Down the Hatch: Getting Supplements into Toddlers

Lately I’ve seen several questions on getting supplements and medicines into kids.  So I thought I’d share a few tips that work for us. I find that depending on the supplement, I may have to experiment with different ways to get it in him.

For some capsules like enzymes, L-Glutamine and S. Boulardii I open the capsule and mix it with 100% grape juice or V8 Fusion Blueberry/Pomegranate. I find the grape or blueberry do a pretty good job of disguising the flavor of the supplements. (I can’t let him see me do this though, or he’ll refuse it, and it has to be shaken good so that is mixed in and he can’t see white specks floating in it!)

With digestive enzymes, sometimes I sprinkle it onto his food and mix it in after it has cooled.

For a supplement that has a strong smell kind of like cumin type. It is a capsule as well, so I open it and mix it with a couple spoonfuls of salsa or pizza sauce. Some days this works better than others and I tried mixing another supplement in with this once and that ruined it for awhile and he refused it completely for a few weeks.

Cod Liver Oil - I use an oral syringe like the ones that come in infant ibuprofen. Nordic Naturals comes in different flavors. Jordan does great with strawberry, but my older son does much better with lemon. (Fortunately he does great with this. I try to protect this and only give him things he is okay with this way so he doesn’t start refusing it.) 

Hemp protein I mix into blueberry coconut milk smoothies that I make him.

Probiotic powder will mix into about anything and he’ll accept it, and the chewable tablet form he LOVES. He asks for those like they are candy and thinks it’s a treat whenever he gets one! Same thing with his chewable multivitamin. Some things I dissolve in the juice and then freeze into popsicles for variety.

So those are my ideas, if you have any you wish to add, please do! We can always use more ideas.

A New Experience for an Autism Mom

Jordan on his new-to-him bed that he still hasn't slept on

Yesterday Jordan climbed up on my lap, sat up straight, looked up at me and smiled, looked around the room, at his dad and brother, and grinned at me again. I was talking with my husband, smiled down at Jordan, and kept talking with Jonathan. I kept looking between Jordan and Jonathan as I talked. Jordan just sat there, content as could be smiling and looking around. Something seemed odd to me, but I was talking and didn’t stop to think about it or really even notice, it was just a vague feeling – something was odd. Then it hit me. Jordan, was sitting on my lap – nothing new there, he’s clung to me for dear life for 2 years. That’s what was odd – he wasn’t clinging. He wasn’t fearful. He wasn’t in pain. He wasn’t sullen. He didn’t NEED me. He was just enjoying being near me. He wasn’t demanding anything of me – no attention or comfort or desperation. Just sitting on my leg while I talked with my husband. Could this be my boy? What a change! This was a first. He’s 26 months old. First time he’s been happy to be near me, but not needed me. Relaxed. No tension. No crisis. Not dependent. That’s new. That’s exciting. That’s a relief.  Of course, we won’t experience this everyday. But getting to experience it once was great and gives us hope for the future, that it will happen again, and more frequently.

One New Case of Autism Diagnosed Every 20 Minutes

My Dad called a couple of mornings ago to say he saw a billboard saying that one new case of autism is diagnosed every 20 minutes. I googled to find the statistic and came across this great article, recently published by Greenwich Time in Greenwich, CT, summarizing many of the conflicts surrounding autism and the blocks to awareness and treatment. Thanks, Dad!

Drug companies abuse power by quashing evidence linking vaccines to autism

 By Nicole Crosby
 Posted: 04/29/2009 05:21:18 PM EDT

 It’s day 30 of Autism Awareness Month, which means 2,160 new cases of autism were added this month — one every 20 minutes. At a cost of $3 million per child, the bill for this epidemic — $90 billion per year — will hit every pocketbook and every school budget. Hard.

And yet, the Centers for Disease Control deny an autism epidemic exists. Polio was considered epidemic when the numbers reached 1 in 3,000, but not so for autism, which now affects 1 in 150 — a 100-fold increase in 30 years. The Department of Education puts the autism rate even higher: 1 in 67. Somali Immigrants in Minnesota who didn’t even have a word for “autism” in their country are seeing an astonishing 1 in 28 autism rate in their children. Yet the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics claim “better diagnosis” explains the increase in autism cases. If so, then in 1992, 93 percent of kids with autism were missed. That’s how many more children are receiving services for autism in schools today.

