Children, diets and medication

I had a patient come to me recently for advice on her 8 year old daughter, who had been diagnosed with acid reflux and put on a strong regimen of prescription medications by her pediatrician. Additionally, her teacher suggested that she may have a hyperactivity problem and be "attention deficit".

Today, parents are being hoodwinked into the mainstream thinking that their kids could benefit from medications. In fact, a recent study done by Medco Health Solutions revealed that 1 in 4 insured children in the U.S. are taking prescription medication for a chronic health problem! For kids 10-19, the figure goes up even higher to 30%.

Some other staggering facts:

-girls aged 10-19 taking medications for type 2 diabetes has increased 200% since 2001

-medications for acid reflux and heartburn has jumped 147% since 2001 for adolescents.

-asthma and allergy medications have tripled in usage for kids 6-18

But if those numbers do not concern you too much, more than likely these will: In the year 2007 alone, half a million children and teenagers were given at least one prescription for an antipsychotic drug! This includes approximately 20,000 kids under the age of 6! These drugs are being handed out for symptoms of depression, anxiety and attention deficit disorder. These same drugs are given to adults for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Some common side effects with these types of medications include drowsiness, fatigue, increased appetite, upper respiratory tract infection, vomiting, coughing, fever, tremors, dizziness and urinary incontinence.

And you wonder why you have gone through 15 different babysitters in the past year!

On a more serious note, major side effects from these medications include permanent muscle tics, hormone disruption, high blood sugar leading to diabetes and sometimes even death.

As a parent or guardian, it's important to realize that the leading diseases today are diet related, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and yes, even cancer. To take a prescription medication for a lifestyle related condition can turn disastrous--it is not going to help your child in the long run and probably going to lead to harmful side effects.

So other than being a healthy role model for your child, what else can you possibly do? Here are a few starting tips:

-Start with breastfeeding (if applicable, of course) and avoid baby formulas as much as possible, especially soy formulas.

-Take a close look at your child's diet: Avoiding sugar and pasteurized dairy are great starts

-Get your child active. Get them outside at least 30 minutes per day for some form of exercise

-Toss out the electronics! That's right, I said it! Okay, let's be realistic..how about limiting computer, TV and video game use to only  1-2 hours per week. It CAN be done.  30 % of US children are considered overweight!

-Research vaccinations: Very sensitive topic but please do your due diligence on this.

-Avoid antibiotics and over-the-counter medications: Usually riddled with chemicals and toxins, your child's immune system needs to develop properly and treating a fever with this junk just suppresses the normal functioning immunity. The only time it may be needed is if a fever reaches 104 degrees or higher.

Don't follow this disturbing trend if your child's doctor is recommending a medication. Do the proper research and arm yourself with the proper questions before you take part in this. If your child is already on a medication, then you owe it to yourself and your child to take the proper steps in guiding them to live a natural lifestyle and not become dependent on any medication.