Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Question: My son is quite active and his teachers are hinting that he might have ADHD. When I talk to other mothers, it seems like half the boys in his class are on medicine for ADHD? Is this real? What should I do?
Answer: This diagnosis and labeling of ADD or ADHD truly is a pandemic. That doesn’t make these behaviors any less real. While there is validity to the diagnosis of ADHD, I don’t believe that suddenly our children are born with a deficiency in certain brain chemicals.
Before you succumb to pressure to place your child on a class II narcotic, a brain altering psychotropic drug with serious side effects, explore every other option possible.
Here’s what the research shows. Eighty-six percent of hyperactive children have elevated eosinophils (a white blood cell elevated with allergies or sensitivities and parasites - yuck). Common allergies or sensitivities include wheat/gluten, dairy, egg, corn, citrus and chocolate. Keep in mind kids tend to crave what they are sensitive to, so this can be a clue. Other items to remove from their diet are food colorings and additives. Try an elimination diet for four weeks and you will likely have a calmer child.
Other findings show that children diagnosed with ADHD are deficient in calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, omega 3 oils and B vitamins. Lendon Smith, MD, author of "How to Raise a Healthy Child" concurs with this and notes that our topsoil has become deficient in these minerals. Eating a well balanced diet and taking a multi-vitamin are crucial.
Daniel Amen, MD did SPECT imaging of thousands of patients diagnosed with ADHD and he categorized them into five types, but one thing in common were that they all benefited from lots of exercise and from reducing their carbohydrate intake. Take a look at your child’s diet and start to restrict carbs – candy, cookies, breads, and pasta. Cut the carbs and get them moving.
These same children tend to have had a significant number of ear infections, subsequently on antibiotics, which wipe out friendly bacteria and produce intestinal dysbiosis and poor absorption. Zinc deficiency is linked to an impaired immune system, so your child is more susceptible to infections, more likely to be treated with antibiotics, more likely to have gut and absorption issues. It becomes a vicious cycle, but it can be halted.
To summarize, eliminate possible allergens and put your child on a multi-vitamin and omega 3 oils for one month. As Dr. Smith said, “Ritalin works in just 30 minutes, while minerals, supplements and diet changes take about three weeks to achieve results.”
These changes are tough to do, but well worth the effort. If you don’t see a calmer child, seek the help of a holistic chiropractor to see what other factors might be involved.
Dr. Cheryl Shea, DC, of is the owner of Complete Wellness Center, in Kirkwood, a holistic clinic for all ages. The practice offers chiropractic, nutritional evaluations, and acupuncture. For questions, contact her at info@wgwellness.com
Comments
khorton (anonymous) says...
Got to agree with Dr. Shea. I never thought Dennis the Menace had a neurological disorder. But, if Dennis were in today's public schools, he'd be medicated or be in a behavioral classroom.
As a school psychologist, I think ADHD is over diagnosed. Try what Dr. Shea said first. Set up a very structured environment at home as well.
We found a great program to use with our kids called Play Attention (www.playattention.com). Let's them see their attention on the computer screen. This coupled with structure and a good IEP have produced terrific results.
February 2, 2010 at 10:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )