Summer has just begun. Already have swimming lessons scheduled to start in June. Finishing preschool is bittersweet, however, we are all looking forward to adventures that will come in kindergarten.
Something that we are still learning is that there are times when Aiden hears things, he takes them literally. He was with me at the commissary earlier this week. We used the self-checkout. After I had paid for the items, the computer said, "please remove all bagged items." Aiden was upset. He said, "Oh, mommy! You can't take the milk. You didn't bag it!"
Also earlier this week I got a dum-dum sucker for Aiden. I left it on the kitchen counter and told him that I have a special treat for him with his name all over it. He went to the kitchen and looked all over the wrapper of the sucker. He said, "Hey! This doesn't have my name on it!"
They are just a couple of the things that we are all learning. My son was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Some days are awesome and some days really test my patience. Perhaps on another day I will post about the not so awesome days. Right now I want to focus on these cute days and help him understand figures of speech and how not everything is literal. It is an on-going process.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
What Disability Do I Have, Mommy?
Well, I was hoping I would have more time before my son asked this question. However, today while he was having a snack he asked the question, "What disability do I have, Mommy?"
It hit me like a ton of bricks. Like most parents, I look at my son and see all the potential he has. Memories flash in my mind of when he was a baby. I have huge dreams for him. Even though I have come to acceptance that he has austim spectrum disorder, actually telling him that he has this is a very difficult thing to do.
The conversation started with handicapped parking spots. He points out the signs when we go places. He asks why they are blue, why the signs have a picture of a wheelchair. I explained how back in the 1990s a law was passed called the Americans with Disabilities Act. When that law was passed a lot of changes were made to public places to make it easier for people who are in wheelchairs and have other disabilities to access buildings and places more easily.
He then asks me the question, "What disability do I have, Mom?" I could have explained right there all about autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit disorder. Instead, I returned his question with a question. "Who told you that you have a disability?" I felt defensive. How dare someone tell my son that he has a disability. Whoever this person is, they were going to get an earful from me, the mamma bear. His response was, "No one, Mommy." Then he continued to eat his snack and did not bring it up again.
Eventually it will come up again. Mercy, he goes to four different therapies during the week. He asks me why I take him to speech, OT and PT. My response is to help him have a happier life. He asks me why Mr. Dan comes to the house. Mr. Dan is the ABA therapist. I tell him to also help him have a happier life.
My son is only five. Very smart kid. Recently, the weather has become more like spirng and we open the windows to let in some fresh air. He was asking my husband (Daddy) to please close the windows because he has allergies and the tree pollen gets in the house and he sneezes and his allergies hurt. He knows he is different, but can't quite explain why. I want to have more time to explain it to him. Explain it to him in a way that does not use his diagnoses as any reason for him to not try hard in life. I want to protect him, at the same time, I want to empower him. Mostly, I just want to love him and have him know that he is loved.
I will be better at getting the conversation rolling. All this time I have been concerned about his development and how therapies are progressing. While I also have another thing to think about, what children's stories to find that will help answer his question, "What disability do I have, Mommy?" I need to prepare myself for that, for it will be much better if the information comes from Mommy and Daddy rather than someone else. He is a sensitive child, I am concerned what his response will be when he is told that, yes, he does have a disability.
I wish it was something as easy as looking in the mirror with him and saying, yes son you have brown hair and brown eyes. Your eyes are a lot like mine. However, I get so emotional just thinking about how to tell him. Mostly, I will focus on loving him, loving him through easy days and not so easy days. Loving him as only I can, because I am his mother.
It hit me like a ton of bricks. Like most parents, I look at my son and see all the potential he has. Memories flash in my mind of when he was a baby. I have huge dreams for him. Even though I have come to acceptance that he has austim spectrum disorder, actually telling him that he has this is a very difficult thing to do.
The conversation started with handicapped parking spots. He points out the signs when we go places. He asks why they are blue, why the signs have a picture of a wheelchair. I explained how back in the 1990s a law was passed called the Americans with Disabilities Act. When that law was passed a lot of changes were made to public places to make it easier for people who are in wheelchairs and have other disabilities to access buildings and places more easily.
He then asks me the question, "What disability do I have, Mom?" I could have explained right there all about autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit disorder. Instead, I returned his question with a question. "Who told you that you have a disability?" I felt defensive. How dare someone tell my son that he has a disability. Whoever this person is, they were going to get an earful from me, the mamma bear. His response was, "No one, Mommy." Then he continued to eat his snack and did not bring it up again.
Eventually it will come up again. Mercy, he goes to four different therapies during the week. He asks me why I take him to speech, OT and PT. My response is to help him have a happier life. He asks me why Mr. Dan comes to the house. Mr. Dan is the ABA therapist. I tell him to also help him have a happier life.
My son is only five. Very smart kid. Recently, the weather has become more like spirng and we open the windows to let in some fresh air. He was asking my husband (Daddy) to please close the windows because he has allergies and the tree pollen gets in the house and he sneezes and his allergies hurt. He knows he is different, but can't quite explain why. I want to have more time to explain it to him. Explain it to him in a way that does not use his diagnoses as any reason for him to not try hard in life. I want to protect him, at the same time, I want to empower him. Mostly, I just want to love him and have him know that he is loved.
I will be better at getting the conversation rolling. All this time I have been concerned about his development and how therapies are progressing. While I also have another thing to think about, what children's stories to find that will help answer his question, "What disability do I have, Mommy?" I need to prepare myself for that, for it will be much better if the information comes from Mommy and Daddy rather than someone else. He is a sensitive child, I am concerned what his response will be when he is told that, yes, he does have a disability.
I wish it was something as easy as looking in the mirror with him and saying, yes son you have brown hair and brown eyes. Your eyes are a lot like mine. However, I get so emotional just thinking about how to tell him. Mostly, I will focus on loving him, loving him through easy days and not so easy days. Loving him as only I can, because I am his mother.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
The Autism and Allergy Overlap
I found this article and want to share it on here. It is written by Heather Fraser. She is the author of The Peanut Allergy Epidemic: what’s causing it and how to stop it (NY, Skyhorse, 2011). She is a Toronto-based writer and holistic health practitioner. Her son, now 18, was diagnosed with peanut allergy in 1995. Find out more at heatherfraser.org and peanutallergyepidemic.com.
ASD and food allergy rates have risen dramatically—and they often go hand in hand…
The food allergy and autism communities generally seen as separate groups have more in common than they may realize. One has only to look at the meteoric rise of both epidemics in the last 20 years to wonder if they are connected. In fact, I contend that they are the same story with the same causes and overlapping symptoms but with different outcomes. It is as though one overwhelmed child turned left while the other turned right.
Children with life threatening food allergies often have a “mixed bag” of health concerns that can include ADHD, environmental sensitivities and gut inflammation. Typically, parents of these children pay such close attention to the food anaphylaxis that these “lesser” issues are often dismissed or medicated away. And yet, if we view this mixed bag as a collection of meaningful symptoms, a very different picture emerges. This picture mirrors that of many children on the spectrum.
