A study conducted at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit has linked antibiotics to allergies and asthma in children. Children who received antibiotics within their first six months were at an increased risk of developing asthma and allergies by the age of seven.

448 children were followed from birth to seven years; the children were divided by gender into even groups.

Researchers collected data about all prescribed oral antibiotics; blood tests that measures immunoglobulin E (the antibody that causes allergies); skin reaction tests that determines if a person is hypersensitive to an allergen, and on all clinical visits. Researchers also collected environmental samples from the homes of the children.

The data was collected before birth and then at the first four birthdays. Each child was then evaluated at 6 to 7-years-old by a certified allergist.

Forty-nine percent of the children had received antibiotics by the age of six-months; the most commonly prescribed antibiotic was penicillin. Other finding included:

• Children who received antibiotics by six months old were 1.5 times more likely to develop allergies by age seven than children who did not receive antibiotics, and 2.5 times more likely to develop asthma.
• Children who lived with less than two pets by the age of six months given at least one antibiotic were 1.7 times more likely to develop allergies and three times more likely to develop asthma.
• Children whose mothers had a history of allergies were twice as likely to develop allergies. Those who were breast-fed more than four months, and received antibiotics by six months were three times as likely to develop allergies; the risk of asthma was not influenced by breast feeding and antibiotics.

According to Christine Cole Johnson, PhD, lead author of the study and senior epidemiologist for Henry Ford’s Department of Biostatistics and Research Epidemiology, “…we need to be more prudent in prescribing antibiotics for children at such an early age. In the past, many of them were prescribed unnecessarily, especially for viral infections like colds and the flu when the antibiotics would have no effect anyway.”

SOURCE: Henry Ford Health System press release, Science Daily, October 1, 2003; WCA News,
www.wcanews.com, October 2003; www.newscientist.com, September 30, 2003; BBC News, news.bbc.co.uk.

Spring is here, and along with it in many parts of the country come sneezes, itchy eyes and more. It’s called hay fever, a hyper-reaction of our immune systems to air-borne pollen from blooming plants and trees.

If you have hay fever, you are not alone. More than 26 million Americans suffer from hay fever symptoms, and 14.6 million Americans have asthma, which often accompanies hay fever.

The “hay fever season” is different for different people. Trees, grasses, and weeds produce pollen during different seasons. People who are sensitive to tree pollen may suffer in the early spring when trees are producing pollen. In the late spring and early summer, about half of all hay fever sufferers are affected by grass pollen. From midsummer to late fall, ragweed causes the most hay fever. Some people react to more than one type of pollen, so their “season” can be from early spring to the first frost.

There are many people who suffer from allergic reactions to dust and dust mites, mold and fungus spores, pets, furs, chemicals and a host of other airborne substances that attack their weakened immune systems all year long.

For both seasonal hay fever and year-round allergies, symptoms can include running nose, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, sneezing, itchy reddened eyes, conjunctivitis and sore throat. Allergies can affect the trachea and the lungs, causing shortness of breath, chest congestion, wheezing and asthma. Hay fever can even turn into an infection, and when severe, cause fever and headaches.

Treat the Cause, Not the Symptoms

Conventional therapies call for antihistamines, decongestants, oral steroids, and corticosteroid sprays, bronchodilator inhaler, and allergy injections. All of these just treat the symptoms and many have unpleasant side effects.

A growing number of hay fever sufferers are finding relief from alternative, drug-free approaches, such as Chiropractic adjustments, Acupuncture, and dietary changes to help boost immune systems.

Using a combination of natural remedies and alternative treatments such as acupuncture and chiropractic may be all you need to treat the cause of the hay fever, relieve the symptoms and even find a permanent improvement. The right combination of treatments can diagnose and treat the underlying imbalances that cause the allergies in the first place.

SOURCES: Acupuncture.com, April 2007, http://www.acupuncture.com/newsletters/m_apr07/main2.html;
American Lung Association, http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35050#seasons

AUTISTIC CHILD DEVELOPS SKILLS, HAS IMPROVED LIFE WITH CHIROPRACTIC

 The growing statistics on the number of autistic children in our society today are quite alarming. Some reports have it that autism is now occurring in an estimated 1 in 150 births in the United States.

 At the same time, more and more cases where children diagnosed with autism who are being helped by Chiropractic are continuing to be recorded. The study here of a 3-year-old child who was helped by Chiropractic intervention is another such important case as reported by the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research.

 This child had been diagnosed with autism about 1 year prior to her first visit to a chiropractor. At the time of her examination, she had social interaction skills that were below the norm for a child her age. She also had learning difficulties, and her language skills consisted only of communicating by screaming and outbursts of temper tantrums. She was not able to communicate through speech that would be normal for her age.

 The child’s mother was able to offer some information regarding the onset of the child’s autism. It was her observation that the symptoms were noticeable following the girl’s first set of vaccinations when she had reactions that were different than before and after she had slept for 24 hours.

 Testing of the child by her chiropractor included a full evaluation of her spine and her muscle function. It was decided that Chiropractic adjustment should focus on subluxations (partial dislocations of the vertebrae) in her spine and a protocol of gentle interventions were begun.

 In all, the child had 28 Chiropractic visits spread over a 10 week period. Initially, the girl was very apprehensive about her adjustments and didn’t like to lie down on the chiropractor’s table. However, this fear was all but gone by her 5th visit and she was soon lying on the table by herself and was happy to take hold of her Chiropractor’s hand.

 During her 10th visit, her mother said that the child began to verbalize for the first time. Later in the week, she even started to laugh. This improvement continued on throughout the first month of care when the child began to show expressions of joy and spontaneity while being less hyperactive. Meanwhile, her posture was improving, too.

 “This case report illustrates how an improvement respectively in both subjective and objective behavioral patters and nerve system symmetry follow Chiropractic care in a child with autism,” said the authors of the study. And, with the growing evidence that Chiropractic can benefit children with autism, it only makes sense that every child who shows symptoms of the disorder should be examined by a chiropractor to determine if help is possible.

 Source: Kid Chiropractic. “Improvement in a 3-Year-Old Autistic Child Following Chiropractic – Case Study.” April 2008. http://www.kidchiropractic.com/ and the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. http://www.jvsr.com/abstracts/index.asp?id=345