Childhood allergies – how can they be prevented

by lisaguy on Friday, June 11th, 2010

Allergic diseases have almost doubled over the last 25 years. We are seeing an increasing prevalence in childhood allergies such as eczema, hay fever, asthma and food allergies.

Scientists have different theories as to why this is happening. Recent findings from the University of Montreal, attributed excessive cleanliness to the increase in childhood allergies. Apparently the more sterile a child’s environment the greater the risk of them developing allergies.

Over sterilizing a child’s environment not only kills off harmful bacteria but beneficial microorganisms that help build a diverse range of intestinal flora.

A healthy balance of intestinal flora is needed for a strong immune system, proper digestion, and synthesis of B vitamins and vitamin K. Without this children are at a greater risk of developing allergic conditions.

What early measures can we take to reduce the risk of children developing allergies?

PROBIOTICS: Probiotics contain beneficial bacteria that help enrich baby’s intestinal flora, strengthening their immune system and reducing the risk of allergies. Mothers consuming probiotics during pregnancy can also help reduce allergies in childhood.

BREASTFEEDING: Breastfeeding for at least 6 months and ideally for 1-2 years reduces the risk of baby developing allergies. Breast milk is rich in important immune boosting factors to protect baby against a number of infections and diseases.

WEANING: Introducing solids too early can increase the likelihood of your baby developing allergies or food intolerances. Before 6 months of age infants are less likely to handle immune challenges from new foods as their intestinal flora and metabolism are underdeveloped.

FOODS: Common food allergies seen in children are milk, wheat, gluten, eggs, soy and peanuts. Allergies have a strong genetic link, so if there is a family history of a food allergy wait until your child is over one year old before introducing that food.

By following these helpful tips you can help reduce the risk of your child developing allergies.

Wishing you all good health,
Lisa.

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A window into autism?

by Benison O'Reilly on Thursday, June 10th, 2010

On Tuesday night, after the homework was done and the dinner eaten, and I was washing up before sitting down to write my next blog (which I planned to be about the latest research on the gluten-free casein-free diet)—kapow!—our electricity went off.  There were howls of protest from eldest son, who was on Facebook, and middle son, who was playing his new X-Box 360, and Joe, who was just about to have a bath.

It turned out to be a blackout.

Fortunately we were well equipped with lanterns, torches and candles. Joe and his dad are used to these situations, being experienced campers. We also had our wonderful gas fire to keep us warm, but no electronic games, TV or Internet.

It went on for almost three hours in the end.  We all sat by the fire, me sipping a consoling glass of red wine. Joe played with his ever-expanding Super Mario collection & talked about his toys with his brothers. Then, we he went to bed, big brothers sat down & had a proper conversation with me (although by this stage the biggest one was dreadfully missing his Facebook).

I was telling big boys that they may as well go to bed – that clearly we weren’t going to have any electricity restored that night, when—bang!—everything came back on:  lights, computers, clocks, the lot.

And I developed a sensory processing disorder.   All the noise and light were completely overwhelming after hours of candles and conversation and warm fires. I retreated to the calm of my bedroom.

So, for a brief few minutes, I think I experienced what it is like for many people on the autism spectrum all the time. I’m not saying everyone with an ASD has sensory processing issues–I refuse to generalise to that extent—but from my reading of books by adults with ASD it seems to be an extremely common experience.   It also makes sense that it would be common, if we believe the latest theories that autism is a largely a disorder of neural connectivity.

Anyway— just possibly, maybe—I was granted a small window of enlightenment into what many people with ASD have to endure every day and I’m telling you it wasn’t fun.  These people deserve our respect for just exiting the front door each morning.

I will write about the GFCF diet in my next blog, by the way, but in the meantime thought some of you might want to check out a new blog, written by a mum, Suz, whose little boy was only recently diagnosed with an ASD. Best wishes to Suz and her family and particularly Batsman – he sounds a real cutey.

http://www.theiloveyousong.blogspot.com/

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Mood Surfing Workshop – I need it!

by Seana Smith on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

ASPIA's website

Have you heard of ASPIA? As far as I am aware (corrections welcome) ASPIA is the only organisation in Australia providing support and information for those living with a partner who has Asperger’s Syndrome.  ASPIA is based in Sydney and it runs some terrific workshops and information sessions.