In “The Function of Allergy: an immunological defense against toxins” (1991), Margie Profet confirms that any mammal overwhelmed and unable to detoxify will defend itself with allergy. This evolved defense is designed to expel the toxin(s) as fast as possible by sneezing, vomiting, itching or to prevent it from circulating by a drop in blood pressure.
Toxic exposures—any combination from air, food, water, drugs, pathogens, or vaccines—that precipitate the allergies can also result in a host of other health issues. The so-called “neuro-typical” (NT) kids with severe food allergies are not NT at all if we ask additional questions about fine or gross motor skills, unusual “gifts”, attention deficit, rage, sensory processing issues, hyperactivity and more.
By illuminating the ground shared by the food allergy kids and children on the spectrum, a broader collective awareness may emerge. This awareness will bring greater pressure to bear on addressing causes and forcing change.
The “A” words
Like the word “autism”, allergy and anaphylaxis were coined early in the 20th century. These last two were created to describe reactions to sera administered for the first time in history using the hypodermic syringe. When children began to fall violently ill following the use of this new technology, doctors scrambled to understand why. Pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet in 1906 saw the symptoms as an “altered reactivity” or allergy. Anaphylaxis “against protection” was coined by Charles Richet around 1913 to describe the condition he created in animals during immunization experiments.
Autism was coined by a Swiss psychiatrist in 1912 and Asperger’s after the work of Hans Asperger in the 1930s. Leo Kanner in the 1940s provided a foundation for understanding the environmental causes of autism.
Food allergies and autism in children increased slowly until about 1990 at which time their prevalence abruptly accelerated.
The first wave of affected children
It seemed to happen almost overnight about 20 years ago. Something changed suddenly at the same time in many Western countries to make scores of children terribly unwell:
■Food anaphylaxis: severe food allergy increased abruptly in children, but just in certain Western countries including Australia (ACT), the US, Canada, and the UK. School teachers provided eye witness accounts of the sudden surge of severely allergic children who arrived for kindergarten in the early 90s. The timing is confirmed by hospital ER records. UK cohort studies indicated that peanut allergy in preschoolers had doubled in just four years through the early 1990s, from about 1% to over 3%.
■Autism: in the early 1990s, increasing reports of autism alerted the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One startling report of a “cluster” of autism in Brick Township, New Jersey drew the attention of the CDC in 1997.[i] Children born in the late 1980s and early 90s were most affected. A steep increase in autism was noted at this time also in the UK, Canada, and Australia.
Continued rise
This was the beginning of what are now epidemics of life threatening food allergies and autism. In the US, one in 13 children (8%) have food allergies with one in 40 (2.5%, 1.8 million) being life threatening. Childhood peanut/tree nut allergies tripled between 1997 and 2008 from .6% to 2.1%.[i] There has been a 265% rise in food allergy hospitalization among children (CDC).
Autism has spiked 1,500% in the last 20 years. One in 88 children is on the spectrum: 825,000 in the US; 89,000 in Canada; 131,000 in the UK.
Food/substance triggers
Many severely food allergic children have atopy—allergies causing eczema, asthma and behavior issues. Food allergies are the main causes of ADHD according to a 2001 study in the Lancet.[iii] The opiate effect of dairy and wheat proteins on some children is well documented. Unrecognized allergies to chemicals, molds and more can also cause behavioral changes.
It is not known how many children on the spectrum have severe allergy, but most avoid certain foods that make other symptoms worse. The worst of these according to Kenneth Bock, MD in Healing the New Childhood Epidemics (2007) are dairy, chocolate, yeast-growing foods, gluten and casein. Allergies and Autism (2010) by Michael Dochniak tells the story of a boy with multiple allergies who regressed after an anaphylactic reaction to latex. The role of allergy in autism can be profound and individual.
Defensiveness
Allergy and anaphylaxis function to defend the body against acute toxicity. The body may risk death to defend itself against perceived certain death.
Children on the spectrum can exhibit defensiveness. Cari Neal in “Tactile Defensiveness and Patterns of Social Behavior in Autism” (1997)[iv] explains that social withdrawal functions to limit tactile stimulation. Temple Grandin, quoted by Neal, confirms that for her, withdrawal is a defense from a “tidal wave of stimulation.”
Gender and age of onset
In 1944, Hans Asperger believed that girls were unaffected by the syndrome he described although he later revised his conclusion. The gender gap is as high as 10:1 for Asperger’s, and 4:1 for autism. In 1964, Bernard Rimland observed that boys tended to be more vulnerable to “organic damage” than girls.
Studies on peanut allergic children reveal that twice as many boys have the condition than do girls.
Many parents see the 18 month mark or before the age of two as a point of change or regression for children on the autism spectrum.
The general age of onset for life threatening peanut allergy (the first reaction) has been declining: from 24 months of age for kids born between 1995 and 1997; 21 months for those born before 2000; and for those after 2000, it is now about 14 months of age.
GI tract damage – gut-brain axis
Since Charles Richet’s 1913 Nobel Prize winning research, allergists have defaulted to the idea that food allergy is caused by digestive failure, or a “leaky” gut. Or it was, until the explosion of food anaphylaxis in children starting around 1990. It seemed impossible that gut failure could occur on such a scale and so suddenly.
The gut is integral to the immune system and the brain. Also called the “second brain” because it is connected by millions of neurons to the central nervous system, the gut will react immediately when challenged by toxin or trauma:
In cases of extreme stress … the higher brain seems to protect the gut by sending signals to immunological mast cells in the plexus. The mast cells secrete histamine, prostaglandin and other agents that help produce inflammation. This is protective. By inflaming the gut, the brain is priming the [it] for surveillance.[v]
The bystander effect occurs when compounds in the body/gut at the time or moment of the extreme stress become targets for allergic sensitization.
And it goes without explanation that children on the spectrum struggle greatly with gut inflammation. What could have the power to provoke this so early in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children?
Causes
Many following allergy and autism debates believe that both epidemics are man-made. And the medical community appears ready at last to consider this within the “hygiene hypothesis”:
The leading theory is about hygiene – with less infection thanks to city living, smaller families, vaccines, sanitation, antibiotics, etc., the immune system is less ‘busy’ with germs and may become more prone to attack harmless food proteins.
~ Dr. Scott Sicherer, pediatrics professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York (Sept. 12, 2012)[vi]
The hygiene hypothesis suggests that vaccination, antibiotics and bug-killing products have unhinged the immune systems of children. Humans have co-evolved with microbes and gut parasites/worms, and without them are vulnerable to inflammatory disorders. Our bug-free, vaccine obsessed, pesticide loving Western existence appears to have doomed us to allergy and autism.
Yes, the hygiene hypothesis has entered the discussion on causes of autism. A 2007 Medical Hypotheses article by K. Becker suggests that immune pathways affected by western hygienic practices may impact brain structure or function contributing to autism. Becker mentions “immunization” in this light but in confessing its “controversial” nature does not pursue it.
Clarifying the matter is historical fact. The abrupt rise of allergy and autism around 1990 coincided with reforms to the pediatric vaccination schedules of many Western countries.
In 1986, the US National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act in essence de-regulated vaccination: no one could sue a vaccine maker without government approval. Largely relieved then of liability, manufacturers moved to meet government demand addressing new “diseases of priority” established by the US Institute of Medicine.
Increases to the vaccine schedule in many Western countries began in 1987 with the Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine. By 1991, doctors did not hesitate to give this new conjugate vaccine to two-month-old children simultaneously with vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio. This move was unprecedented. In that year, more than 17 million doses of Hib vaccine were sold in the US alone. In 1992, additional doses of combination vaccines were included in the schedule. Hib was a revenue-generating “blockbuster product” according to a 1998 WHO publication.
At the same time, coverage rates for vaccination soared. Between 1993 and 1995, the Clinton administration’s Childhood Immunization Initiative provided federal funds aimed at 90% coverage of all infants. Vaccination became a requirement before entry into many preschools and daycare centers. By 1997-98, childhood vaccination rates reached record highs. Canada, the UK, and AU followed the American example.
In 1983, US children received 22 doses of vaccines (combined or single) for seven diseases (two months to age six). Today in the US, children receive up to 48 doses of vaccines for 14 diseases starting at birth to age six.
Unsustainable practices: Hib
The Hib, within an intense schedule that includes five-vaccines-at-once, has been the last straw in my opinion, tipping scores of children into peanut allergy.
Where the DPT-IPV with Hib is used en masse, peanut allergy follows: first in Western countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and ACT Australia, then after 2001 following its use with high coverage rates in Tasmania, Hong Kong, Singapore and most recently India.[vii]
Hib plays a role in autism according to Brian Richmand in “Hypothesis, Conjugate vaccines may predispose children to autism spectrum disorders”. Richmand suggests that the five-in-one with Hib has interfered with nerve myelin in the brain:
This period of hypo-responsiveness to carbohydrate antigens coincides with the intense myelination process in infants and young children, and conjugate vaccines may have disrupted evolutionary forces that favored early brain development over the need to protect infants and young children from capsular bacteria. [viii]
Richmand further suggests that girls who received this vaccine carry antibodies that have the potential to damage nerve myelin and result in autism in their children.
Undeniable disaster … leads to disaster capitalism
In “Save the children (and make money)” published in The Wall Street Journal (2009), writer James Altucher noted the massive rise in the last two decades in peanut allergy, asthma and more among children. The kids are sick and getting sicker, Altucher observed. So, he thought an “Autoimmune Index” would be a good idea:
Such an index would consist of the best mix of stocks that have good lower multiples that will supply the arms in our ongoing war against autoimmune diseases.[ix]
Altucher lists the drugs created for these conditions, their manufacturers, the status of their stocks and their billion dollar profits. And then without slowing he offers possible causes for the pediatric epidemics:
The increase in autoimmune illnesses and allergies in children may be due to high exposure to antibiotics and vaccines at an early age…
Are the products causing the epidemics made by the same companies now making the remedies? It seems investors can make money at both ends of the epidemics.
This is disaster capitalism.
Moving forward
The century old pattern of increasing drug and vaccine consumption in Western countries has meant profit for some but devastation for many more. The autism community is aware of the conflicted interests that underpin this pattern and the autism epidemic. And parents of anaphylactic children are listening. The stories of autism and life threatening food allergy are the same, with shared causes and overlapping symptoms. The “mixed bag” kids with life threatening food allergy are a mirror that, as dark as it is, brings with it millions of families equally worried about the health of their children.
With a growing awareness of the ground these communities share, my hope isthat they will connect meaningfully to force change leading to prevention of these serious — and altogether avoidable — health issues.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i] M. Blaxill and D. Olmsted, Age of Autism (NY, Thomas Dunne, 2010).
[ii] Sicherer, et al., “US prevalence of self-reported peanut, tree nut and sesame allergy: 11-year follow-up,” JACI, Vol. 125, No. 6 (June, 2010): 1322-1326.
[iii] L. Pelsser, et al., “Effects of a restricted elimination diet on the behaviour of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (INCA study): a randomized controlled trial,” The Lancet, Vol. 377, (Feb. 2011): 494-503. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)62227-1/abstract
[iv] Cari Neal “Tactile Defensiveness and Patterns of Social Behavior in Autism,” (Illinois Wesleyan University, 1997). http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/psych_honproj/66/
[v] R.M. King, professor, Northern Virginia Community College, Virginia http://www.psyking.net/id36.htm
[vi] http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/09/12/peanut-allergies-seen-on-rise/#ixzz28eyzSyF7
[vii] H. Fraser, The Peanut Allergy Epidemic (NY, Skyhorse, 2011) pp. 124-126.
[viii] B. Richmand, “Hypothesis, Conjugate vaccines may predispose children to autism spectrum disorders,” Medical Hypotheses, Vol. 77, No. 6 (Dec., 2011): 940-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21993250
[ix] James Altucher, “Save the children (and make money)” The Wall Street Journal (Mon. Aug. 10, 2009) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124992390387319939.html
Heather Fraser is the author of The Peanut Allergy Epidemic: what’s causing it and how to stop it (NY, Skyhorse, 2011). She is a Toronto-based writer and holistic health practitioner. Her son, now 18, was diagnosed with peanut allergy in 1995. Find out more at heatherfraser.org and peanutallergyepidemic.com.
ASD and food allergy rates have risen dramatically—and they often go hand in hand…
The food allergy and autism communities generally seen as separate groups have more in common than they may realize. One has only to look at the meteoric rise of both epidemics in the last 20 years to wonder if they are connected. In fact, I contend that they are the same story with the same causes and overlapping symptoms but with different outcomes. It is as though one overwhelmed child turned left while the other turned right.
Children with life threatening food allergies often have a “mixed bag” of health concerns that can include ADHD, environmental sensitivities and gut inflammation. Typically, parents of these children pay such close attention to the food anaphylaxis that these “lesser” issues are often dismissed or medicated away. And yet, if we view this mixed bag as a collection of meaningful symptoms, a very different picture emerges. This picture mirrors that of many children on the spectrum.
In “The Function of Allergy: an immunological defense against toxins” (1991), Margie Profet confirms that any mammal overwhelmed and unable to detoxify will defend itself with allergy. This evolved defense is designed to expel the toxin(s) as fast as possible by sneezing, vomiting, itching or to prevent it from circulating by a drop in blood pressure.
Toxic exposures—any combination from air, food, water, drugs, pathogens, or vaccines—that precipitate the allergies can also result in a host of other health issues. The so-called “neuro-typical” (NT) kids with severe food allergies are not NT at all if we ask additional questions about fine or gross motor skills, unusual “gifts”, attention deficit, rage, sensory processing issues, hyperactivity and more.
By illuminating the ground shared by the food allergy kids and children on the spectrum, a broader collective awareness may emerge. This awareness will bring greater pressure to bear on addressing causes and forcing change.
The “A” words
Like the word “autism”, allergy and anaphylaxis were coined early in the 20th century. These last two were created to describe reactions to sera administered for the first time in history using the hypodermic syringe. When children began to fall violently ill following the use of this new technology, doctors scrambled to understand why. Pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet in 1906 saw the symptoms as an “altered reactivity” or allergy. Anaphylaxis “against protection” was coined by Charles Richet around 1913 to describe the condition he created in animals during immunization experiments.
