With the holidays fast approaching and a brand new year just around the corner, now is as good a time as any to get your household on a healthy track.

Eat healthy this during the holidays without missing out.

We understand that holiday traditions are important, and that there are certain not-so-healthy dishes you and your family simply can’t live without. Good news, you don’t have to. There are many ways you can have your festive cake and eat it too. For instance, here are some helpful tips from the Mayo Clinic on how to modify traditional recipes with healthy ingredients. You can also pack in additional vitamins and nutrients by sneaking in pureed vegetables. Click here to learn how.

Another great way to ensure that you and your family stay holiday healthy is to choose organic fruits and vegetables for every dish you make. Also, if you can, make sure the meat you buy comes from an organic farm. As we covered previously, organic farming methods can make all the difference to you and your child’s health.

If you’re in the mood to start new healthy holiday traditions, check out this collection of delicious organic food recipes from Organic Authority.

Make your 2012 resolution a healthy one.

Don’t let leave these tips behind–bring them with you into the New Year! Resolve to make more informed choices about what your child eats, and create a healthy household by making organic meals at home. After all, establishing a nutritious diet early on will set your child up for a lifetime of healthy eating for many New Years to come.

From all of us at Getzwell Pediatrics, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Please call us at 415.826.1701 to discuss how to improve your family’s health through eating healthy and other preventive strategies we specialize in.

But, when it comes to incorporating meat into your child’s diet, just how important is it to go with the organic option? The answer to this question is far more serious than you might think.

Conventional farming methods dangerously choose quantity over quality.

Ongoing research reveals that the methods by which animals are bred, housed, and butchered impact the quality of the meat we consume.

Adding to issues of overcrowding and inhumane treatment, conventional farming methods include pumping livestock with antibiotics and medications not just to treat disease but to spur growth.  As a result, according to this Environmental Health News report on poultry farms, overdosing animals with antibiotics leads to the production antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a.k.a. superbugs, which are turning up in packaged meats sold in our grocery stores. Infections caused by new superbugs are dangerous and very difficult to treat because they are impervious to antibiotics.

A serious occurrence of contamination occurred three years ago when tests detected Clostridium difficile, a deadly intestinal germ found in hospitals, in over 40% of meat products in three national grocery chains. Needless to say, consumers of these products unwittingly put their lives at risk.

Also, a review of Jonathan Safran Foer’s book “Eating Animals” mentions an alarming drug industry statistic claiming, “People are prescribed about three million pounds of antibiotics a year. Livestock are fed nearly twenty-eight million pounds…” These alarming figures indicate that the threat of producing and spreading superbugs is sure to increase as conventional farming methods persist.

So, exactly why are organic meats the better option for your child?

In contrast to conventional farming practices, organic farmers produce healthier, non-antibiotic resistant meat by employing methods intended to prevent disease and reduce the need for antibiotics. Examples of these practices include allowing animals to graze and feed in their natural surroundings as well as providing them a balanced organic diet, and ensuring sanitary and humane living conditions, to put it simply.

By choosing organic meats, your baby will avoid exposure to harmful, factory-produced superbugs and the risk of antibiotic resistance. Just as what you eat impacts your child’s health, the same goes for the animals you feed them. The healthier the farming method, the healthier your child will be.

At GetzWell, we’re passionate supporters of going organic as an essential way to arm your child against disease. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of an organic diet you may reach us at 415.826.1701.

We’re all familiar with the old adage ‘you are what you eat’. Well, that’s not all. New studies shed light on just how influenced your baby is by what you eat, too!

This fascinating article from NPR reveals exciting research about how what you eat during your pregnancy can help shape your baby’s taste buds and flavor preferences.

According to Julie Mennella from the Monell Chemical Senses Center, your baby consumes several ounces of amniotic fluid a day, which is flavored by the foods and beverages you ingest. She notes that at about 21 weeks, your baby can actually taste these flavors!

Garlic, vanilla, carrot, anise, and mint are just few examples of the endless flavors your baby can experience in utero.

Expand your baby’s palette before their first bite.

