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If you’re caring for little ones, the amount of conflicting information on healthful parenting can be bewildering. Here at the Forbes Clinic, we’re here to support you and your loved ones’ positive health journey at any age.
It’s a sad fact that increasing amounts of children in the UK are developing chronic diseases. One in seven reception-age children are now living with obesity. Meanwhile, the number of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has doubled in the space of only five years.
Read on to cut through the confusion for some plain-speaking advice on how to naturally support your children’s health, giving them the best possible chance for optimal health as they grow.
Childhood Immune System Health
With infections running the rounds through classrooms, it might seem that your child is constantly picking up one bug after another. On the other hand, they may be affected by allergies like skin rashes, asthma, or adverse food reactions. Meanwhile, many natural health practitioners are working with increasing amounts of children suffering from autoimmune diseases. All these are signs of a struggling immune system.
As your child’s immune system develops, it learns to distinguish harmless substances from those with the potential to cause harm. A major influence on this learning process is the natural bacterial ecosystem in your child’s gut. In very early life, these bacteria are passed on from Mum, first during birth and then via skin contact. This initial population will flourish and develop rapidly in early childhood if provided with sufficient food.
The best source of food for good gut microbes is the fibre contained in plants. On the other hand, the child’s microbiome can become out of balance if their diet contains a lot of sugar or processed foods, or if antibiotics are taken. This is because sugar encourages non-beneficial types of bacteria to thrive, while antibiotics wipe out the good bugs. Ongoing stress, for example because of issues at school or poor sleep can also disrupt the gut microbiome.
If you want to support your child’s immune system, a priority will be establishing a healthy gut microbiome. A Functional Nutritional Therapist can help you to introduce a wider variety of plant foods into your child’s diet.
Screen Time and Brain Health
Recently, the UK Government has updated its guidance regarding screen time for kids. Under-fives are encouraged to have no more than one hour of screen time per day. This is for good reason, as children who are on screens for long periods have been found to perform significantly worse on cognitive tasks (1). Screen time impairs sleep quality if kids use devices in the evening. The blue light emitted by screens can reduce sleep quality and make it harder to fall asleep.
The Environment and Children’s Health
Children nowadays are born into a world awash with environmental chemicals not previously present even when their grandparents were young. Children’s developing bodies are particularly vulnerable to environmental influences.
Pollutants from industry, chemicals used in agriculture, household cleaning and personal care products, substances from plastic, and mould in the home can all affect children’s brain and immune system development. This may mean they require additional nutritional support.
Childhood Nutrition
Children have unique nutritional needs as their bodies are growing rapidly. Developing immune systems need vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin D.
Children’s brains need plenty of omega 3 fats. Over 60% of the brain is comprised of fat, while sufficient zinc and iron are crucial too.
Zinc is especially important for kids. One result of zinc deficiency can be a craving for sweet and salty foods, making healthy mealtimes into a battleground.
Integrative Medicine and Children’s Health
It’s never too early or too late to positively impact your child’s physical and emotional wellbeing. The foundation of good lifelong health is laid down in childhood, with resilient health in early life reducing the risk of future disease.
If you are looking for support in connection with a specific health issue, we will work to discover its root causes. We offer a range of functional tests suitable for children. For example, a GI Map or Mycotoxin Mould Panel simply require a stool or urine sample to reveal imbalances contributing towards symptoms. A Functional Nutritional Therapist can work with you to incorporate positive food choices into your child’s daily diet while empowering both parent and child.
Your child is unique and their path to lasting health will be as individual as they are. We may recommend child-focussed, gentle therapies such as Micro-Immunotherapy, a gentle approach using plant-derived compounds to rebalance the immune system, or Children’s Homeopathy, a natural, holistic therapy using the body’s own ability to restore balance. Meanwhile, if your child is struggling emotionally, Emotional Freedom Technique uses simple tapping techniques accessible to the child from anywhere to help address emotional challenges. Finally, Traditional Chinese Medicine can support your child from infancy to restore vitality, energy, balance, calm and physical health. It employs a range of therapies including Shoni Shin baby massage or Craniosacral Therapy.
A great start for any complex physical or emotional health issues is an Integrative Health Assessment with one of our Integrative Medicine Doctors. This will take a 360 degree look at your child’s health issues and provide parents and children with a personalised pathway to optimum health.
Let us work together to help the children in your life thrive and provide a foundation for their long-term health and wellbeing.