Autism was coined by a Swiss psychiatrist in 1912 and Asperger’s after the work of Hans Asperger in the 1930s. Leo Kanner in the 1940s provided a foundation for understanding the environmental causes of autism.
Food allergies and autism in children increased slowly until about 1990 at which time their prevalence abruptly accelerated.
The first wave of affected children
It seemed to happen almost overnight about 20 years ago. Something changed suddenly at the same time in many Western countries to make scores of children terribly unwell:
■Food anaphylaxis: severe food allergy increased abruptly in children, but just in certain Western countries including Australia (ACT), the US, Canada, and the UK. School teachers provided eye witness accounts of the sudden surge of severely allergic children who arrived for kindergarten in the early 90s. The timing is confirmed by hospital ER records. UK cohort studies indicated that peanut allergy in preschoolers had doubled in just four years through the early 1990s, from about 1% to over 3%.
■Autism: in the early 1990s, increasing reports of autism alerted the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One startling report of a “cluster” of autism in Brick Township, New Jersey drew the attention of the CDC in 1997.[i] Children born in the late 1980s and early 90s were most affected. A steep increase in autism was noted at this time also in the UK, Canada, and Australia.
Continued rise
This was the beginning of what are now epidemics of life threatening food allergies and autism. In the US, one in 13 children (8%) have food allergies with one in 40 (2.5%, 1.8 million) being life threatening. Childhood peanut/tree nut allergies tripled between 1997 and 2008 from .6% to 2.1%.[i] There has been a 265% rise in food allergy hospitalization among children (CDC).
Autism has spiked 1,500% in the last 20 years. One in 88 children is on the spectrum: 825,000 in the US; 89,000 in Canada; 131,000 in the UK.
Food/substance triggers
Many severely food allergic children have atopy—allergies causing eczema, asthma and behavior issues. Food allergies are the main causes of ADHD according to a 2001 study in the Lancet.[iii] The opiate effect of dairy and wheat proteins on some children is well documented. Unrecognized allergies to chemicals, molds and more can also cause behavioral changes.
It is not known how many children on the spectrum have severe allergy, but most avoid certain foods that make other symptoms worse. The worst of these according to Kenneth Bock, MD in Healing the New Childhood Epidemics (2007) are dairy, chocolate, yeast-growing foods, gluten and casein. Allergies and Autism (2010) by Michael Dochniak tells the story of a boy with multiple allergies who regressed after an anaphylactic reaction to latex. The role of allergy in autism can be profound and individual.
Defensiveness
Allergy and anaphylaxis function to defend the body against acute toxicity. The body may risk death to defend itself against perceived certain death.
Children on the spectrum can exhibit defensiveness. Cari Neal in “Tactile Defensiveness and Patterns of Social Behavior in Autism” (1997)[iv] explains that social withdrawal functions to limit tactile stimulation. Temple Grandin, quoted by Neal, confirms that for her, withdrawal is a defense from a “tidal wave of stimulation.”
Gender and age of onset
In 1944, Hans Asperger believed that girls were unaffected by the syndrome he described although he later revised his conclusion. The gender gap is as high as 10:1 for Asperger’s, and 4:1 for autism. In 1964, Bernard Rimland observed that boys tended to be more vulnerable to “organic damage” than girls.
Studies on peanut allergic children reveal that twice as many boys have the condition than do girls.
Many parents see the 18 month mark or before the age of two as a point of change or regression for children on the autism spectrum.
The general age of onset for life threatening peanut allergy (the first reaction) has been declining: from 24 months of age for kids born between 1995 and 1997; 21 months for those born before 2000; and for those after 2000, it is now about 14 months of age.
GI tract damage – gut-brain axis
Since Charles Richet’s 1913 Nobel Prize winning research, allergists have defaulted to the idea that food allergy is caused by digestive failure, or a “leaky” gut. Or it was, until the explosion of food anaphylaxis in children starting around 1990. It seemed impossible that gut failure could occur on such a scale and so suddenly.
The gut is integral to the immune system and the brain. Also called the “second brain” because it is connected by millions of neurons to the central nervous system, the gut will react immediately when challenged by toxin or trauma:
In cases of extreme stress … the higher brain seems to protect the gut by sending signals to immunological mast cells in the plexus. The mast cells secrete histamine, prostaglandin and other agents that help produce inflammation. This is protective. By inflaming the gut, the brain is priming the [it] for surveillance.[v]
The bystander effect occurs when compounds in the body/gut at the time or moment of the extreme stress become targets for allergic sensitization.
And it goes without explanation that children on the spectrum struggle greatly with gut inflammation. What could have the power to provoke this so early in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children?
Causes
Many following allergy and autism debates believe that both epidemics are man-made. And the medical community appears ready at last to consider this within the “hygiene hypothesis”:
The leading theory is about hygiene – with less infection thanks to city living, smaller families, vaccines, sanitation, antibiotics, etc., the immune system is less ‘busy’ with germs and may become more prone to attack harmless food proteins.
~ Dr. Scott Sicherer, pediatrics professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York (Sept. 12, 2012)[vi]
The hygiene hypothesis suggests that vaccination, antibiotics and bug-killing products have unhinged the immune systems of children. Humans have co-evolved with microbes and gut parasites/worms, and without them are vulnerable to inflammatory disorders. Our bug-free, vaccine obsessed, pesticide loving Western existence appears to have doomed us to allergy and autism.
Yes, the hygiene hypothesis has entered the discussion on causes of autism. A 2007 Medical Hypotheses article by K. Becker suggests that immune pathways affected by western hygienic practices may impact brain structure or function contributing to autism. Becker mentions “immunization” in this light but in confessing its “controversial” nature does not pursue it.
Clarifying the matter is historical fact. The abrupt rise of allergy and autism around 1990 coincided with reforms to the pediatric vaccination schedules of many Western countries.
In 1986, the US National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act in essence de-regulated vaccination: no one could sue a vaccine maker without government approval. Largely relieved then of liability, manufacturers moved to meet government demand addressing new “diseases of priority” established by the US Institute of Medicine.
Increases to the vaccine schedule in many Western countries began in 1987 with the Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine. By 1991, doctors did not hesitate to give this new conjugate vaccine to two-month-old children simultaneously with vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio. This move was unprecedented. In that year, more than 17 million doses of Hib vaccine were sold in the US alone. In 1992, additional doses of combination vaccines were included in the schedule. Hib was a revenue-generating “blockbuster product” according to a 1998 WHO publication.
At the same time, coverage rates for vaccination soared. Between 1993 and 1995, the Clinton administration’s Childhood Immunization Initiative provided federal funds aimed at 90% coverage of all infants. Vaccination became a requirement before entry into many preschools and daycare centers. By 1997-98, childhood vaccination rates reached record highs. Canada, the UK, and AU followed the American example.
In 1983, US children received 22 doses of vaccines (combined or single) for seven diseases (two months to age six). Today in the US, children receive up to 48 doses of vaccines for 14 diseases starting at birth to age six.
Unsustainable practices: Hib
The Hib, within an intense schedule that includes five-vaccines-at-once, has been the last straw in my opinion, tipping scores of children into peanut allergy.
