Researchers of the University of Guelph in Ontario found that the average daily intake of omega-3 EPA and DHA was only 31.5 mg. The same group was children ages 4-8. However, the recommended intake is 90 mg per day. The study indicated that 78 percent of the children were far below the recommended level.

Omega-3’s are important for neurological benefits and cognitive function. It may help improve behavior, learning disorders, and hyperactivity disorders.

How can you get your child the recommended dosage?

The best sources for omega-3 fatty acids are oily fish, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, canola oil and soy.

Source: UPI.com

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Kids Don’t Get Enough Omega-3

When a child has sensory integration the brain misinterprets the information it receives and tells the body to act in a different manner.Basically, the brain must organize all of the information it takes in, categorize and process the sensations and attempt to move and learn “normally”. If the brain can not do that then the output is dysfunctional.

Sensory integration includes not only the five senses but also balance and movement.

Sight
Sound (auditory- with no diagnosed hearing problems)
Touch (tactile- input from the skin receptors about touch, pressure, temperature, pain, and movement of the hairs on the skin.)
Vestibular (input from the inner ear about equilibrium, gravitational changes, movement experiences, and position in space)
Proprioceptive (input from the muscles and joints about body position, weight, pressure, stretch, movement, and changes in position in space)
Oral
Smell
Auditory Language
Social, Emotional, Play, and Self Regulation

Sensory Integration is typically detected and diagnosed in children because SI can be obvious during early childhood activities such as tactile play, tumbling, and gross and fine motor skills. If Sensory Integration is not detected learning, development, and behavior problems can surface later and become more serious.

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Causes of Sensory Processing Disorder

Clonidine is a drug typically used to treat hypertension in adults but it has been found to effectively treat ADHD, tourettes, and even sleep disorders in children. Children with Fragile X Syndrome have been successfully treated with Clonidine and with Clonidine and CNS stimulants like Methylphenidate, or Ritalin. Because medication can be important in the treatment of behavior disorders we made the best decision we could…but it was hard.

When I realized that we had no other choice because of the amount of sleep he was getting and his severe aggression I was conflicted. Should I give my son a medication that will help him and that he needs or should I keep him drug free?

We chose to use Clonidine to help AJ sleep. The first night he used it was the first night in over a year that we and more importantly, HE, had a full night’s sleep.

But why would we even consider medication in the first place? Since adopting AJ he had not gotten a full nights sleep…and it had been almost 1 and a half years. It took him almost 3 hours to fall asleep and then he would have horrific night terrors that sometimes lasted up to an hour. Of course, he was not awake, but it meant that he was not passing over in to deep sleep properly, thus not getting good REM sleep.

Then, after his night terrors, he would wake 10-12 times a night sometimes for only a second to roll over, sometimes because of a wet diaper, and sometimes for hours.

We tried Benedryl on really tough nights and he would sleep for almost exactly 4 hours. We also used Melatonin but that effect had started to wear off and we could not increase the dosage because he would get insomnia at 2 in the morning. The next day he would then nap in the afternoon for two to three hours and I would as well…getting much needed sleep.

When we talked to his new pediatrician about his sleep issues and she noticed his aggression (due to both sleep deprivation and copper toxicity) she instantly thought of Clonidine. However, she did not want to prescribe it until he adjusted to his new school and home. When we saw her 2 months later and we were still in the same boat…she prescribed it.

Clonidine is in a group of medicines called alpha-agonists. By regulating brain activity, it has a calming effect in children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It can also be used for other conditions, such as tics, aggression, or sleep problems.

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Clonidine

We know that he is teething some and we have tried Infant Tylenol with some success. We also know that he is having some congestion but don’t think that it is anything that is too bad, as his pediatrician stated it was just a viral infection.

Reasons for his night wakings?