Not only does your baby directly benefit from the nutrients you consume, these studies also indicate that babies develop memories of the flavors they are exposed to prenatally.

As a result, babies whose mothers consume varieties of spices and herbs are likely to prefer these foods and flavors from very early ages. Developing a sophisticated palette before birth can really help set the stage for lifelong healthy eating habits.

The proof really is in the pudding.

We cannot stress enough how important a nutritious diet is to your baby’s overall health. Exposing your child to fresh produce and tasty spices before and after birth really is the first step in preventive health.

To learn more about this topic, check out our previous post on what more you can do to arm your child with a lifetime of healthy eating habits. Additionally, our greening the womb series points out the importance of healthy eating during pregnancy and how it influences your child’s life-long health.

Give us a call and let us help you choose a nutritional plan that’s fit for you and your little one– 415.826.1701.

Just recently I came across this fascinating article “What Does My Baby See?” by Dr. Russell D. Hamer from the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute. Here, Dr. Hamer walks us through the stages of infant eyesight development—from focusing ability to visual acuity—and offers clear-cut answers to these commonly asked questions:

• How Far Can My Baby See?
• How Blurry is Blurry?
• Are Black and White Toys Important For Visual Stimulation?
• When Can My Baby See Colors?
• My Baby’s Eyes Sometimes ‘Cross’ or Don’t Seem To Follow Objects Very Well. Is That Normal?
• When Can My Baby Recognize My Face?

Over the first month or two of life, babies become very interested in facial features and begin to spend significant waking moments studying those around them. They start to smile socially and reciprocate simple expressions and movements of the face (like sticking out their tongue when this is done to them!). New infants during this time also begin to make sing-song like noises that we call “cooing” and will use these sounds when spoken to–very satisfying, indeed, to new parents.

These are the beginnings of babies’ socialization and point out the evolution in their vision and other important early brain changes.

Do you have questions concerning your baby’s vision or development? Give us a call at 415.826.1701.

What is it about breast milk that provides such a boost to babies’ health?  Researchers are still working to answer this question.  We know that newborns take approximately 6 months to develop their immune system, making them incredibly vulnerable to disease.  During the first 10 days of life, a breastfed newborn ingests colostrum, a yellowish fluid known as “first milk,” and breast milk, both of which contain more infection-fighting white cells (also known as leukocytes) per milliliter than there are in the same volume of blood.  Macrophages and neutrophils are types of white blood cells that comprise approximately 90% of the leukocytic load, and their job is to engulf and absorb harmful bacteria.  The remaining 10% of these disease-fighting cells are lymphocytes, primarily T-cells and B-cells, which identify and eliminate invaders while developing antibodies in the newborn.  These lymphocytes produce Secretory IgA, which protect the newborn against environmental exposures and interferon, an antiviral substance.  Mother’s immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM and IgD) are also found in breast milk, and they protect babies from pathogens by coating the superficial layers of the intestines and other mucosal surfaces that serve as points of entry into baby’s body.²

Gut ecology is of special interest to those in the field of functional pediatrics because a healthy gut is typically indicative of over all health.  Research has shown that approximately 75-80% of immune function originates in the gastrointestinal tract.  Breastfed babies receive beneficial bacteria from the bifidus family that produce Gram-positive bacilli in the gut flora and discourage the multiplication of pathogens.  In contrast, babies who consume cow’s milk formula develop Gram-negative (potentially pathogenic) bacilli.  We know that complex sugars in breast milk help to feed the bifidus strains of beneficial bacteria in the infant’s gut.  Just last year researchers at UC Davis revealed that these same complex sugars are not digestible and mimic the surfaces of other cells.  This surface similarity encourages viruses and bacteria to dock with the indigestible complex sugars and not the infant’s gut cells, and this allows babies to flush out viruses and bacteria from their bodies!³

Breast milk has had approximately 200 million years of mammalian evolution to develop systems to protect the most vulnerable members of the species.  GetzWell Pediatrics supports the Surgeon General’s initiative and acknowledges that whenever possible “breast is best.”  We are a Breastfeeding Friendly Business and have a host of resources available to support breastfeeding mothers.  If families are unable to breastfeed, we are also prepared to provide individualized supplement programs to best protect their children.