Where the DPT-IPV with Hib is used en masse, peanut allergy follows: first in Western countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and ACT Australia, then after 2001 following its use with high coverage rates in Tasmania, Hong Kong, Singapore and most recently India.[vii]
Hib plays a role in autism according to Brian Richmand in “Hypothesis, Conjugate vaccines may predispose children to autism spectrum disorders”. Richmand suggests that the five-in-one with Hib has interfered with nerve myelin in the brain:
This period of hypo-responsiveness to carbohydrate antigens coincides with the intense myelination process in infants and young children, and conjugate vaccines may have disrupted evolutionary forces that favored early brain development over the need to protect infants and young children from capsular bacteria. [viii]
Richmand further suggests that girls who received this vaccine carry antibodies that have the potential to damage nerve myelin and result in autism in their children.
Undeniable disaster … leads to disaster capitalism
In “Save the children (and make money)” published in The Wall Street Journal (2009), writer James Altucher noted the massive rise in the last two decades in peanut allergy, asthma and more among children. The kids are sick and getting sicker, Altucher observed. So, he thought an “Autoimmune Index” would be a good idea:
Such an index would consist of the best mix of stocks that have good lower multiples that will supply the arms in our ongoing war against autoimmune diseases.[ix]
Altucher lists the drugs created for these conditions, their manufacturers, the status of their stocks and their billion dollar profits. And then without slowing he offers possible causes for the pediatric epidemics:
The increase in autoimmune illnesses and allergies in children may be due to high exposure to antibiotics and vaccines at an early age…
Are the products causing the epidemics made by the same companies now making the remedies? It seems investors can make money at both ends of the epidemics.
This is disaster capitalism.
Moving forward
The century old pattern of increasing drug and vaccine consumption in Western countries has meant profit for some but devastation for many more. The autism community is aware of the conflicted interests that underpin this pattern and the autism epidemic. And parents of anaphylactic children are listening. The stories of autism and life threatening food allergy are the same, with shared causes and overlapping symptoms. The “mixed bag” kids with life threatening food allergy are a mirror that, as dark as it is, brings with it millions of families equally worried about the health of their children.
With a growing awareness of the ground these communities share, my hope isthat they will connect meaningfully to force change leading to prevention of these serious — and altogether avoidable — health issues.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i] M. Blaxill and D. Olmsted, Age of Autism (NY, Thomas Dunne, 2010).
[ii] Sicherer, et al., “US prevalence of self-reported peanut, tree nut and sesame allergy: 11-year follow-up,” JACI, Vol. 125, No. 6 (June, 2010): 1322-1326.
[iii] L. Pelsser, et al., “Effects of a restricted elimination diet on the behaviour of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (INCA study): a randomized controlled trial,” The Lancet, Vol. 377, (Feb. 2011): 494-503. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)62227-1/abstract
[iv] Cari Neal “Tactile Defensiveness and Patterns of Social Behavior in Autism,” (Illinois Wesleyan University, 1997). http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/psych_honproj/66/
[v] R.M. King, professor, Northern Virginia Community College, Virginia http://www.psyking.net/id36.htm
[vi] http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/09/12/peanut-allergies-seen-on-rise/#ixzz28eyzSyF7
[vii] H. Fraser, The Peanut Allergy Epidemic (NY, Skyhorse, 2011) pp. 124-126.
[viii] B. Richmand, “Hypothesis, Conjugate vaccines may predispose children to autism spectrum disorders,” Medical Hypotheses, Vol. 77, No. 6 (Dec., 2011): 940-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21993250
[ix] James Altucher, “Save the children (and make money)” The Wall Street Journal (Mon. Aug. 10, 2009) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124992390387319939.html
Heather Fraser is the author of The Peanut Allergy Epidemic: what’s causing it and how to stop it (NY, Skyhorse, 2011). She is a Toronto-based writer and holistic health practitioner. Her son, now 18, was diagnosed with peanut allergy in 1995. Find out more at heatherfraser.org and peanutallergyepidemic.com.
Living the Soy Free Life
My son is allergic to soy. We are on the journey of living the soy free life. When shopping we mainly buy foods in the produce section, milks and beef or chicken. Breads and bakery items are difficult to find without soy. I have been making baked goods from scratch since realizing my son has the soy allergy. I have found several things in grocery stores that are soy free. However, food companies change formulas from time to time so ALWAYS read the ingredient list. When reading the ingredient list it is also important to realize that the word "Soy" doesn't have to be there. It may be listed as MSG, natural flavorings, texturized vegetable protein, to name a few.
To help some others here are some items that I have found that are soy free:
Frito Lay's Sun Chips Newman's Own Chocolate Alphabet cookies Snyder's Sourdough Pretzels Amy's Organic soups (check the label, some do have soy) Cape Cod Potato chips Good Season's Italian Vinaigrette with Extra Virgin Olive Oil dressing RUFFLES chips(although check the label PLEASE) does not contain soy as of now. Also peter pan peanut butter does not as of now.
French baguette bread is soy free. It comes in long sticks of bread so can freeze it. You can get it at wal mart in the bakery section.
SNACKS THAT GENERALLY DON'T CONTAIN SOY(but do check the label) - Corn or rice Chex - Dried fruit such as raisins or prunes - Certain brands of Baby cookies - Cheerios - some brands of chocolate milk mix syrup - Jello - Gummy bears and similar candy
Some things that are soy free are Fritos (original). Boboli pizza crust. (good for making pizza since it is the only soy free pizza crust) Horizon chocolate milk (it uses actual cocoa and sugar, most others have soya lecithin) Fresh fruits are good to eat as well. Most packaged food has soy lurking somewhere. I would recommend making food fresh to avoid most problems. Also consider investing in a bread machine. (so you can make soy free bread.)
In a way your child's allergy to soy will make them a healthier adult since they won't be exposed to soy and other harmful substances contained in so many foods that people eat when they consume prepackaged food. Be very weary of anything listing vegetable oil but not specifying the type. Soy is the most common and cheapest.
Some Wasa crackers are soy free. Walmart and Kroger's carry them. Try Newman's own Alphabet Cookies & Hain Animal Cookies Carr's table water crackers are soy free!
Just about EVERYTHING has soy. I would also recommend avoiding ANYTHING that contains CANOLA oil . In my research, I have discovered that Canola shares properties of Soy. Also, when you see VEGETABLE OIL, know that it is ALWAYS soy. It is very difficult to survive with this allergy especially when one lives in a high paced environment. Stick with High protein foods from scratch and avoid pre-packaged snacks and all deserts. Most ice cream, except for Breyer's vanilla, is full of soy. Lay's Plain Potato chips are now made with all sunflower oil. FYI: as a precaution, I also rinse out my canned vegetables just to be safe. Good Luck out there!!
I know that Macaroni Grill has quite a few things that are soy-free, and several of Panera Bread's items don't have soy, either. You always have to check, though!! Those are the two places I know of. Hope that can help!
Kraft macaroni and cheese is not soy free. Neither is their BBQ sauce. They inconspicuously label it "natural flavors". When I emailed them to ask if there was soy, the response I received was that they follow all FDA guidelines. What a dishonest company that won't even disclose if there is soy in their products to someone who has told them they have a soy allergy. My advice is to avoid Kraft products if you have a soy allergy.