• Separation anxiety
• Uncomfortable pajamas or scratchy tags
• A formula or food sensitivity or allergy
• Gastro-esophageal reflux (GER)
• Airborne allergens
• Colic
• Pain, such as from an earache, abdominal gas, or teething. If the waking is due to pain, your child may not settle even if you are there to comfort them.  (See also YourChild: Pain and Your Infant.)
• Itching from pinworms
• A urinary tract infection (bladder infection)
• Discomfort, such as too hot, too cold, thirsty, hungry or a wet bed
• Being in a pattern of waking
• Being in a light phase of sleep so that something like a noise rouses the child into being fully awake

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Night Wakings

The babies are officially doing well. However, there is some speculation regarding the birth mother, as she is s single, 33-year-old named Nadya Suleman who already has six children…all of whom have been conceived via in vitro fertilization.

But, is this a marketing, money making strategy for her or is this simply because she is addicted to having children? And, is she seriously going to be able to care for eight babies as well as the six she already has?

I have heard rumors, and albeit they are rumors, that she is planning on nursing all eight of her babies. If that is so, how is it possible to care for the other six, change diapers, do laundry, feed herself, and sleep?

She has a plan to pay for the octuplets, however…book deals, TV shows, and other business proposals. But, that may not all work, as the media and public reaction are mixed.

She is apparently unemployed, living in a two bedroom bungalow that her parents purchased for her. Additionally, it is said that she has an autistic child, that her parents also live with her, and that sperm was donated by a friend who worked with her at a fertility clinic years ago.

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Longest Living Octuplets, in Trouble?

Pyroluria is a genetic condition that results in an abnormality in hemoglobin synthesis. Huh?

Pyroluria was initially described by Abram Hoffer, a pioneer in orthomolecular medicine and psychiatry. He found that kryptopyrroles, a by-product of hemoglobin, bind to vitamin B6 and then to Zinc and were eliminated through urine, causing deficiencies in those minerals.

Many times Pyroluria is seen with other imbalances such as histapenia, histadelia, high copper levels, or cerebral allergies. It is also the primary imbalance for 20% of schizophrenics.

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Understanding Pyroluria

I have always very clearly stated that AJ has never had a diagnosis of Autism but that we believe that he may be on the spectrum because of his symptoms. However, he may very well simply be a sensory seeking/avoidant child or a child affected by Institutional Autism. Or, he may be a child affected by heavy metals and environmental toxins.

Every professional we have seen has been very cautious about giving us a diagnosis…perhaps because they don’t know. Is it possible that AJ’s birth mother was malnutritioned during the time she carried AJ?

Very Possible. And I have NEVER ruled that out. But, its hard to grasp.

There is a great new book out that will help all of us with mislabeled or undiagnosed children. Written by Brock Eide, M.D., M.A, and his wife, Fernette Eide, M.D., even Carol Kranowitz is toting it as a fantastic resource for parents.

“As informed physicians and informative writers, the Eides delineate children’s mystifying behavior and ways to help them get in sync. For all of us who care about children with unlabeled or mislabeled needs, this book is a must!”

Carol Kranowitz, M.A.

The Midwest Book Review states that The Mislabeled Child “provides parents, teachers and educators a fine, clear guide to children who are different, how diagnoses often fail, and how to look behind labels to find the basics of a child’s problems.”

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Is Your Child Mislabeled?

But, for some children, like AJ, salicylates have a different reaction. AJ reacts by getting hyper, by stimming, and making odd noises. The problem is that he just can not control it.

Last year I did a lot of research on diet and behaviors because I felt that a lot of his behaviors were related to diet. I was not this type of person before we had children, mainly because I never bought into any of the biomedical stuff but when I saw the effect of the GFCF diet with AJ I was sold.

I know that when we first started to eliminate salicylates he did great and I could see when I gave him certain foods he reacted. Some time ago I gave him two pieces of pineapple because he requested it when we were shopping for Kosher meats at Trader Joes. Within 30 minutes he was unable to listen to me, was throwing items behind the couch, and was barking at the dog. All of this is not unusual after eating something like this.

My favorite site for determining salicylate contents is the Allergy Dietician.

It states at the bottom of the chart that when eating a diet low in salicylates to stick to the left hand side of the chart, choose ripe fruit, peel all fruits and vegetables (and remove outer leaves). Additionally, I have heard to cook vegetables to reduce salicylate content.

