Daily updates on Family Wellness, General Pediatric Care, Autism, Lyme Disease PANS and PANDAS with Dr. Ozdemir

How do I take care of my kids during a pandemic?

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 17:37:54 GMT

How do I take care of my kids during a pandemic?

What steps can parents take to keep their children calm during the pandemic?

Almost all kids are experiencing change right now in terms of their day-to-day routine, whether they're not going to childcare, school or seeing their friends, teachers and non-immediate family. After physical health and safety, the most important thing that parents should be concerned about is their children’s socioemotional well-being, particularly as it relates to children’s stress levels. Prolonged exposure to stressful experiences has the potential to negatively impact children’s brain development in ways far greater than missing a few months of school. Parents need to make sure they’re doing what they can to monitor the level of stress that children are experiencing and take steps to mitigate that stress. If they can't do that, try to help them cope, which looks a little bit different depending on age.

Utilizing technology to maintain relationships can be helpful. While young children might enjoy having grandparent read them a story, older kids can use FaceTime, Zoom or other telecommunication services to have conversations with peers or play games over the internet. Peer relationships are particularly important during the adolescent years, an already emotionally vulnerable phase. Many high school seniors are devastated at losing their graduation, senior ditch day and other end of the year activities. It’s important to check in to make sure they’re OK and find ways to celebrate their achievements.

How do parents answer difficult questions their child might have about COVID-19?

We don’t want to pretend we have answers when we don’t, and the language that we use should be developmentally appropriate. With younger children, we can talk about the need to be safe and explain that we can’t go outside right now while highlighting the other ways they can still see family and friends. With older kids, it’s important to acknowledge we don’t fully understand how this will impact their life and validate their emotions on the subject. They’ll usually understand the logic behind social distancing and that adhering to it will get life back to normal faster. Parents of children at every age should be aware that their children have likely heard a lot more about the pandemic than they think, via the television, streaming services and what they overhear when adults are talking. Again, it’s important for parents to check in with their children, answer questions and clear up misconceptions in developmentally appropriate terms.

What can parents do to make sure their child succeeds during distance learning?

Parents need to cut themselves slack when it comes to distance learning. Some parents might want to make a very regimented schedule that mimics a normal school day, while others might find this difficult or unnecessary. The most important thing is that families are doing what works for them. Communicate with the child’s teacher if more time is needed to complete specific assignments. Learning specific core objectives and curriculum isn’t the most important thing right now. All the kids are going to be in the same boat when school resumes, and I have a lot of faith that teachers will do a great job getting children caught up. They are professionals and that is what they do best. As parents, we need to spend this time making sure that our children’s brains are ready to learn when they go back. We do this best by providing love, affection and interaction, having fun and doing what we can to keep stress manageable.

How can we prevent children from becoming frustrated with how much extra time they spend with siblings or parents?

Try to find opportunities to get outside. We can't go to a lot of the places that we might typically, but we can go for walks, hikes or just hop in the car for a drive. Getting outside is critical for mental health, individually and as a family. Giving kids time and space to be alone is important, too. With younger kids, it often becomes the role of the parent to be the playmate now that they can’t interact with others their age face-to-face. For example, parents might have to get on the floor to play superheroes with their six-year-old.

What change could parents consider implementing during COVID-19?

Flexibility. If a family is used to a very regimented schedule, parents should know that some flexibility is likely needed right now. If a kid went to bed at 8:00 p.m. on the dot, they might not be doing that anymore. There might be some missed days for education. These things are OK, and it’s important to read the stress level in the room and roll with it.

Finally, remember that parents have their stresses too. This can result in diminished parenting, which happens when a parent is physically available but less mentally and emotionally available. As a parent, putting a “pause” on these stresses to take time to give children individual attention is important if possible. This is typically easier to do when parents have a network of social support, which right now means having other adults they can talk to, seek advice from and even just laugh with. Finding ways to maintain social relationships and social distancing at the same time can be incredibly helpful.

At Dr.O Care we are always happy to set up appointments either remotely through obtainhealth.com or in-person to discuss all of the ins-and-outs of your children's emotional health. As a parent of children, I understand how complicated all of these decisions can be! If you’d like to schedule an appointment, just call 904-743-2100 , or click here to make an appointment online .