Most breads have soy and dairy - except for the artisan breads that are usually wheat, water and yeast.
Avoid Chocolate because of the soy lecithin - which is in everything processed. Most candy, and even TEA can have soy lecithin in it.
The weirdest thing I've found is that Mountain Dew and Gatorade have soy in them. Mountain Dew has Brominated Vegetable Oil - which is soy oil, and Gatorade has either that or soy lecithin...quite aggravating.
The other thing to watch out for is Natural Flavorings, which sometimes means soy derived additives.
For breadcrumbs I have discovered Cream of Wheat works well, I coat fish and Chicken in it and use it in meatloaf. Any brand of Organic cracker/cookies I have found are soy free, these are life savers. He also likes "enjoy life" brand cookies and granola bars. Generic brands tend to have soy, good luck
To help some others here are some items that I have found that are soy free:
Frito Lay's Sun Chips Newman's Own Chocolate Alphabet cookies Snyder's Sourdough Pretzels Amy's Organic soups (check the label, some do have soy) Cape Cod Potato chips Good Season's Italian Vinaigrette with Extra Virgin Olive Oil dressing RUFFLES chips(although check the label PLEASE) does not contain soy as of now. Also peter pan peanut butter does not as of now.
French baguette bread is soy free. It comes in long sticks of bread so can freeze it. You can get it at wal mart in the bakery section.
SNACKS THAT GENERALLY DON'T CONTAIN SOY(but do check the label) - Corn or rice Chex - Dried fruit such as raisins or prunes - Certain brands of Baby cookies - Cheerios - some brands of chocolate milk mix syrup - Jello - Gummy bears and similar candy
Some things that are soy free are Fritos (original). Boboli pizza crust. (good for making pizza since it is the only soy free pizza crust) Horizon chocolate milk (it uses actual cocoa and sugar, most others have soya lecithin) Fresh fruits are good to eat as well. Most packaged food has soy lurking somewhere. I would recommend making food fresh to avoid most problems. Also consider investing in a bread machine. (so you can make soy free bread.)
In a way your child's allergy to soy will make them a healthier adult since they won't be exposed to soy and other harmful substances contained in so many foods that people eat when they consume prepackaged food. Be very weary of anything listing vegetable oil but not specifying the type. Soy is the most common and cheapest.
Some Wasa crackers are soy free. Walmart and Kroger's carry them. Try Newman's own Alphabet Cookies & Hain Animal Cookies Carr's table water crackers are soy free!
Just about EVERYTHING has soy. I would also recommend avoiding ANYTHING that contains CANOLA oil . In my research, I have discovered that Canola shares properties of Soy. Also, when you see VEGETABLE OIL, know that it is ALWAYS soy. It is very difficult to survive with this allergy especially when one lives in a high paced environment. Stick with High protein foods from scratch and avoid pre-packaged snacks and all deserts. Most ice cream, except for Breyer's vanilla, is full of soy. Lay's Plain Potato chips are now made with all sunflower oil. FYI: as a precaution, I also rinse out my canned vegetables just to be safe. Good Luck out there!!
I know that Macaroni Grill has quite a few things that are soy-free, and several of Panera Bread's items don't have soy, either. You always have to check, though!! Those are the two places I know of. Hope that can help!
Kraft macaroni and cheese is not soy free. Neither is their BBQ sauce. They inconspicuously label it "natural flavors". When I emailed them to ask if there was soy, the response I received was that they follow all FDA guidelines. What a dishonest company that won't even disclose if there is soy in their products to someone who has told them they have a soy allergy. My advice is to avoid Kraft products if you have a soy allergy.
Most breads have soy and dairy - except for the artisan breads that are usually wheat, water and yeast.
Avoid Chocolate because of the soy lecithin - which is in everything processed. Most candy, and even TEA can have soy lecithin in it.
The weirdest thing I've found is that Mountain Dew and Gatorade have soy in them. Mountain Dew has Brominated Vegetable Oil - which is soy oil, and Gatorade has either that or soy lecithin...quite aggravating.
The other thing to watch out for is Natural Flavorings, which sometimes means soy derived additives.
For breadcrumbs I have discovered Cream of Wheat works well, I coat fish and Chicken in it and use it in meatloaf. Any brand of Organic cracker/cookies I have found are soy free, these are life savers. He also likes "enjoy life" brand cookies and granola bars. Generic brands tend to have soy, good luck
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Just One More Day
While I was driving in the car today, I heard on the radio a person asking the question, "What would you do for one more day if you had the chance to do something with a person that had passed away?" Who would you choose? Why? The person that called in mentioned an uncle that had passed away. How he loved to play baseball. How she would love to have a day with him and her kids. For her kids to play a baseball game with him.
All this got me to thinking about Mitch Albom's book, For One More Day. I feel a connection to that book in a way. My mother passed away when I was only 13. I didn't know until I was a young adult that she had given up a child for adoption when she was a young adult. She was always "Mom" to me. I didn't know any different.
If you could spend one more day with someone who has died, who would you choose? Why?
I would choose my mom. Because I was only a child when she died, I would like to do "girly" things with her as we are both grown women. Go to a beauty shop and get our hair done, nails done. Go shopping for new clothes and just enjoy being together enjoying an ordinary day with the family. Have her grandchildren meet her and see the love in her eyes for all her children and grandchildren. Then finish the day with a meal, either at home or at one of those all hours restaurants like Village Inn or IHOP. All the while, I think I would be looking at her face to forever etch her happy eyes and smile in my memory.
Why do you think people tend to take for granted the people they love? Do you regret ways you have treated your parents or other loved ones? Do you think you can make it better?
I think people take others for granted because it is easy to do. It is hard work to not take someone for granted, especially a parent. A parent is always there, loving unconditionally no matter what. You can get fuming mad, but they still love you because you are the child and always will be. I know I can lose my temper. It isn't a good thing. I try not to. Life circumstances happen and things pile up one on top of another and then, BOOM! I've had enough. I hope I can make it better. One day at a time, Sweet Jesus. That's all I can do.
Do you agree that there is no love as pure as a mother's love?
Yes, a mother's love is tender, raw and beautiful all at the same time. I have a memory from my chidhood during one summer in Oklahoma. A tornado was near. We did not have a cellar in our home. My brother and I had our sleeping bags in the hall. We were playing and hanging out while mom listened to the radio and watched the updates on tv. When the storm came close, she put her body over us to protect us from the storm. Our home was not damaged in the storm, but I remember that she would cover me and my brother with everything she had for our safety. I hope my son feels the same type of love from me too. Later on she endured a lot of pain and unpleasantness with cancer. Both mom and dad did all they could to protect me from the horrors of cancer. I am glad they did, but at the same time sad that my brothers had to witness things that I was shielded from at the time.
Every family is a ghost story? Do you agree? What are the ways your family has shaped you?