The next workshop is to be presented by Clinical Psychologist Dr Julie Peterson, who runs the Embracing the Other Half Psychology Clinic in Sydney.  It is called:

“Mood Surfing:  The Art of Emotion Regulation” Challenges and Interventions.”

Here’s what the flyer says:

Individuals in everyday life regularly experience both strong positive and negative emotions within themselves and those around them. While strong emotions themselves are not inherently bad and often serve a very important role in our daily lives, the over-expression of strong emotion can at times be confronting, challenging, terrifying and exhausting for all involved if emotions are not regulated well.

Emotions often take on a wave like quality with some individuals experiencing larger and more frequent waves. Unfortunately, without the appropriate knowledge, skills and strategies many individuals, couples and families find themselves being dumped or drowned by the waves. This is particularly so for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD and other significant mood disorders.

This workshop incorporates the latest neuroscience and clinical research in the area of emotion regulation and covers the essential knowledge and skills needed to surf, negotiate, ride and survive emotional waves.

This is a workshop I really need to attend as we are currently having all sorts of challenges and I certainly need some assistance with interventions.  Here’s an example:

My son Tom is 13 years old now and he has discovered girls and is most interested in the entire topic.  In fact, he has a huge crush on one girl.  He gets incredibly agitated when he thinks and talks about her, his emotions explode, he can’t keep still and needs to jump around. Tom’s language skills certainly can’t keep up with his emotions and it’s clear that this adds to his frustration.

I’m sure most 13 year old boys don’t discuss their crushes the way Tom does with me, but he just cannot contain himself.  He is a seething mass of hormones and emotions- a very volatile mixture.

Having a lovestruck teenager in the house has made the decades crash away and I can vividly recall my own feelings as a teenager, when I was first succumbing to the charms of the opposite sex.  (Sadly my first crush never succumbed to mine and gave me up so he could spend more time with his ferrets.)

I, too, was a wreck… but I kept it inside most of the time, and certainly didn’t give my mum a blow-by-blow account of the gory emotional details.

Tom had been sending a text to the (oblivious) object of his emotional explosions one evening and was all a’flutter and then dashing about the house…. I made the silly error of then suggesting he get on with some homework… he really did explode and in fact I thought he was going to land a huge punch on me.

Well, I wouldn’t really have blamed him.  I chose the worst possible moment to discuss homework.

Anyway, oh dear… teeangers with ASD plus hormones plus a love interest… a mere mum can’t be expected to cope alone.  I need that workshop!

If anyone reading has information about similar organisations and workshops, please do pass them on and we will add them to the archives here.

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Super Brain Foods for Kids

by lisaguy on Sunday, May 30th, 2010

There is a proven link between what we put into our mouths and how well we think and feel. Your child’s mood, ability to learn and memory are all affected by the type of food they eat. Our brains rely on a steady supply of specific vitamins and minerals, protein, carbohydrates and “good” fats to function properly. Providing your child with a well-balanced diet abundant in these nutrients will help boost their brain power and concentration, and help improve their academic performance.
Top brain boosting foods
Fish: The brain is made up of 70% fat and requires essential fatty acids (namely omega-3 fats, DHA) from foods we eat to maintain healthy brain function and development.
Eggs: Eggs are a rich source of protein needed to make and choline, which are important nutrients needed to for proper brain function.
Blueberries: Blueberries are one of the richest food sources of health promoting antioxidants. Antioxidants are important for stimulating brain function and protecting brain cells against free radical damage.
Whole oats: Whole oats will supply your child with energy giving complex carbohydrates, fibre and B vitamins. Complex carbohydrates provide your brain with a slow and steady supply of glucose.

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Divorce – another autism myth exposed

by Benison O'Reilly on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

An 80% divorce rate for parents of kids with autism—that is, roughly double the normal rate—is often quoted as folklore.  It’s a good disaster story which garners sympathy and media attention. But is it true?

No, if you believe the researchers at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore.  And I’m inclined to believe them.

In a study unveiled at the recent International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in Philadelphia, researchers examined data from the (US) 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, including a nationally representative sample of 77,911 children aged 3 to 17 years. They found 64% of children with ASD were living in a traditional family structure (two-parent biological or adoptive) compared with 65%  of children without an ASD -that’s pretty much on par.