How Gut Bugs May Be Aggravating Your Child’s Autism Symptoms

Sat, 05 Dec 2020 17:37:54 GMT

How Gut Bugs May Be Aggravating Your Child’s Autism Symptoms.

A great deal of evidence has been coming out in recent years that certain gut infections, such as clostridium species and candida, maybe producing toxins that can either cause or aggravate certain symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, ADD, and ADHD.

Why do these “bad bugs” cause so many problems? Certain pathogenic gut flora such as Clostridium difficile and Candida albicans produce harmful toxins that can get into your child’s bloodstream and cause all kinds of neurological and inflammatory damage. Toxins released by clostridia, in particular, can damage certain signaling proteins in the brain, leading to changes in behavior and brain development.

In addition, harmful gut bacteria, and yeast are often triggered by digestive issues such as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, gas, and bloating. Issues with digestion are common in kids with autism and can cause a great deal of discomfort and stress.

Antifungals and Antibiotics
Many people who find out that their child has one of these harmful gut infections may try antibiotics or antifungal therapies such as vancomycin and nystatin to clear out the bad bugs. Often times this will result in a brief period of improvement, followed by a relapse of symptoms.
So why does this happen? The problem is that once the antibiotic or antifungal medication clears out pathogenic bugs from the intestine, the empty “real estate” that remains can be re-populated by the same pathogens that were causing issues in the first place. This can often be prevented by the introduction and co-treatment with probiotics and dietary changes to help heal the damaged intestinal lining.

Achieving Overall Gut Health

Once pathogens such as clostridium and candida have been removed, either by pharmaceutical antimicrobials or by antibacterial and antifungal herbs, a long-term course of probiotics can help drive populations of good bacteria up while preventing a relapse of the bad. Once good bacteria are introduced, certain changes in diet, such as reducing pesticide and herbicide exposure by eating organic fruits and vegetables, can help your child’s gut biome continue to thrive.

Healing a “Leaky Gut”
Having a healthy gut means both repopulating the gut with beneficial bacteria probiotics and healing and sealing the gut lining. Inflammation in the intestines, whether caused by bad bacteria and yeast or by immune issues such as food allergies can lead to a condition called intestinal hyperpermeability, or “leaky gut syndrome.” In a leaky gut, a damaged intestinal lining is unable to form a complete seal between the foods the gut is digesting and the bloodstream. This allows tiny molecules of incompletely broken down nutrients to enter the blood, which can trigger even more inflammation and allergies.

There are a lot of ways we can help heal and seal the gut in kids with autism. Specific nutrients nourish the cells that line the interior of the intestines, while others can damage cells and encourage more inflammation in the gut. In addition, certain GI insults such as artificial preservatives, heavy metals, food allergens, pesticides, and herbicides can lead to increased permeability with widespread negative effects. Getting the right foods in and getting the wrong foods and environmental toxins out can have huge impacts on the health and function of the gut.

Through holistic interventions, many children and adolescents with autism and other neurological and inflammatory issues have experienced huge improvements in concentration, sleep, mood, digestive function, and overall wellbeing.

Read more about it:

– The Potential Role of Probiotics in the Management of Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders

– Autism’s Gut-Brain Connection

At Dr.O Care we are always happy to set up appointments either remotely through obtainhealth.com or in-person to discuss all of the ins-and-outs of Gut Bugs. As a parent of children, I understand how complicated all of these decisions can be! If you’d like to schedule an appointment, just call 904-743-2100 , or click here to make an appointment online .

How Parents Can Help Children of the Pandemic Cope

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 03:37:02 GMT

The pandemic has upended childhoods around the world.

Here’s what parents and caregivers can do to ease anxiety and stress among kids.

Kids are facing plenty of emotional challenges these days. Isolation from friends, remote learning, the loss of the structured school day and the loss of easy access to school counselors. The stressors we’re all facing reach beyond fear of getting sick from COVID-19, and kids are no different. The toll the disease has taken on the economy, housing, food security and our daily routines of school and work shred our sense of safety and security — the foundation for mental well-being. These pressures make children especially vulnerable to mental health issues.

So much of what we ask of children — going to school, being engaged — requires them to believe that they are going to grow up and be an adult; that they have a future . Because the sense of control over how their future is going to look depends on feeling safe and secure

There’s not enough good data on children’s mental health during the pandemic because most surveys are done on adults. And even without surveys, and o thers are seeing an increase in anxiety, depression, and thoughts about suicide in children and adolescents.