Immunization link

The increase in autism cases coincides with the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule, which jumped from 10 vaccines in the 1970s to 36 vaccines today. A new study reveals our children are the most vaccinated on the planet, receiving double the number of vaccines of 30 other First World countries. Thousands of parents have described their children regressing after vaccines.
Of even greater concern, a peak in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome coincides with immunizations;
the U.S. has one of the highest infant mortality rates of all industrialized nations. The five countries (of those 30) with the lowest infant mortality rates give less than one-third the number of vaccines the U.S. mandates, and their autism rates are as little as one-tenth of ours.The AAP staunchly maintains no proof of a link exists between vaccines and autism, and calls its occurrence after vaccination “coincidental.” But many peer-reviewed studies demonstrate the link, none of which are published in the journal Pediatrics, which earns 80 percent of its advertising revenues from vaccine makers.

Studies have also associated vaccines with diabetes, allergies, chronic ear infections, learning disabilities, ADD and other neurological and immunological disorders. Former National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Bernadine Healy noted a study that found delaying the DTP vaccine by just a few months decreased by 50 percent the risk that a child develops asthma. Healy added that parents can legitimately question giving a one-day-old baby the Hepatitis B vaccine, calling it “a heavy duty vaccine” even at two or four months.

Kept quiet

Our national media (including Public Radio) receive billions of dollars in pharmaceutical sponsorship and advertising, and are generally uncritical of the vaccine program. When three cases out of 5,000 claiming a vaccine/autism link were defeated in “vaccine court,” headlines around the country proclaimed, “Vaccines proven to not cause autism.” But when a large award was recently made to the Banks family, who won their case and proved vaccines caused their son’s autism, the media ignored the story.

The CDC tells us one in six children has a neurological disability, but provides no explanation as to why. Shots for minor childhood diseases such as chicken pox and rotovirus (diarrhea) may be the breaking point for a generation of children with disabilities. Babies receive immunizations for as many as nine diseases in a day, but the CDC has never conducted safety studies for the administration of multiple vaccines; they’re only studied one at a time.

Other factors

Why is the incidence of neurological disorders so much higher for boys than for girls? It’s hypothesized that males are more susceptible to neurotoxicity of vaccine ingredients due to hormonal differences; estrogen is protective against toxins while testosterone increases their effects. Several studies have proven this hypothesis, but the CDC and AAP do not acknowledge them nor do they offer an explanation for the far greater prevalence of these disorders among boys than girls. For the medical industry, there appears to be no turning back from a position of total defense of vaccines. Professional reputations and billions of dollars in vaccine revenue are at stake.

Certain conditions may predispose children to autism and other neurological disorders. In addition to gender, factors such as an underlying mitochondrial disorder, low glutathione levels (both testable), illness at the time of shots, and a family history of immunological or psychological disorders have been associated with an increased incidence of autism. (Research also shows that acetaminophen — often recommended after shots — suppresses glutathione levels, impeding detoxification of vaccine ingredients such as mercury and aluminum.) Screening for possible risk factors is not part of the current one-size-fits-all vaccine protocol.

Acceptable mercury?

Mercury in the vaccine preservative thimerosal is another point of controversy. While thimerosal was being phased out of childhood vaccines, the CDC began adding it back in by recommending the flu shot for pregnant women and children, every year up to age 18. Most flu shots contain 25 mcgs of ethylmercury — a neurotoxin that has an affinity for the fetus and the brain. When five pediatric practices were contacted in Greenwich, it was learned that three administered the flu shot with the full load of thimerosal. One practice stated that a “thimerosal-free” shot (which actually contains trace levels of mercury) had been available, but only for children whose parents requested it.

Our own Greenwich Health Department was cautious enough to stock only the thimerosal-free flu shots for adults. Why are the developing brains of Greenwich’s youngest citizens being exposed to 25 mcgs of ethylmercury while adults who obtain flu shots from the town are protected from mercury — the most toxic non-radioactive element on earth? And why are the .5 mcg of mercury in “thimerosal-free” vaccines considered acceptable? (Would pediatricians inject .5 mcg of lead into a patient?)
Not even our dogs and cats receive thimerosal in vaccines; for them, it was removed in 1992. When too many vaccines overwhelm our pets’ immune systems, it’s called vaccinosis. There is no such diagnosis in humans.

In 1991, additional thimerosal-containing vaccines were licensed for children in spite of a memo sent by vaccine inventor Dr. Maurice Hilleman to Merck executives, informing them that infants might be exposed to unsafe levels of mercury. The memo, however, was never acted upon.

Dr. Frank Engly, a researcher who served on the CDC, FDA and EPA during the ’70s and ’80s, said, “The CDC cannot afford to admit thimerosal is toxic because they have been promoting it for several years “¦ If they would have followed through with our 1982 report, vaccines would have been freed of thimerosal and all this autism as they tell me would not have occurred. But as it is, it all occurred.”