Treatment for salicylate intolerance is basically the removal of salicylates…but it is very difficult. One has to not only remove all of the foods but also the medications and cosmetics. It took us a long time to determine the shampoos and soaps that AJ could use.

But, sunscreen was the most difficult, as we had to find a GFCF and salicylate free sunscreen. We finally found Banana Boat Kids UVA & UVB Sunblock Lotion SPF 30 Waterproof and use Soap Bar-Pure Olive Oil Bar Soap. We also use Johnson and Johnson Baby soap.

Post from: Blisstree

Salicylates

Now, back when AJ was 2 we had an Early Intervention coordinator do an evaluation on him as well. Most of these assessments were (at the time) developmental. However, they did pick up on some key things: he had some major sensory issues, he had serious speech delays, he had some medical issues like food intolerances and allergies that needed to be addressed, his developmental delays were across the board, scattered and both fine and gross motor. But they did not do their job.

As Early Intervention goes the one in the county we lived in was horrible. What they did was stall us until he turned 3 and could be evaluated for Early Childhood, and thus pushed out of their system. What they should have done is provide us with things that my friends are getting here in Illinois but I think they believed we were a family that could financially provide services, had decent insurance to cover it, and that our son would eventually develop, as he was from an institution. After all, he did not actually HAVE autism, did he?

They failed us and that is paying its price right now. We don’t have things like Boardmaker, swings and sensory tools, after school OT and speech, sensory diets or individualized lessons for him to be performed at home, etc. At one point we even asked them to provide respite for us and they stated that they did not do that. How could an Early Intervention Program NOT provide respite?

According to the State of New York, “Early intervention services are provided to help your child grow and develop, and to help you care for your child.
These services include evaluation services (including hearing and vision screening); home visits; speech, physical and other therapies; child development groups; family counseling; and, sometimes, even help with transportation. These services are provided at no cost to you.”

But, according to Michigan, where we lived ” Monies are allocated based on the number of infants and toddlers eligible for Early On services within each ISD and a base grant (based on size and numbers) for administration and coordination functions.
Early On is a family-focused process, with emphasis on family strengths and abilities, which requires the development of an individualized family service plan specific to each enrolled family, based on the findings of a multidisciplinary evaluation of the child and family.”

Because we were based in a low income county but were a higher income family we were told that we were doing more for our son than they could do for him. They told us to use our insurance to seek out OT and speech services and pay out of pocket. They told us that there was no respite for us. Why, because we could hire a babysitter?

I just can’t wait for the day that he can read…because apparently Michigan Early Intervention didn’t want him to.

Post from: Blisstree

How Early Intervention Failed us

Unfortunately, that has not been our case.

He has, for the best part, worked himself out of his Post Traumatic Stress and his Institutional Autism but he still struggles every day with SPD, auditory, visual, and communication disorders, many of these things that could have been addressed when he was two.

We tried to get AJ services, and we did get him private OT and speech for about a year but our funding ran out and our insurance refused to pay anymore. But, what is Early Intervention supposed to do for your child and your family?

Early Intervention is supposed to apply to children 0-3 who are at risk of having a handicap (or have one) or who have a developmental delay. The purpose is to aid families in lessening the effects of the disabilities and handicaps, as they can and often times can be devastating.

According to Kidsource, “Early intervention may focus on the child alone or on the child and the family together. Early intervention programs may be center-based, home-based, hospital-based, or a combination. Services range from identification–that is, hospital or school screening and referral services–to diagnostic and direct intervention programs. Early intervention may begin at any time between birth and school age; however, there are many reasons for it to begin as early as possible”.

Additionally, under IDEA, early intervention services are to be available to all infants and toddlers with disabilities 0-2 no matter their financial status, despite what Michigan told us. But, unfortunately, services can’t be the same in all places because funding is alloted per county and counties are all different. Because we lived in a depressed county we suffered. Now that we live in a much better county we get much better services…but AJ is way past the 0-3 age group and now Early Childhood picks up.

The term “infants and toddlers with disabilities” in the law refers to children (ages birth through 2 years) who need early intervention services in any of the following areas:

* Physical,
* Cognitive,
* Communication,
* Social or emotional, and/or
* Adaptive development.

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What does early intervention do?