I agree. Long after our loved ones have passed away, we still remember them. The memories linger and mostly are happy memores. In my case I hope to instill happy memories for my son that he will cling to throughout his life. Memories of a silly mom driving him to various places in the car (not afraid to belt out an operetic aria or a silly tune at the drop of a hat), a loving mom (always ready for a hug and kiss), a crazy mom (researching online for any answers to things in his life... researching so much I put the FBI to shame), a mom that drives him crazy with her worries about him (may even stalk him when he gets older... worried that he will make smart choices in life), a mom that will always fight for him no matter what (I have been fighting for him his whole life. Fighting insurance companies to get a full evaluation done, fighiting the school district for services he needs to flourish in the public school system).
Birth order plays a role, I am the youngest in my family. Life circumstances also play a role in shaping you for the person you become. Both my parents passed away before I reached my 28th birthday. My first marriage disintegrated. My present husband was active duty and now is retired from the USAF with a lot of health issues. My son was identified with high functioning autism at the beginning of 2013.
So, in conclusion if I had one more day, I would want it to be an ordinary day. Doing ordinary "girly" things with my mom. Would hang out with the whole family and members of the family that have been born since she went on to heaven. A chance for her to see me as a woman, not just the little girl that she loved so very much.
All this got me to thinking about Mitch Albom's book, For One More Day. I feel a connection to that book in a way. My mother passed away when I was only 13. I didn't know until I was a young adult that she had given up a child for adoption when she was a young adult. She was always "Mom" to me. I didn't know any different.
If you could spend one more day with someone who has died, who would you choose? Why?
I would choose my mom. Because I was only a child when she died, I would like to do "girly" things with her as we are both grown women. Go to a beauty shop and get our hair done, nails done. Go shopping for new clothes and just enjoy being together enjoying an ordinary day with the family. Have her grandchildren meet her and see the love in her eyes for all her children and grandchildren. Then finish the day with a meal, either at home or at one of those all hours restaurants like Village Inn or IHOP. All the while, I think I would be looking at her face to forever etch her happy eyes and smile in my memory.
Why do you think people tend to take for granted the people they love? Do you regret ways you have treated your parents or other loved ones? Do you think you can make it better?
I think people take others for granted because it is easy to do. It is hard work to not take someone for granted, especially a parent. A parent is always there, loving unconditionally no matter what. You can get fuming mad, but they still love you because you are the child and always will be. I know I can lose my temper. It isn't a good thing. I try not to. Life circumstances happen and things pile up one on top of another and then, BOOM! I've had enough. I hope I can make it better. One day at a time, Sweet Jesus. That's all I can do.
Do you agree that there is no love as pure as a mother's love?
Yes, a mother's love is tender, raw and beautiful all at the same time. I have a memory from my chidhood during one summer in Oklahoma. A tornado was near. We did not have a cellar in our home. My brother and I had our sleeping bags in the hall. We were playing and hanging out while mom listened to the radio and watched the updates on tv. When the storm came close, she put her body over us to protect us from the storm. Our home was not damaged in the storm, but I remember that she would cover me and my brother with everything she had for our safety. I hope my son feels the same type of love from me too. Later on she endured a lot of pain and unpleasantness with cancer. Both mom and dad did all they could to protect me from the horrors of cancer. I am glad they did, but at the same time sad that my brothers had to witness things that I was shielded from at the time.
Every family is a ghost story? Do you agree? What are the ways your family has shaped you?
I agree. Long after our loved ones have passed away, we still remember them. The memories linger and mostly are happy memores. In my case I hope to instill happy memories for my son that he will cling to throughout his life. Memories of a silly mom driving him to various places in the car (not afraid to belt out an operetic aria or a silly tune at the drop of a hat), a loving mom (always ready for a hug and kiss), a crazy mom (researching online for any answers to things in his life... researching so much I put the FBI to shame), a mom that drives him crazy with her worries about him (may even stalk him when he gets older... worried that he will make smart choices in life), a mom that will always fight for him no matter what (I have been fighting for him his whole life. Fighting insurance companies to get a full evaluation done, fighiting the school district for services he needs to flourish in the public school system).
Birth order plays a role, I am the youngest in my family. Life circumstances also play a role in shaping you for the person you become. Both my parents passed away before I reached my 28th birthday. My first marriage disintegrated. My present husband was active duty and now is retired from the USAF with a lot of health issues. My son was identified with high functioning autism at the beginning of 2013.
So, in conclusion if I had one more day, I would want it to be an ordinary day. Doing ordinary "girly" things with my mom. Would hang out with the whole family and members of the family that have been born since she went on to heaven. A chance for her to see me as a woman, not just the little girl that she loved so very much.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Serendipity or Something Like That
Today I was going through things in the closet, looking for some old jewelry. Instead I found an old notebook with notes I wrote down two years ago. These are notes I wrote to myself and took with me to my son's three year well child checkup. I knew I had a written record of my concerns. All my concerns were dismissed. All this time has been wasted when he could have been getting help. Makes me mad... mad at myself, mad at the military pediatric clinic. Just plain mad...
Concerns:
1. Mom has a lazy eye. Should we have Aiden looked at that. Occasionally in pictures notice one eye turning in.
2. Very hyper and easily distracted. Unable to sit still. Even at home for meals. Put him in booster seat and he screams. Usually OK if being held in Mommy's lap.
3. Still working on potty training. Has yet to make a bowel movement in the potty. Have been working on it for 9 months. He wears underwear with plastic pants over them at home. Pull-ups when away from home.
4. Rarely makes eye contact at bedtime.
5. Hardly ever takes a nap in the afternoons. Have quiet time in the afternoons with stories.
6. Most all nights comes to our room at some point during the night. Take him back to his room and within 20 minutes he is back in our room.
7. At Wal-Mart covers his ears when we walk by the heat and air vents. Seems sensitive to the noise.
8. When can we begin allergy testing? He has been on Zyrtec for a long time.
9. Says he is nauseous every day. May just be repeating what he hears Daddy say.
31 January 2011 he was 36.5 inches tall and weighed 31.3 pounds.
Concerns:
1. Mom has a lazy eye. Should we have Aiden looked at that. Occasionally in pictures notice one eye turning in.
2. Very hyper and easily distracted. Unable to sit still. Even at home for meals. Put him in booster seat and he screams. Usually OK if being held in Mommy's lap.
3. Still working on potty training. Has yet to make a bowel movement in the potty. Have been working on it for 9 months. He wears underwear with plastic pants over them at home. Pull-ups when away from home.
4. Rarely makes eye contact at bedtime.
5. Hardly ever takes a nap in the afternoons. Have quiet time in the afternoons with stories.
6. Most all nights comes to our room at some point during the night. Take him back to his room and within 20 minutes he is back in our room.
7. At Wal-Mart covers his ears when we walk by the heat and air vents. Seems sensitive to the noise.
8. When can we begin allergy testing? He has been on Zyrtec for a long time.
9. Says he is nauseous every day. May just be repeating what he hears Daddy say.
31 January 2011 he was 36.5 inches tall and weighed 31.3 pounds.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Vitamins, Minerals, Allergies and Autism
My son was identified with high functioning autism recently. He also has proprioception difficulties, as well as sensory processing disorder. He has a hard time realizing where his body is in space (proprioception difficulties). He is accident prone, so much so that his nickname is "Boo-Boo". His senory processing effects his ability to eat. He has a hard time sitting at the table to eat a meal. He also won't touch certain foods because of texture, etc. More so than just a usual five year old picky eater.