To learn more about the benefits of breast milk and/or breastfeeding alternatives, give us a call at 415.826.1701. We also invite you to check out our previous post on how breastfeeding reduces risk of fever after vaccines.

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¹ http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/breastfeeding/calltoactiontosupportbreastfeeding.pdf

² Varney, Helen, et al.  Varney’s Midwifery: Fourth Edition.  Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.  2004.

³ Wade, Nicholas.  “Breast Milk Sugars Give Infants a Protective Coat.”  New York Times.  August 2, 2010.

Barker, D.J.P. “Fetal Origins of Coronary Heart Disease.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2550226/pdf/bmj00601-0037.pdf

Giscombe, C. L. & Lobel, M. (2005). Explaining disproportionately high rates of adverse birth outcomes among African-Americans: The impact of stress, racism, and related factors in pregnancy. Psychological Bulletin, 131(5), 662-683. Retrieved from PubMed database.

Glynn, L. M., Hobel, C. J., Sandman, C. A., Schetter, C. D. (2008). Pattern of perceived stress and anxiety in pregnancy predicts preterm birth. Health Psychology, 27(1), 43-51. Retrieved from PubMed database.

PVC shower curtains:  http://www.chej.org/showercurtainreport/documents/VV%20national%20final.pdf

Paul, Anne Murphy.  Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives. www.anniemurphypaul.com/

Steingraber, Sandra.  Having Faith, An Ecologist’s Journey To Motherhood. www.steingraber.com

Center for Environmental Health: www.ceh.org

Making Our Milk Safe: www.safemilk.org

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics: www.safecosmetics.org

Physicians for Social Responsibility[SF chapter]: www.sfbaypsr.org

Breast Cancer Fund: www.breastcancerfund.org

Pesticide Action Network: www.panna.org

Childbirth Connection: www.childbirthconnection.org

Children’s Environmental Health Network: www.cehn.org

Coalition for Improving Maternity Services: www.motherfriendly.org

Collaborative on Health and the Environment: www.healthandenvironment.org

TEDx The Endocrine Disruption Exchange: www.endocrinedisruption.com

Environmental Working Group: www.ewg.org

Healthy Child Healthy World: www.healthychild.org

Natural Resources Defense Council: www.nrdc.org/breastmilk

Science and Environmental Health Network: www.sehn.org

Sandra Steingraber: www.steingraber.com

UCSF Report: Shaping Our Legacy: www.prhe.ucsf.edu/prhe/pubs/shapingourlegacy.pdf

Women to Women Discussion on Endocrine Disruptors: www.womentowomen.com/detoxification/endocrinedisruptors.aspx

Washington Toxics Coalition’s Early Exposure Study: www.watoxics.org/publications/earliest-exposures

Dr. Mark Hyman: www.drhyman.com

Institute for Functional Medicine: www.functionalmedicine.org

** A special thanks to EcoBirth for helping to compile resource links! **

Dr. Piesser and her colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 100 children between the ages of 4-8.  Half of the children were randomly selected to undergo a restrictive, low-allergy elimination diet for five weeks time.  The other half of the participants was engaged as a control group, and they were given instructions on eating a normal, healthy diet.  At the end of the first five weeks, two-thirds of the children on the restrictive elimination diet had significant improvements in their ADHD symptoms.  Further, after the initial five week phase, children whose symptoms had improved while on the restricted diet gradually reintroduced the eliminated foods to their diet.  In this second phase, 63 per cent of the children experienced a relapse of their ADHD symptoms!

Part of GetzWell Pediatrics’ functional approach to ADD and ADHD is to explore your child’s unique nutritional needs, behaviors, psychosocial circumstances, environmental exposures and a host of other mitigating factors before considering pharmaceutical treatments.  To learn more about elimination diets and other ADD/ADHD treatment protocols, contact our office at 415.825.1701 for an appointment.