The Family Meltdown

Stressed out kids show some of the same warning signs as adults do — like isolation and withdrawing from friends or activities. In general, parents or caregivers should watch for changes in a child’s behavior that are not normal for them, says Amy Geinert, a counselor at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. For example, if your child went from being diligent about schoolwork to avoiding online classes because of feeling overwhelmed. Some kids might tell parents what’s bothering them, while others may act out or complain about headaches or stomach aches. Some may sleep too much, or too little. Younger children may become extra clingy, have more tantrums or cry more. Some risk factors can increase the risk of suicide in kids, such as feeling like they are too much of a burden. This blog post from CHOC Children's, the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, offers tips to recognize those signs.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends talking to children openly and honestly about the pandemic because avoiding these conversations does not protect them. And don’t bother trying to hide your own worries, because kids pick up on everything. “It’s one of their magical powers,” says Alejandra Gonzalez Rodriguez, a family and marriage therapist at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Just make sure that what you are sharing is age-appropriate. “You don’t want to tell your 10-year-old that you are having significant financial issues," she says.

And, if in a weak moment, what you share with your children happens to be your own tantrum, it's important to recognize what’s happened and just apologize, says Gonzalez Rodriguez. You’ll soothe the child’s feelings, and also show them that healthy relationships ebb and flow between conflict and healing.

Mending the Frayed Safety Net

Unfortunately, at a time when we need to blow off steam, our ways to cope are limited. Finding activities that promote well-being isn’t complicated. Just ask your children what they want to do together as a family, whether that’s cuddling, holding a movie night, or cooking grandma’s favorite recipe. Parents may take these things for granted, but traditions and rituals mean a lot to kids, says Gonzalez Rodriguez.

Also, ask kids what they like to do when they’re not feeling well. To identify those moments, Gonzalez Rodriguez suggests filling out what’s called a feelings thermometer , which helps children (and adults), recognize and speak about their emotions. Parents can also try exercises like belly breathing and grounding , which, for example, asks kids to look around them and find three 3 green objects. This technique helps shift the focus away from anxious thoughts, but does take practice to have a calming effect, says Gonzalez Rodriguez. Music can also soothe or entertain. Adam Parker, a school psychologist in the Cherry Creek School District near Denver, takes a fun approach to the social and emotional challenges of being stuck at home. His series of videos on YouTube tackles topics like doubt, grit, and empathy with songs and interviews.

Taking the Next Step Forward

While there are at-home remedies for symptoms of anxiety and depression, reach out to a therapist when your efforts aren’t working. Remember to include yourself, if necessary. “Plenty of parents will seek help for their kids and ignore their own mental health needs,” says Katherine Nelson, an assistant professor of counseling at the University of North Dakota. T here’s still a stigma attached to seeking professional help. Mental health is something people think they can manage on their own, says Nelson. Parents may also feel uncertain or fearful about what seeking mental health means, such as worrying something may be wrong with them, or worrying that seeking help for their kids may reflect poorly on them as a parent, she says. “It takes a lot of strength to ask for help, and it’s also scary,” says Nelson, who also urges us to be OK with the fact that everything has changed.

In fact, finding ways to stay positive — as challenging as that is these days — helps build resilience , in part, by how we frame the stories that we tell ourselves, says Gonzalez Rodriguez. While this may sound abstract, how we look at adversity helps or harms our ability to overcome problems. If we tell our kids that we can overcome the pandemic, then that’s the narrative they will have, she says.

Remember, too that kids bounce back. Even with the scary unknowns about the pandemic, we can still move forward, and perhaps be stronger because of the experience, says Geinert.

Phosphatidylserine and ADHD

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 17:37:54 GMT

Phosphatidylserine and ADHD

Recently I had a parent ask me about a supplement called phosphatidylserine sometimes abbreviated as PS. She wanted to know if it might be beneficial for her child’s brain function. So what is this stuff, and can it really help kids with ADD/ADHD, autism, and learning disorders?

Phosphatidylserine is a type of fat that is found in the membranes of our cells. There are lots of different fats in our cell membranes, and this one is especially abundant in the cells of our brains and the rest of our nervous systems.

Phosphatidylserine has many roles in the brain.