Being his mom, I find myself always researching. I have checked out numerous books at the library and also been looking online at reputable sources for more information. Knowledge is power. The more I learn, the more powerful I feel. I hope the information that I share can help at least one other family that may be experiencing similar life experiences that we are experiencing.
Something I found that is very interesting is the link between vitamins/minerals and autism. In particular Vitamin B6 and Magnesium. An important thing to remember is that Magnesium needs to be taken in conjunction with B6. Also, too much magnesium can be harmful. It has only been a couple of weeks, however, I have already seen improvements in my son's daily life. He is more focused, more affectionate and eye contact has been improving, slightly but indeed improving. Magnesium and Vitamin B6 in particular have been found to improve concentration and brain function.
I used to give my son a daily multi-vitamin in gummy form. He loves gummies. However, he was found to have a mold allergy. His allergy doctor suggested we start a mold elimination diet. This includes eliminating a lot of foods that are processed including: lunch meat, sliced cheese, condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salad dressing), yogurt. The list is extensive. Also, avoiding processed foods is recommended for people with autism as well. Generally, if you can't pronounce the ingredients in a food, why eat it?
He had been taking 5ml of Zyrtec at bedtime every night since he was about 18 months old. Finally found the source of the allergies. He had a reaction to nearly all the enviromental allergens. We are going through the testing to see what foods he may be allergic to as well. We have to stop the anti-histimine (Zyrtec) before allergy testing. Occasionally he will wake up with sneezing, runny nose, but most days he is feeling much better. I have also noticed that his voice is less nasal sounding than it used to be. Another thing we have found recently is that my son is allergic to soy. He will be tested for wheat by itself in early March. When he had the food allergy skin prick test done, the soy poke was about the size of a quarter and the wheat poke was next to it and about the size of a nickel. I imagine he is also allergic to wheat. For now we are avoiding soy as much as possible.
We started giving him a pediasure milkshake in the morning with breakfast (before we found out about the soy allergy), to help give him extra vitamins and minerals as well as to help aid in weight gain. He has weighed about the same weight for nearly 2 years. Also giving him the "old-fashioned" Flintstones chewable vitamin with immunity support. It includes B6 but not magnesium. I found a bottle of magnesium tablets for adults in the vitamin aisle in the grocery store. The tablets are 250mg. I use a pill splitter to cut the pills into 1/4s. He gets the Flintstone multivitamin and 1/4 of the magnesium with his breakfast. I could be giving my son more magnesium, but choose to give him approximately 60mg to start.
Giving about 3 or 4 mg of magnesium per pound of body weight, up to 400 mg per day for adults, enhances the effects of the B6 and protects against possible B6-induced magnesium deficiency. This is not a megadose of magnesium, but rather the amount that many researchers believe that everyone should take for optimum health. Almost every type of food processing depletes magnesium, so supplemental magnesium is essential to avoid a deficiency.
I will update from time to time as to how adding vitamins and minerals are helping my son. He still enjoys playing by himself mostly, but has shown that he wants to play with me some too. He actually grabbed me by the hand and said, "Mommy, play with me!", since I have started this treatment. It warms my heart.
There are some cases when a person with autism also has seizures. In those instances I believe medications should be prescribed. However, in the absence of seizures I believe that autism is best treated in a natural way. I believe it is a must to go through allergy testing to rule out allergens (environmetal and/or food). Also reducing processed foods as much as possible. And of course supplementing your child's diet with at least a multivitamin. As parents we often shop for the best deal to stretch the dollar at the grocery store. While looking at prices, never forget to also read the labels for what you are feeding your children and families.
Being his mom, I find myself always researching. I have checked out numerous books at the library and also been looking online at reputable sources for more information. Knowledge is power. The more I learn, the more powerful I feel. I hope the information that I share can help at least one other family that may be experiencing similar life experiences that we are experiencing.
Something I found that is very interesting is the link between vitamins/minerals and autism. In particular Vitamin B6 and Magnesium. An important thing to remember is that Magnesium needs to be taken in conjunction with B6. Also, too much magnesium can be harmful. It has only been a couple of weeks, however, I have already seen improvements in my son's daily life. He is more focused, more affectionate and eye contact has been improving, slightly but indeed improving. Magnesium and Vitamin B6 in particular have been found to improve concentration and brain function.
I used to give my son a daily multi-vitamin in gummy form. He loves gummies. However, he was found to have a mold allergy. His allergy doctor suggested we start a mold elimination diet. This includes eliminating a lot of foods that are processed including: lunch meat, sliced cheese, condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salad dressing), yogurt. The list is extensive. Also, avoiding processed foods is recommended for people with autism as well. Generally, if you can't pronounce the ingredients in a food, why eat it?
He had been taking 5ml of Zyrtec at bedtime every night since he was about 18 months old. Finally found the source of the allergies. He had a reaction to nearly all the enviromental allergens. We are going through the testing to see what foods he may be allergic to as well. We have to stop the anti-histimine (Zyrtec) before allergy testing. Occasionally he will wake up with sneezing, runny nose, but most days he is feeling much better. I have also noticed that his voice is less nasal sounding than it used to be. Another thing we have found recently is that my son is allergic to soy. He will be tested for wheat by itself in early March. When he had the food allergy skin prick test done, the soy poke was about the size of a quarter and the wheat poke was next to it and about the size of a nickel. I imagine he is also allergic to wheat. For now we are avoiding soy as much as possible.
We started giving him a pediasure milkshake in the morning with breakfast (before we found out about the soy allergy), to help give him extra vitamins and minerals as well as to help aid in weight gain. He has weighed about the same weight for nearly 2 years. Also giving him the "old-fashioned" Flintstones chewable vitamin with immunity support. It includes B6 but not magnesium. I found a bottle of magnesium tablets for adults in the vitamin aisle in the grocery store. The tablets are 250mg. I use a pill splitter to cut the pills into 1/4s. He gets the Flintstone multivitamin and 1/4 of the magnesium with his breakfast. I could be giving my son more magnesium, but choose to give him approximately 60mg to start.
Giving about 3 or 4 mg of magnesium per pound of body weight, up to 400 mg per day for adults, enhances the effects of the B6 and protects against possible B6-induced magnesium deficiency. This is not a megadose of magnesium, but rather the amount that many researchers believe that everyone should take for optimum health. Almost every type of food processing depletes magnesium, so supplemental magnesium is essential to avoid a deficiency.
I will update from time to time as to how adding vitamins and minerals are helping my son. He still enjoys playing by himself mostly, but has shown that he wants to play with me some too. He actually grabbed me by the hand and said, "Mommy, play with me!", since I have started this treatment. It warms my heart.
There are some cases when a person with autism also has seizures. In those instances I believe medications should be prescribed. However, in the absence of seizures I believe that autism is best treated in a natural way. I believe it is a must to go through allergy testing to rule out allergens (environmetal and/or food). Also reducing processed foods as much as possible. And of course supplementing your child's diet with at least a multivitamin. As parents we often shop for the best deal to stretch the dollar at the grocery store. While looking at prices, never forget to also read the labels for what you are feeding your children and families.
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