Maternal Aspartame Consumption Linked to Autism Risk in Children

Women who drink diet soda or consume other aspartame-containing products during pregnancy may be unwittingly putting their male children at risk for autism spectrum disorders. That’s the troubling signal from a new study of more than 350 maternal-child pairs, by Sharon Fowler, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio. […]

Applying Holistic Principles to Optimize Children’s Health

The COVID pandemic is having a huge effect on our children. We need to take it seriously. The Children’s Hospital Association and the American Association of Pediatrics have reported a nearly 20% spike in the number of young people attempting suicide, and more than a 40% increase in behavioral issues in children since the pandemic […]

Antibiotic Overuse Remains A Worldwide Problem

Globally, there are striking regional variations in per capita antibiotic consumption. A 2018 study of prescription patterns in 31 European countries showed that Greece tops the list in Europe, at roughly 40 doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (Klein E, et al. PNAS 2018). That’s a 4-fold difference from the Netherlands, where use is lowest. […]

Confronting the “Antibiotic Iceberg”

Antimicrobial resistance is just the tip of the iceberg of adverse health consequences caused by antibiotic overuse, according to Martin J. Blaser, MD, director of the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine. The less obvious—and therefore more dangerous—part of the iceberg, he says, is the epidemic of chronic inflammatory diseases driven in large […]

Antibiotics at the Crossroads

Antibiotics can sometimes be almost miraculous in their clinical impact. Over the last 70 years, since their introduction into routine medical practice, they’ve saved countless lives. But in many cases the benefits are much less dramatic or apparent. Further, there is increasing evidence that routine use of antibiotics can have long-term detrimental effects on human […]

The Role of Micronutrients & Probiotics in Immune Health for Children

The immune system is an elegant and complex set of cells, proteins, and tissues designed to protect our bodies from infections, both minor and life-threatening. Both the innate and acquired immune systems are dependent upon healthy nutrition, a healthy gut microbiome, adequate rest, and management of stress. The transfer of maternal microbiota is very closely linked to a […]

Vitamin D, Race, & Anemia Risk: New Light on a Complex Picture

Studies involving children indicate that vitamin D deficiency correlates with an increased risk for anemia during childhood. In addition to age, race and gender are other factors contributing to both low vitamin D and low red blood cell levels in children and adults alike.

Wireless Devices Support Home-Schooling, But Not Without Risks

With most of the nation’s schools closed through summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, children are spending more time looking at digital screens than ever before. Wireless technology is vital for distance learning. But staying constantly connected has consequences, especially for children’s health and wellbeing.

New Autism Treatment Targets Gut Health

A novel therapy targeting the gut microbiome could open new doors in the treatment of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Investigators at Arizona State University (ASU) found that autistic children who received fecal transplants experienced long-term improvements not only in gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, but in core Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms as well.

Webinar: Pediatric Immune System Support

VIEW WEBINAR Many of our patients experience daily immune system challenges, and children are no exception!  Stress, busy school & extracurricular schedules, and erratic or poor eating habits can all impact the body’s natural defense mechanisms. On top of that, there’s exposure in schools to a whole new host of germs. Kids’ immune systems really […]