These findings held even when the researchers statistically controlled for other factors that could have affected family structure, such as socioeconomic status or demographics, and the reported severity of a child’s autism.   Only when researchers considered co-existing psychiatric and other problems (such as ADHD or serious behavioural problems) in children with ASD, did they find the likelihood of living in a non-traditional family structure (a two parent household with step-parents, a single mother or father, other relatives, or other family types) increased slightly.

The lead researcher, Brian Freedman, reported that he was motivated to conduct this research after hearing the oft-quoted 80% split-up rate among parents of children with autism. However, when Freedman searched for the study behind the mythical 80% figure he never found one—it appears to have originated from pure speculation and then been resurrected again and again, with no evidence to back it up.

As Seana said when I sent her the link to this study, ‘I always thought that 80% figure was bunkum.’

Certainly my experience has been that the majority of autism marriages remain intact. Sure, I’m aware of a few divorces, but nothing to suggest that autism diagnosis = matrimonial train wreck.  And in some  cases I’m aware of there have been extenuating circumstances, such as psychiatric diagnoses (bipolar disorder or, unsurprisingly, Asperger’s) affecting one of the parents.

This is good news for all ASD parents and, of course, for their children. It is far easier to face the challenges of raising a child with autism if there is another parent alongside you to assist.

The study abstract is available below:

http://imfar.confex.com/imfar/2010/webprogram/Paper6087.html

Or for more commentary at WebMD see:

www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20100519/autism-famlies-high-divorce-rate-is-a-myth?src=RSS_PUBLIC

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Complementary medicine in hospital

by Seana Smith on Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Now, I’m about to recommend a podcast from the ABC’s Health Report which has nothing to do with autism spectrum disorder – but bear with me for a minute.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/stories/2010/2893653.htm

This story on cancer care was aired on 10th May 2010, and it looks at a complementary medicine centre which is part of a mainstream hospital.  I’m sure lots of other ASD families are as fascinated and as frustrated by the issues around evidence-based medicine and complementary medicine as I am. This is an interesting program about one hospital that offers both – and why.

It is well worth becoming a regular downloader of the Health Report.  For most of us, lay people with no background in medical matters, the program is both accessible and very informative.  As time has gone by I really have gained a much greater understanding of the issues involved.

But I’m less tolerant of entrenched and dogmatic views- whatever opinion someone has!   Isn’t it the case that a little sympathy and understanding, a little patience and tolerance will go a long way?

PS  There’s a comment below the Health Report podcast with a link to a commentary on it from the Skeptics Society… worth reading, but it’s hard to read, very dense and not written in an engaging style.

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Is autism contagious?

by Benison O'Reilly on Friday, May 14th, 2010

In the introduction to the Australian Autism Handbook I write that having Joe has made me ‘a kinder and wiser person’, one who no longer ’sweats on the small stuff’.  Two years later I can confirm that still rings true.  I remain more tolerant of life’s vicissitudes and my fellow human beings and their failings. Not much upsets me.

However, there is one aspect of life where I remain less tolerant and that concerns my children.  If anyone seriously slights one of my boys I feel it keenly. This particularly applies if anyone slights Joe.

Anyway, without giving too much away, there was once a woman of my acquaintance — a woman with neurotypical children— who made it clear that— despite my gestures of friendship— she wanted as little to do with Joe and me as possible.  Was it me? Or was it Joe? I’m not sure. I can rationalise the former, but the latter…not so easily.

I once said to my husband, ‘Perhaps she thinks autism is contagious’.

Thus, I was surprised to find that a recent study suggests that it is.

Okay, I’m bending the truth a bit.  But hopefully I’ve caught your attention.

What the study, by researchers from Columbia University, did find is that children living near a child who has been previously diagnosed with autism have a much higher chance of being diagnosed themselves in the following year.

However, the researchers do not believe this is because autism is contagious. Nor do they think it’s due to an environmental agent.  They believe it is because parents are learning about autism from other parents who have a child on the spectrum; they are being educated about symptoms, and the process of obtaining a diagnosis and treatment, from people who have already been through the process with their own child.