It helps keep the membranes of our brain cells healthy and fluid.
It supports nerve growth factor (NGF), a neuropeptide that is important for brain growth, development, and maintenance.
It is a signaling molecule, meaning it helps the cells of our brains respond to hormones, neurotransmitters, and other types of communication between cells.
Phosphatidylserine also plays an important role in the production of dopamine (your “feel good” neurotransmitter) and acetylcholine (an important neurotransmitter for memory, focus, and reasoning skills).

With all that in mind, it’s not surprising that in studies of kids with ADHD , children who took phosphatidylserine had significant improvements in attention and focus, hyperactivity, short-term memory, and impulsivity. In fact, phosphatidylserine’s ability to improve memory, attention, and focus has been proven again and again, in dozens of studies.

In children with mild or high-functioning autism spectrum disorders, phosphatidylserine has been shown to improve cognitive function and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol . It has also been studied widely in adults, especially those dealing with a decline in memory and cognitive function as they age. In these studies , individuals taking phosphatidylserine have shown significant improvements in memory, mood, and cognitive function.

Phosphatidylserine’s beneficial role in autism and ADHD may also be due in part to its anti-inflammatory properties. When our cells become damaged through normal wear-and-tear, a process called apoptosis allows those worn-out cells to be removed and cleared out of the system. Often this process involves a significant amount of inflammation as those worn-out cells are tagged for removal and destroyed. Phosphatidylserine allows these cells to be removed without triggering the inflammatory process , which lowers inflammation overall.

And, as a nice bonus for you parents with athletic kids, phosphatidylserine seems to have great benefits for sports performance and recovery. Benefits include decreased muscle soreness, increased stamina, and improved accuracy and precision . In a 2010 study of young adult athletes, supplementation with 400mg/day of phosphatidylserine increased these athlete’s ability to make quick calculations and judgments by nearly 20%, while decreasing errors by 33%.

Would you like Dr.O Care’s help with your child’s ADHD?
At Dr.O Care we are always happy to set up appointments either remotely through obtainhealth.com or in-person to discuss all of the ins-and-outs of treating ADHD. As a parent of children, I understand how complicated all of these decisions can be! If you’d like to schedule an appointment, just call 904-743-2100 , or click here to make an appointment online.

Protection from a Bad Flu Year with Elderberry

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 05:16:01 GMT

Protection from a Bad Flu Year with Elderberry

So it’s another bad flu year!

The flu that’s going around this year, H3N2, is especially dangerous and has already resulted in thousands of hospitalizations. You may be wondering how to protect yourself and your family from this potent virus. While traditional therapies such as ginger tea and warming soups are certainly beneficial, one remarkable herb, Sambucus nigra , also known as black elderberry, has been shown to both prevent and decrease the severity of the flu. Read on to find out more!

Avoid the Flu in the First Place

In a 2016 study , people taking elderberry were 40% less likely to get sick than people taking a placebo. Why is this? Elderberry increases the activity of the immune system, and in several studies, it’s been shown to specifically increase antibodies to the flu virus. That means that even if someone is exposed to a flu germ, elderberry may help their immune system find and destroy the virus before it has a chance to make them sick.

Elderberry Can Reduce the Length of a Flu

In a study out of Norway , elderberry reduced flu symptoms, such as headaches, fever, nausea, chills, and body aches, by a full four days. These results have been repeated in several studies and are so solid that even the University of Michigan recommends Elderberry for cold and flu!

Elderberry is Tasty!

One of the nicest things about elderberry is that it’s delicious! It has been used traditionally in jams, jellies, syrups, and even soups, such as in the traditional German dish fliederbeerensuppe. This makes it an easy herb to use for kids and teens or even picky adults. Most kids are happy to take a spoonful, or it can be put in a smoothie or even drizzled on pancakes or waffles in the morning.

Elderberry and Safety
When harvested and prepared correctly, elderberry is considered safe and non-toxic for most individuals. However, not everyone will benefit from taking elderberry, and elderberry that is harvested at the wrong time or prepared the wrong way can be harmful to your health. Because of this, elderberry should be used under the direction of your naturopathic doctor or other health care practitioner, and you should only use products from high-quality herbal suppliers such as Gaia Herbs or Maine Medicinals.

Never consume the leaves, bark, roots, or branches of the elderberry tree, and never consume raw berries, as these can be toxic.

Why do it Alone?

Would you like Dr.O Care’s help to get through the cold and flu season this year?

