is methylfolate safe for kids? What do naturopathic doctors use folate for?

What is folate? What is the difference between folic acid and folate? Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin found in many plant and animal foods. It may also be referred to as vitamin B9 or folic acid. However, the term “folic acid” is often used inappropriately and synonymously with folate. Folic acid is not found in nature or food sources, rather it is the synthetic form found in fortified food products. The term folate refers to the type found in nature and in food sources. The activated form of folate is called methyl tetrahydrofolate (MTHF) or methylfolate. It becomes activated...

Naturopathic Pediatrics Vitamin C

Vitamin C supplementation in children and pregnant women

This article was compiled by Kayla Martin, CNS candidate and edited by Erika Krumbeck, ND. How is vitamin C used in the body? Vitamin C is one of the most well known and widely used vitamins. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning it dissolves in water and travels through the body to various tissues, but isn’t effectively stored. Therefore, it must be consumed on a daily basis to ensure adequate intake. Vitamin C is probably best known for its antioxidant properties that help control infections like the common cold. However, its functions are vast and include playing a role in neurotransmitter synthesis,...

Easy hydrotherapy – how to do magic warming socks for kids!

The use of hydrotherapy is one of the oldest traditional treatments. There are many different types of hydrotherapy, including baths, steams, pour-over therapies, and the application of wet towels or sheets.   In this case we are interested in contrast hydrotherapy, or using water that alternates from hot to cold to stimulate circulation and immune system function. Warm water vasodilates, improving circulation to peripheral tissues (like the nose, sinuses, hands and feet).  Cold water vasoconstricts, reducing circulation to peripheral tissues and increasing circulation to vital organs (like the heart and lungs).  Alternating warm and cold water further increases circulation and acts...

Hydrotherapy for chest colds in children

Why hydrotherapy? The use of hydrotherapy is one of the oldest traditional treatments. There are many different types of hydrotherapy, including baths, steams, pour-over therapies, and the application of wet towels or sheets.   In this case we are interested in contrast hydrotherapy, or using water that alternates from hot to cold to stimulate circulation and immune system function. Warm water vasodilates, improving circulation to peripheral tissues (like the nose, sinuses, hands and feet).  Cold water vasoconstricts, reducing circulation to peripheral tissues and increasing circulation to vital organs (like the heart and lungs).  Alternating warm and cold water further increases circulation and...

Is zinc supplementation safe for children?

Dr. K here. Zinc is one of my most-used supplements in my practice, both for pediatrics and adult patients. I use zinc most often for diarrhea, picky eating, eczema, general immune support, and anxiety in children. (Of course, this is all very patient-specific, and depending on the overall need/s of the child.) Though true zinc deficiency is rare in developed countries, functional zinc deficiency is quite common, especially in patients with impaired absorption or in times of increased need (e.g., growing children). Zinc lozenges are tasty and compliance tends to be good. Personally, I like Seeking...

Choline supplementation in children and pregnant women

Looking for a great phosphatidylcholine product? Seeking Health has the best. Check it out here! What is choline? Choline is a water-soluble nutrient that is technically neither a vitamin or a mineral. However, it is open lumped together with the B-vitamin family of nutrients due to its role in multiple bodily functions. Choline is necessary for liver, muscle, and brain functions as well as for the structural integrity of cell membranes, cell signaling, lipid transport and metabolism.2 It is required for metabolizing and transporting cholesterol out of the liver and thus deficiencies can lead to an accumulation of fat...

Warning signs of Sensory Processing Disorders in children

Sensory processing is a term that describes how we receive information from our environment. Sensations, such as hearing and sight, provide us with information about our body and environment. Sensory integration is a term to describe the way our nervous system organizes these sensations in order for us to interact effectively with the world around us. This unconscious process is critical for development of skill and learning. It can be as basic as turning our head toward a sound or as complex as organizing information from our touch, visual and proprioceptive (body position and force) systems to tie our shoelaces. ...