Money talks

A recent report on CBS’ “60 Minutes” revealed that, “Congressmen are outnumbered 2 to 1 by lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry that spends roughly $100 million a year in campaign contributions and lobbying expenses to protect its profits “¦ In fact, there have been over 1,500 bills placed in front of the House of Representatives over the last eight years dealing with pharmaceutical issues — and the drug companies, almost without exception, have gotten what they wanted.” Pharmaceutical executives are also allowed to sit on CDC advisory boards where vaccine recommendations are determined.

The government assures us vaccines are safe while paying nearly $2 billion to parents of children who have died or been harmed by them. Vaccine cases were removed from civil courts in 1988 due to crippling litigation against vaccine makers. Just as the tobacco companies’ 23 studies once “proved” no link between smoking and lung cancer, so the vaccine makers now claim 14 studies “prove” vaccines are safe. Decades passed before the tobacco/cancer link was finally accepted, and decades have already passed since autism was first linked to vaccines.

Other environmental triggers may play a role in the autism epidemic, including proximity to coal-burning plants which emit mercury, and maternal exposure to mercury from fish consumption and dental amalgams. In June, the FDA did an about-face on amalgams (which are 50 percent mercury), stating that they “may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetus.” (It is not advised that amalgams be removed during pregnancy or while nursing.)

Today marks the last day of Autism Awareness Month, but tomorrow begins a new month in the autism epidemic.

Resources
For legislative information, go to http://autismactioncoalition.org/.
For an alternate vaccine schedule, http://generationrescue.org/vaccines.html.
To see cases in which autism was not “lifelong and irreversible,” http://vimeo.com/3443801.
Biomedical treatments can be found at http://www.autism.com.
For a summary of flaws in the 14 studies frequently cited as proving vaccines are safe, visit fourteenstudies.org. To view studies linking vaccines to autism, click on “Our Studies.”
View CBS News coverage that details how authorities are avoiding studying children who may be susceptible to vaccine harm: http://tinyurl.com/59wns7.
Google: “RFK Deadly Immunity” to read Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s description of collusion between government and the vaccine industry.

Is It Worth It? Healing Allergies & Autism is a Daily Battle!

My dad and brother both were amazed at Jordan. Dad went on and on about how Jordan would run up to him and look him straight in the eye as he was running around playing and how he repeatedly did that and kept coming back and “checking” and to see what Dad was up to, where he was, etc. Haahum, Grandpa is known to be playful and to be there one minute and hiding around the corner waiting to startle you as you come looking for him the next minute! Dad talked about how you could look into Jordan’s eyes and see him thinking and processing everything, but instantaneously, no pausing needing to think about it or work to figure things out. Just looking at one thing, got it, and on to the next, no pause, no confusion, just alert understanding. It only took Jordan a couple minutes to warm up to him when they arrived – it used to take a couple of days, and even then he would be reserved, shy, fearful, look at his cousins out of the corner of his eye and he certainly still wanted, “Mommmyyyyyyy.” Not anymore! Jordan was all about playing with his Grandpa, uncle and cousins, no reservation, no fear – Mommy, where was she anyway? Who knows? Who cares? We have a very playful, silly, loving Grandpa visiting!

Some days I wonder, “Is it worth it?” It seems like everyday I wake up to do battle. A battle for the well-being of my son. Every meal, every snack, every grocery trip, specialty food stores, supplements, vitamins, everytime I clean or wash something I work to keep things as toxin free as possible and the food allergen free, nutritious, and healing  snacks and meals – and that means from scratch with unusual ingredients! And that’s routine, then there are the other battles – the insurance company (they still haven’t paid a penny for his treatments, even mainstream allergy and GI issue treatment), the doctors, friends and society and the perception of what we are doing. Many who think I’m wrong. Battling to find or create a treatment plan that will work for him. Most days it feels like uncharted territory and for us to discover it is the only way to move forward.

The sacrifice of a social life and friends. We don’t often get together with others. Food is usually involved. Most people don’t get excited about dairy free, yeast free, gluten free, color free…do I really need to keep going? And, well, I’ve lived in a cave for 2 years – a cave called allergies, developmental delay, autism, toxins, neurotoxicity, nutrition, health, and recovery. My every waking moment dedicated to the care of my boys and research. Not exactly uplifting topics for casual conversation.  Yet, I don’t have much else to talk about. I can listen. But, I nearly go insane as I listen to new mothers go on and on about how awful their life is with their colicky 6 week old baby and how they can’t sleep through the night and they are so exhausted. Yet, who don’t want any real help – just a pill to cure it.