At Dr.O Care we are always happy to set up appointments either remotely through obtainhealth.com or in-person to discuss all of the ins-and-outs of treating cold and flu. As a parent of children, I understand how complicated all of these decisions can be! If you’d like to schedule an appointment, just call 904-743-2100 , or click here to make an appointment online.

Is There Too Much Aluminum in Vaccines?

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 14:41:51 GMT

Is There Too Much Aluminum in Vaccines?

For a long time there’s been concern amongst parents and medical providers about the amount of aluminum in vaccines, and the amount of aluminum a child will be exposed to all together over the course of their first few years if they are fully vaccinated. In the medical world, there are arguments on both sides of the fence – some researchers and doctors say the aluminum in vaccines harmless, while others warn of frightening toxic effects of high aluminum as it accumulates in tissues, especially the brain.

Why is Aluminum in Vaccines?

A vaccine is a chopped up or half-dead version of a bacteria or virus. When the immune system gets introduced to the damaged bug it has no trouble fighting it off. If everything goes right, this leaves the immune system with skills to fight that bacteria or virus off, if the person is ever exposed to it in the future. The problem is, the bits-and-pieces version of a dead bug is not always that interesting to the immune system. If it’s introduced all by itself, the immune system might not even bother making an immune response. That’s where aluminum comes in – the immune system finds aluminum very annoying. Vaccine manufacturers combine the pathogen parts with aluminum, and so the immune system is more likely to see the virus or bacteria bits as a problem, too. In a way, it’s guilt by association. In other words, it would be great if we could just make these vaccines in an aluminum-free version, but unfortunately, the aluminum is in there because they just wouldn’t work without it.

The other unfortunate issue is that because aluminum is so annoying to the immune system when it starts to build up in the body’s tissues (especially the brain), it can still fire up the immune system, months or even years after the vaccine was given.

Why Might Aluminum Be a Problem?

The kidneys are pretty good at getting rid of most aluminum by excreting it in urine, but a little bit will always get left behind. Over time, the amount left behind can build up in important tissues, especially the brain. Aluminum is a known neurotoxin, meaning it damages brain cells and can cause a long list of neurological issues, such as autoimmune brain inflammation and seizures. High aluminum is also consistently found in the brains of children with autism and is associated with impaired social skills in animal models . Aluminum is also associated with other types of autoimmune diseases, including an emerging disease called autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA).

Do All Vaccines Have Aluminum?

Nope, but a lot of our most important vaccines do (including DTaP, Prevnar, and some forms of HIB). Here’s a list of those that do vs those that don’t:

How Much Aluminum is Safe?

The main ruling by the FDA on the amount of aluminum kids and babies should be exposed to at any given time focuses on how much aluminum is a safe level in liquid food given to kids who are on a feeding tube (aka “parenteral nutrition”). There is no current ruling about the maximum amount of aluminum allowed via vaccination, as this would cause obvious issues for vaccine manufacture and may reduce vaccination rates. The limit they impose on food for parenteral nutrition is 5mcg per kilo per day. In a 7lb baby, this would add up to 16mcg. In a 25lb toddler, it would add up to 57mcg. So I’m sure many of you are now looking back at that chart above. A 16mcg limit for a newborn, and we’re giving them a shot that has 250mcg on their first day of life? This just gets compounded when you think about how much aluminum kids will be exposed to overtime if they are following the CDC schedule. Depending on the brands their pediatrician chooses, a fully vaccinated baby will be injected with 3,020-4,875 mcg of aluminum by the time they are a year and a half old. Many people, myself included, feel very uncomfortable about the potential risks this may pose for kids and their development.

Are There Ways to Reduce Aluminum Absorption or Increase Detox?

Yes! Fortunately, aluminum is easier than many other heavy metals to remove from the body (chelate). Silicon is a mineral that can help the body remove aluminum, and even just the simple addition of silica-rich water can help reduce aluminum levels. In addition, there are various alternative vaccine schedules that reduce the overall burden of aluminum at any one time.

There are many vaccine-friendly pediatricians who can help parents both navigate the safest options regarding immunizations and help mitigate the possible effects of vaccines that contain aluminum.

At Dr.O Care we are always happy to set up appointments either remotely through obtainhealth.com or in-person to discuss all of the ins-and-outs of vaccination options. As a parent of children, I understand how complicated all of these decisions can be! If you’d like to schedule an appointment, just call 904-743-2100, or click here to make an appointment online.