Nutritional interventions for depression and anxiety in children

Depression and anxiety are extremely common conditions that affect millions of children in the United States.  The CDC estimates 9.4% of children have clinically significant anxiety, and 4.4% of children have depression.  This represents over 5 million anxious children and 2.5 million depressed children in the United States alone. UNICEF estimates globally 13% of adolescents have a mental health disorder.  Even more concerning is the fact that this data is from a pre-pandemic era (2016-2019), and rates are almost certainly significantly higher. Most children in the United States with mental health disorders are treated by their pediatricians with a combination of...

Raising Kids Naturally Podcast

Dr. Erika Krumbeck, the founder of naturopathicpediatrics.com was recently on a new podcast by EcoParent called Raising Kids Naturally. Hosted by Leslie Solomonian, ND. Leslie Solomonian is a naturopathic doctor in Toronto with an interest in pediatrics and family medicine. She is a professor and clinician at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine where she teaches clinical medicine, pediatrics and philosophy. More information about the Raising Kids Naturally Podcast: One of the greatest impacts on a person’s lifelong wellbeing is how their health is nurtured during childhood. At our kids’ most malleable time of life, the choices we make as parents...

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7 Steps to Avoid Screen Addiction in Children (and yourself)

Screen Addiction. Is it the most addictive substance of our time? By now, most everyone is aware of the problem posed by having too much time in front of a tech device. Known as “screen time” to encompass TV, tablets, smart phones, video games, social media and more, there have been many articles discussing the addictiveness associated with these devices. But the question is, what on earth is to be done about it? It is not practical for most families to simply ban the use of these devices and furthermore, they do serve a very useful purpose in the modern age....

Wholesome Baking with Kiddo’s Part I: Sweeteners

Taste and smell are two of our senses that have the power to unearth our memories and emotions in remarkable detail, even decades later. The neural pathways for taste, smell and memory all reside together in our limbic system, known as our “primitive brain”, where we feel our emotions. Whether it’s grandma’s desserts, or a comfort food we enjoyed on sick days from school, we all have foods that permeate our bodies with sensory AND emotional delight. In recreating these special recipes for our children, we pass on traditions, family recipes and most importantly, memories that they will live to...

The rationale for long-term laxative therapy for kids with constipation

Dr. K here from naturopathicpediatrics.com. Today, I want to talk about the rationale for long term laxative therapy for kids with constipation, while we are addressing the underlying cause. So I mentioned in my last video, which was really more about naturopathic medicine, how we should not just swap one therapy for a natural version of the same therapy. But I want to get to like backtrack a little bit and talk about why sometimes kids actually do need long term laxative therapy. Conventional treatment vs. naturopathic treatment of constipation But it's super important in this that we actually address the...

Nutritional Research Updates in PANDAS

PANS and PANDAS are debilitating neuroimmune disorders that affect children. For an overview of the difference between Tourette syndrome, OCD and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections) see Dr. Zelfand's article: When a Tic isn’t a Nervous Habit (PANDAS: Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) Conventional treatments for PANS and PANDAS include repeated antibiotics, steroids, and in severe cases IVIG treatments.  For a full research review see this article: Treatment of PANDAS and PANS: a systematic review These treatments can be very effective for some kids, but unfortunately not so effective in others.  Either way, long term medication...

I think my child has PANDAS. What do I do next?

What is PANDAS?  PANDAS stands for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infection. This condition is characterized by a sudden onset of psychiatric symptoms after a Group A Beta Hemolytic Streptococcal infection (GABHS). Many have only heard about Strep throat, in which the strep infection is in the throat. However, it can also occur in the gastrointestinal system, on children’s bottom, or on the skin. PANDAS typically occurs in children between 3 years of age and adolescence and is particularly prevalent in boys. It is estimated that 1 in 200 children are affected by PANDAS, although it is likely that...

Pathological Demand Avoidance: An Unrecognized, Important Subtype of Autism

Have you ever seen a child in your clinic who presents as “a little autistic, but not quite”? Perhaps nine-year-old Anna* makes good eye contact, speaks eloquently, and greets you like a talkative “little adult,” but, when you ask her if she has a best friend, she ignores your question and instead ruminates for ten minutes about a specific peer who bullied her in preschool. Maybe her parents report that Anna is impeccably-behaved in public, but begins swearing and throwing things at her sister as soon as she gets home from school, sometimes for hours at a time. After her...