I’ve become a conspiracy theory person (the kind I use to look at cross-eyed because I thought they were crazy, yup, that’s me now)- Big Pharma (the pharmaceutical companies) having the power to control gov’t, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) vaccine recommendations, the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) who still won’t acknowledge that Autism is treatable, and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and what they do or don’t approve as safe, and of course the media. Yes, I’ve completely lost my trust in much of the information from these sources. Yet, this is who everyone else listens to so I feel like it’s a battle against all of them (gov’t, it’s agencies, media, pharma, mainstream medicine) plus against all of the misinformation everyone else around me believes from them and hits me with (as if I haven’t heard it and looked into it already). I try to look at these as educational opportunities the problems is – who would you believe? A mom with a kid with developmental problems or the CDC, AAP, FDA, the media, and your doctor? I know who I used to believe and lets just say, I thought the mom was craaazy. So, most people don’t really want to be educated. They like their comfortable bubble with their misinformation. Who can blame them. I’m exhausted fighting this fight and if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, if I had had any other option, I would have taken it. My options were let my child starve, feed him foods he was allergic to and watch him vomit, scream, writhe in pain, and not develop mentally, or find another way – one nobody knew about. But since I didn’t have any other option  I stand and I fight not just for my son but for all those who currently have other options (reflux meds, ear tubes, nebulizers, allergy meds, seizure meds, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc) and keep trying to take them, but many of their kids aren’t getting better – for the few who will seek other solutions, I fight.

A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Is it worth it? So often, I just get tired. Just plain tired. But also tired of fighting the system and seemingly everyone and everything (except my husband, of course – he’s an incredible warrior too!). Some days I just want to give up and give in – let’s go to McD’s and get chicken nuggets, fries, and some fruit punch!  Let’s stop on a great summer day and get an ice cream cone! Ah, the relief not to have to pack all meals and snacks ahead of time, to stop and get a treat that wasn’t specially planned for, prepared, and saved for the occation.

My family visited a week ago – my parents and my brother and his family. The last time we had seen them (except Mom, she was down for a visit in between) was for one week around the 1st of January, so it has been just over 4 months. Other than the diet, which we have done all along, we started his new treatments in December - cranial sacral, supplementation, and a little detox (started in April).
My brother noticed the difference in Jordan too. He commented that it seemed like Jordan had grown a year’s worth in the 4 months since they had seen him last! Ahhh, all words that do a warring mommy’s heart good – and I have to agree with his assessment. Jordan does seem like a 2 year old now.

Is it worth it? Oh to stop and enjoy that summer ice cream cone or see cookie crumbles on the edges of his mouth :)  But, then I remember where we’ve been and how far he has come, and the blueberry coconut milk smoothie mustache – made at home (with some supplements added in it too) - is just great!

The Best Non-Dairy Milkshake!

Jordan's 1st "milkshake". He loved it!

I came up with this after not having dairy for 2 years and longing for a milkshake that actually tasted like a milkshake. They are healthy too, so they’re not only guilt-free, but good for you! My husband even endorses them – and he hasn’t been dairy-free! Have I mentioned I love my new Vita-Mix!!

1 C. Hemp Milk
1 C. Almond Milk (or water)
1 Banana (can be frozen)
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 pks Stevia
1-2 Tbs. Agave Nectar or Honey

2 C. Ice Approximately (to thicken to desired consistency – around 2 Cups, give or take. Add slowly after mixing the rest. For Vita Mix users – use tamper to get it thick enough and smooth all the ice.)

Causes of Allergies & Autism

One of the most frustrating things about the disorders on the Autism Spectrum (anything from ADD, asthma, allergies, sensory integration disorder, pervasive developmental disorder,  to severe autism) is that most all medical information declares that there is no known cause. In regards strictly to Autism, the medical community forcefully says that it is not caused by vaccines (of course the research is paid for by the pharmaceutical companies who want to sell millions of their vaccines), they spend lots of money researching genetics, but all in all, they say they do not know what causes it. Yes, genetics is a cause, but only in about 5% of cases. Well, what about the other 95%? This 95% is why the prevalence of it has exploded to epidemic proportions in recent years. It’s the same reason why allergies and sensory disorders are exploding too.