In the study, entitled Social Influence and the Autism Epidemic, researchers looked at data on over 304,000 children born in California between 1997 and 2003. They found that children who live within 250 metres of a child with autism have a 42% higher chance of being diagnosed with an ASD in the following year compared with children who do not live near a child with autism. Children who live between 250 metres and 500 metres from a child with autism were 22% more likely to be diagnosed. As we would predict, the study showed the proximity effect to be strongest amongst children with high functioning autism, the sort of kids whose symptoms and behaviours might have been explained away as ‘oddness’ in earlier times.

The researchers eliminated competing explanations, such as environmental toxins or viral transmission through a series of statistical tests. They also considered other social factors that could be driving the autism ‘epidemic’, such as maternal age and education standards (some studies have found that older parents are more likely to have a child with an ASD, whilst others suggest that better educated parents are more likely to obtain a diagnosis for their child). Whilst the Columbia University team found that each of these social factors appears to play a role in the rising prevalence of autism, the so-called ‘social influence’ phenomenon exerted the most powerful effect.

The researchers conclude:

One does not “catch” autism from someone else, yet a social diffusion process contributes significantly to the increased prevalence of autism.

Looks like we might have found another piece in intriguing puzzle of why autism diagnoses are on the increase.

The paper, published in the American Journal of Sociology, is available free to download on the link below.

Ka‐Yuet Liu, Marissa King, and Peter S. Bearman. Social influence and the autism epidemic.

American Journal of Sociology 2010 115:5, 1387-1434

http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/651448

Or read more commentary on the study at Science Daily:

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100408161017.htm

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Healing herbs from the garden

by lisaguy on Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Hello readers. This is my first blog so I would like to introduce myself. My name is Lisa Guy and I’m a naturopath/nutritionist and author of the children’s health and nutrition book My Goodness. I’m also a mum – to little, 2-year-old Lily. I’m extremely passionate about anything to do with children’s health so I’ll be sharing with you, in my blogs, lots of interesting and important information about kids health and nutrition.

I was doing some research on antioxidants today and found an interesting new study published in the Nutrition Journal. The study compared the antioxidant content of over 3000 different foods and beverages. Surprisingly blueberries weren’t on the top of the list. Culinary herbs and spices such as cloves, peppermint, cinnamon, oregano, thyme and rosemary were found to have the greatest antioxidant content of all foods. The average antioxidant activity of spices was 300% higher than that of berries, 2300% greater than that of other fruit, and 3600% higher than that of vegetables.

Doubtless there are some issues concerning the practicalities of eating large quantities of herbs and spices in order to consume high magnitudes of antioxidants by comparison to, for example, berries, however, the results of this recent study, at the very least, serve to remind of the important role herbs and spices play in a well-balanced healthy diet.

You can and should introduce your kids to the wonderful world of herbs and spices when they are babies. Around 7 to 8 months start including a little basil, thyme, cinnamon, rosemary, parsley or oregano to their meals.

These herbs and spices not only add delightful flavours to their meals but an array of immune boosting and health promoting nutrients and antioxidants.

Giving your kids a diet rich in a variety of plant based antioxidant-rich foods will help protect them against a number of diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Other foods rich in antioxidants include berries, and other fruits and vegetables, especially red, orange and green varieties.

Antioxidants are important disease-fighting compounds that help fight free radical damage in the body. Free radicals are produced from normal cell function, however larger amounts are produced from ingesting environmental pollutants, having a poor diet rich processed and fatty fast foods, and from physical stress.

Antioxidants help to strengthen the immune system and are particularly important during phases of rapid growth in children.

So start experimenting with different herbs (fresh and dried) in soups, salads, stir-fry’s and casserols, and add some spice to muffins, porridges and smoothies…..for your kids goodness sake.

Bye till next time.

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Mother’s Day Thoughts – On A Recommended Blog

by Seana Smith on Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Ah lovely, Mother’s Day again. I’m all for mothers, I love mums and I love how we all wish each other a Happy Mother’s Day but I do have one bone to pick:  Mother’s Day is not just a day for happy mothers… it’s a day for all mothers, so lets all make sure we also enjoy it as:

Grumpy Mother’s Day

Overwhelmed Mother’s Day

Confused Mother’s Day

Tired Mother’s Day

Ecstatic Mother’s Day

And even, for some of us, once in a while…

Hungover Mother’s Day!!