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Quick Tip: In addition to food reactivity, other areas of interest when treating ADHD are the roles essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency and irregular EFA metabolism may play.  In recent years, a number of clinical studies have been conducted that consistently demonstrate that a significant number of children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD are EFA deficient.  EFAs, also known as Omega-3s and Omega-6s, are critical to the process of cell development in every part of your child’s body.  One of the important Omega-3s is DHA, the most abundant fat in the brain (an organ that is 65% fat!).  Whole food sources of EFAs include fish and shellfish; some eggs; flaxseed; hemp and canola oil; chia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds; grass fed meats; walnuts; and an array of leafy vegetables.

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¹ “Effects of a restricted elimination diet on the behaviour of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (INCA study): a randomised controlled trial.”  The Lancet, Volume 377, Issue 9764, Pages 494 – 503, 5 February 2011

Over the last fifty years, increasing numbers of children in the US and other developed countries have been diagnosed with asthma, diabetes, obesity, autism and many other health conditions that were once rare in children.  The typical medical explanation for this trend has been that our genetic make up, lifestyle choices and environmental exposures after we are born are the principal contributors.  However, recent research provides significant evidence that the intrauterine milieu and our 9 months of fetal life play a vital role in determining an individual’s lifelong health.

Recognizing the impact of this research and the importance of the fetal environment, many parents-to-be want to know what steps they can take during pregnancy to optimize both the physical and emotional well being of their baby.

Studies have demonstrated the “power of your plate” in pregnancy, emphasizing the importance of prenatal nutrition.  For example, women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy tend to have heavier toddlers, and lower birth weight babies have an increased risk of diabetes in adulthood.(2)  In addition, exposure to pesticides, antibiotics and hormones (used to grow animal and plant foods), and bisphenol-A (from canned foods) may disrupt the developing endocrine and immune systems of babies.

A recent study involving public health data derived from more than 650,000 children born in California from 1992 – 2002 suggests that the closer two siblings are born together, the higher the risk for autism in the second child.  The data showed that siblings born fewer than 12 months after the first child are much more likely to develop autism compared to those born 25 or more months after the first baby.(3)  A likely explanation is maternal nutrition and fatty acid deficiencies as a result of the first pregnancy.

Scientists are also exploring the possibility that conditions in utero not only impact the physical health of the fetus but also emotional and mental well being.  Catherine Monk, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, reports that even before birth a mother’s moods may affect her child’s development.  There are measurable signs of stress in the fetuses of women who are depressed or anxious during pregnancy.  In addition, there have been increased rates of premature delivery and low birth weight among babies born to depressed women, suggesting there are links between a mother’s mood and an infant’s sensitivity to stress, and perhaps even temperament, after birth.(4)

Unfortunately, environmental toxins play a significant role in fetal development in today’s world.  As an example, on a daily basis most of us are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pollutants that come from burning fossil fuels, among other things.  Pregnant women pass this chemical to their developing babies, and significant DNA damage due to PAHs has been found in the cord blood of newborns.  PAH pollution during pregnancy is also linked to adverse birth outcomes including low birth weight, premature delivery, and heart malformations.

Although there are many things as we cannot control about our environment, we can and must take proactive steps to reduce toxic exposures, eat wisely and minimize stress during pregnancy.  See Greening the Womb Intro for practical steps you can take to make a difference in your baby’s health.  Additionally, Dr. Getzelman offers prenatal nutrition and greening the womb consultations for pregnant women and couples who want to become pregnant.  Please contact us at GetzWell for additional information and to make an appointment: 415.826.1701 or reception@getzwell.com.

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1. Paul, Annie Murphy. “Time” 4 October 2010: 50-55.

2. Paul, Annie Murphy. “Time” 4 October 2010: 50-55.

3. Cheslack-Postava K. Pediatrics. 2011; doi:10.1542/peds.2010-2371.

4. Paul, Annie Murphy. “Time” 4 October 2010: 50-55.

• Colds are caused by viral infections of the nose and throat.
• The average healthy child will experience between 6-10 colds a year.
• While colds are not serious, about 5-10 % of children will develop a bacterial complication (e.g. ear infection).