A few statistics on Autism:

• 1 in 150 children in the US now have Autism
• 4:1 ratio of boys to girls
• 1 in 94 boys in the US have Autism
• Fastest growing developmental disability
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than cancer, diabetes, Down’s Syndrome and AIDS combined
• $100 Billion annual costs
• In 10 years the annual costs are projected at 200-400 billion.
• Cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3rds with early intervention
• A family with a child with autism will fund 3 to 5 million dollars of services throughout the lifetime of the child
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of most of the more prevalent childhood disorders
• Approximately 1 million individuals in the US have autism

(From Generation Rescue)
Those are the currently published statistics, and some of those numbers, like the 1:150, are old. The ratio is dropping, and it’s dropping fast.

CAUSES
There are many causes. The contributing factors are different for each child (or at least the 95% of them that isn’t not genetic). But, they all come back to the same thing – toxic overload. Here are the pieces of Jordan’s puzzle that caused his allergies and PDD (pervasive developmental disorder). At least these are the pieces I’ve figured out so far, I could very well find out more in the future. In chronological order (not order of gravity of contribution to his problem).

Aluminum & Other Metals (heavy metal toxicity) 
Before I knew I was pregnant, I was having horrible abdominal pain every evening and through the night. I figured out it was trapped gas and started taking antacids like crazy. Guess what? Most antacids contain aluminum. Guess what? I was pregnant with Jordan, less than 10 weeks along (but didn’t know it). The metals had free access to every developing cell of his body, including his brain. We’ve all heard about the dangers of lead poisoning, the scares of lead paint, etc. Same thing, aluminum and other metals just don’t get as much media attention.

Oh, and have you heard there's things like mercury and aluminum in vaccines (which he had day 1 of life)! 
 
Yeast Overgrowth 
During pregnancy I had several bouts with yeast infections. This indicated that I had poor gut bacteria and overgrowth of yeast, but I didn’t know that then and only treated the local yeast infection. During the birth process, the baby’s digestive tract is colonized with the gut bacteria from the mother. And, while breastfeeding the baby’s gut bacteria closely resembles the mother’s. Yeast overgrowthin the gut, unchecked, can lead to leaky gut syndrome. With holes in the gut, partially digested foods, proteins particularly (peptides), can enter the bloodstream. These peptides are not recognized by the immune system as food, but resemble foreign invaders such as bacteria or virus. The immune system attacks and you have food allergies. Also these peptides can reach the brain and act as opiates, contributing to some autistic symptoms – how would you act if you were high all the time? Allergies also cause inflammation throughout the body = lots of problems.

This one is huge. A MAJOR contributing causal factor!

Stress & Poor Nutrition 
 During the pregnancy we moved and were living with family and in-laws alternately. Very stressful, poor eating habits. Also, the birth of my first child involved some difficulties which resulted in 11 months before I could sit down without pain. To say the least, I was stressed about giving birth again. Stress = raised cortisol levels. Raised cortisol levels during pregnancy, especially the 3rd trimester, not good. 


Hepatitis B Vaccine & Others 
Day one of life Jordan had the hepatitis B vaccine. Guess what is in the hepatitis B vaccine? Aluminum! The known toxic dose of aluminum for a baby is 20 micrograms. The amount in the Hep B vaccine? 250 micrograms! At 2 months he was fully vaccinated with the recommended vaccines. The aluminum content? 1,875 micrograms! (from Dr. Robert Sears who gathered the data from the FDA’s data and web site). I know he has issues with other heavy metals too, it’s just not as obvious how he might have gotten them (although they are in the air, water, food, vaccines, etc) Heavy metals also cause yeast overgrowth problems and yeast actually bind onto the metals. So, until you get rid of the metals, you won’t completely get rid of the yeast problems. Metals also cause allergy problems. Also in vaccines: formaldehyde, antifreeze, arsenic.  Obviously, not good things to put in a baby already struggling with so much junk in him. These early vaccines (Hep B on day 1 of life) can also cause an inflammed gut with a result similar to yeast overgrowth were proteins can cross into the blood, resulting in allergies. They also can overload the immune system creating an overactive Th2 response and underactive Th1 response.

This one is also HUGE, another major causal factor! 

Environmental Toxins 
We’re surrounded by toxins in our air, water, cleaners, personal care products, food (pesticides, metals, chemicals, excitotoxins), perfumes, air fresheners, etc. With all the other toxins in his body, his little system quickly became overwhelmed and couldn’t clean the junk out like most of us are able to and so it just kept accumulating, wrecking havoc with normal body and brain functions.
So far, those are the pieces of our puzzle. Maybe we’ll find more, maybe not. Everyone’s puzzle will be different. But I’m satisfied that I have a good enough grasp of the causes to know the target for healing.