Anyway, self-care is a great topic for Mother’s Day, I think, for without it, we cannot mother.  Rather than warble on with my own thoughts I shall point you to some which are very clearly expressed in a blog entry on a fairly new blog called MOKAS Living.  MOKAS stands for Mums Of Kids with Asperger Syndrome – which is also a support group on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.

Hope you find something useful for yourself in this entry:

http://mokasliving.blogspot.com/

PS  Just a little aside, especially for families whose children have been recently diagnosed.  The first mum I ever called after Tom’s diagnosis was a lovely woman whose son had been diagnosed about two months before. Sarah has always been a single mum and has worked fulltime all the years we have known each other; my husband works away a great deal.  Neither of us has family in Sydney and we became friends and did lots of things together with the boys.

The boys often rode their trikes around the same biketrack (whilst we wondered whether they’d ever manage to ride bikes), they jumped on trampolines and ran around in Spiderment costumes.  As time went by the boys had sleepovers together and we took them to the movies.

Now both aged 13, the boys go to the movies by themselves these days and we have coffees, or even wave them goodbye with instructions to get the bus home.  Both boys are mad Sea Eagles fans and they went to the match on Saturday night in Brookvale, and this time they had no parents with them at all.  They were delighted!    Sarah and I spent the time together and called occasionally then picked them up.

I’m so gratfeul that Tom has such a good and long standing friend, and someone who talks exactly his language.  The boys and we mums have had ten years of friendship; these are our silver linings.

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Autism travels to Hong Kong and Rockhampton

by Benison O'Reilly on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

We recently arrived back from a family holiday in Hong Kong, and passed a few important hurdles in the process.  A couple of years ago Joe had a bad flight back from Fiji, which he claimed ‘hurt my ears’. He decided then and there he was through with flying. As you can imagine this limited our holiday options somewhat, just at a time the rest of the family was keen to spread its wings.

We consulted our RDI® consultant, who suggested a combination of noise-cancelling headphones (available at electronic/ music stores, unfortunately with a hefty price tag) and a social story. My husband and I took Joe on a weekend trip to Melbourne (total disaster —a story in itself) but the headphones came through with flying colours (pun unintentional).

An eight and a half hour trip to Hong Kong was another matter altogether, of course.  We elected to do an overnighter, which ultimately worked well for Joe, if not the rest of the family. Joe played a few games on the in-flight entertainment system and then fell asleep for most of both flights—there and back— although the rest of us arrived at our destination bedraggled and grumpy.

How did Joe cope with busy, chaotic Hong Kong?  Pretty well in fact, although he was out of sorts the first 24 hours and developed a nasty rash on his face which he couldn’t stop himself rubbing. (Thus the photos aren’t pretty.) He enjoyed Disneyland, especially Space Mountain. He coped with train, tram, ferry, taxi and cable car rides admirably. He found enough foods he liked, despite his notoriously fussy appetite.  He was disappointed that Super Mario Bros toys (his current obsession) weren’t as ubiquitous as he’d supposed, but that was the main downside.

A visit to The Peak on the second last day was a highlight. The magnificent view was obscured by haze but we found a store that sold a huge range of Super Mario toys! I don’t know who was more thrilled, Joe or I.

Overall, despite some fractious moments involving sleep-deprived teenagers, the trip was fun.

Today Joe said,’ I want to go back to Hong Kong.’

‘Why?’ we asked.

‘Because I like it,’ he said.   Duh—obvious really.

In two weeks’ home my husband and I are off on another trip, although Joe is remaining at home this time. We are heading to Rockhampton, Queensland on Saturday May 15^th to present at an Autism Info Day, being sponsored by Autism Awareness and Aussie Helpers Children’s Fund.  Hopefully our regional cousins, so often neglected by ASD services, will get something out of the day.  If you know anyone from the region who might benefit please send them the link below.  It should be a good day and it’s free of charge.

www.autismawareness.com.au/autisminfoday2010

These days are one of the payoffs that have come to Seana and me from writing the Australian Autism Handbook—a chance to meet other ASD parents, especially those just starting out on their autism journey. A lot of these people are still shell-shocked, in the worst stages of grief, so it’s a good feeling to go out and talk to them, and reassure them that the majority of kids will get better if their parents  are prepared to stand up to help them.

Not cured— just better—I stress. Our little trip to Hong Kong may have had its ups and down but ultimately proves that point.

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