Typical Cold Symptoms

• Runny or congested nose—it’s okay for mucus to be clear, cloudy, yellow or even green!
• Fever of 100° F or greater that lasts for up to three days (72 hours)
• Sore throat or hoarseness
• Red, watery eyes
• Coughs that last up to three weeks

From Cold to Worse (When symptoms require a trip to GetzWell)

• Earache or discharge from the ear
• Fever that lasts more than three days
• Fever that went away for 24 hours and then returns
• Sore throat that lasts more than five days
• Coughs that last more than three weeks or a worsening cough
• Respiratory distress or wheezing

Treatment and Immune Support

• Comfort measures
  • Humidity—Try a cool-mist humidifier in the room and nasal saline drops to help moisten mucus membranes.  Suctioning mucus with a “nose frida” is often helpful.
  • Elevate the head while sleeping to reduce post-nasal drip stimulated coughs.  Fold blankets or towels under the crib mattress to elevate.
  • Increase fluids to help reduce congestion and prevent dehydration (milk counts too as it’s NOT linked to increased phlegm production).
• Immune Boosting Products and Treatments
  • Oscillococcinum: A homeopathic remedy that can safely be used at any age at both onset of cold symptoms and as weekly prevention during cold season.
  • Cold Calm: Another homeopathic medication that can be used at onset of cold symptoms at any age.
  • Echinacea/Eyebright: An herbal tincture that can be given daily during cold and flu season as a daily immune system booster.
  • Echinacea/Astragalus: An herbal tincture that can be given at the onset of a cold for deep immune support.
  • Probiotics: A daily supplement that helps to boost both the innate and acquired immune responses.
  • Chestal: A homeopathic cough medication that can be used to reduce cough (contains honey and shouldn’t be given to children less than one year due to risk of botulism).
  • Honey: A simple natural product found to be effective at suppressing cough (not for infants under one due to botulism).
• Over-the-Counter Products
  • There are NO cold and cough formulations approved by the FDA for use in children under four years old and in general they are ineffective at curing the common cold.
  • Ibuprofen can be given to reduce fever.  Please contact us for correct dosing as dosage should be based on a child’s weight, not age.

The Mayo Clinic defines chronic constipation as a two week period marked by several days between bowel movements that are accompanied by hard, dry and difficult-to-pass bowel movements and abdominal pain, irritability, nausea, poor appetite, or bright red blood on the surface of hard stools. Parents should also seek medical advice if they notice symptoms like abdominal bloating, forceful straining with bowel movements, and/or lumpy, hard or small pellet-like stools along with a feeling lingering fullness. Children with serious constipation often refuse to go to the toilet, hide in order to maintain privacy, soil their underwear and/or wet their beds.

While the quality and frequency of bowel movements varies from one child to another, it is important not to ignore symptoms of constipation. Chronic sufferers may experience encopresis (the involuntary leakage of feces that occurs in 60% of children with chronic constipation) which invariably results in shame, guilt, isolation and social stigma, and they may also distend their bowels causing nerve damage to their GI tracts and even experience rectal prolapse.

What to consider if your child begins to show signs of constipation:

• increasing fluids and exercise
• decreasing all dairy consumption
• teaching relaxation techniques (particularly deep, slow breaths while relaxing the pelvic muscles)
• regular abdominal massage
• supplementing with magnesium
• introducing a multi-species probiotic that contains Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria
• adding age-appropriate fermented foods like sauerkraut, tempeh, or miso
• increasing dietary fiber (A good measure is 5-6 grams of fiber plus your child’s age. For instance, a 5 year old should have 10-11 grams of fiber per day.)

Raw fruits and vegetables have the most fiber, but cooked ones are also beneficial. Remember that the harder a vegetable is, the more fiber it has. Keep in mind that in order to reap the benefits of fiber, it is very important to drink adequate amounts of water (a minimum of 3 glasses) to help with the passage of stool in the intestines. If your child requires more than these general lifestyle and dietary changes to manage his/her constipation, please contact us for a consultation:  415.826.1701.