Could Leaky Gut Be Causing Your Immune Symptoms?

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 15:21:11 GMT

Could Leaky Gut Be Causing Your Immune Symptoms?

A leaky gut syndrome is a disorder that can cause any number of immune symptoms, from mild issues like seasonal allergies and eczema to more serious conditions like multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis. So what exactly is leaky gut, and how does it happen?

After a meal, the food you eat gets broken down into smaller and smaller particles in your intestines. Eventually, it gets broken down into the tiny units that make up the building blocks of your tissues – amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and sugars. It’s up to the lining of your intestine to block large particles of food that are not digested yet. At the same time, your intestine needs to be able to let the broken down nutrients into your blood so that they can be carried off for use all over your body. These cells lining your intestines have to stay tightly linked together until those fully broken down nutrients are ready to be absorbed.

With leaky gut syndrome, the cells start to lose their ability to stay tightly closed. They start to open too frequently, too early, or at the wrong time – and because of that, larger molecules of partially-digested food can get into the blood. When the immune system sees these large molecules, it can go into a state of hyper-reactivity, resulting in symptoms such as asthma, food and seasonal allergies, eczema, psoriasis, and even mood disorders like anxiety and depression. This extra permeable gut lining is what we call a “leaky gut.”

When undigested food Is Absorbed?

When white blood cells see incompletely digested food, they can react by putting out chemicals such as histamine the chemical that makes your eyes itch and water, causes runny nose, and can cause irritability or anxiety when it gets too high or by increasing in number to respond to the “threat” of the undigested food. With more white blood cells in circulation, there is more of a chance that they will react to simple things like pollen or mold. When you do get a reaction, such as a rash, the more white blood cells you have the bigger and more intense the reaction will be. That’s how a leaky gut can turn a tendency toward eczema into a huge, itchy, hot, angry rash. If this hyper-reactivity of the immune system goes on long enough, it can put you at risk for the development of autoimmune diseases, where the immune system starts to attack your own tissues. Examples of common autoimmune diseases are rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (hypothyroid), Graves’ disease (hyperthyroid), lupus, and multiple sclerosis.

What causes a Leaky Gut?

There are many theories about what may cause a leaky gut.

- Bacterial Imbalance. Your gut contains billions of bacteria, which perform many functions that we need to be healthy. Good bacteria, such as lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, help create nutrients that nourish the cells of our gut lining. If you have ever taken antibiotics you may have altered the healthy balance of bacteria in your gut. Antibiotics kill bacteria, which can be a good thing when you have bacterial pneumonia or some other life-threatening infection. Unfortunately, when antibiotics kill off that bad bacteria, they also kill off all the good bacteria that you need for a healthy gut lining. That leaves a lot of “open real estate” in the intestines for yeast and other harmful microbes to colonize. Bad bacteria, such as strep, and yeasts like candida, produce toxins that irritate cause inflammation in our gut lining. This can cause dysfunctions in the gut lining’s ability to open and close properly, and eventually lead to a leaky gut

– Food Allergies. Another way leaky gut syndrome can be triggered is by eating foods that are irritants to your gut lining. If you are allergic to certain foods – common allergies include gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, etc

– eating these foods can cause chronic inflammation in the cells lining the gut, leading to further inability to regulate the absorption of nutrients. There is even a protein in wheat called zonulin that acts as a trigger to the “gatekeepers” that open up the gaps between gut cells, leading to more food leaking out before it’s fully digested. Because of zonulin, eating wheat can trigger a leaky-gut like reaction in any person, not just those who are sensitive to wheat and gluten.

– Medications. Certain medications, especially steroids, NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and Advil, and certain anti-cancer agents can cause increased intestinal permeability.

So how do we fix leaky gut?

There are many natural and effective ways to heal a leaky gut.

– Diet. A diet high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and low in inflammatory oils and grains is often an important first step in healing an irritated gut lining. Identifying food allergies and sensitivities can further reduce inflammation and aid in healing.

– Herbs and Supplements. Several herbs and supplements, such as fish oil and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) are beneficial for leaky gut either because of their anti-inflammatory properties or their ability to coat and nourish the gut lining. Herbs and supplements should be used under the care of a qualified holistic doctor or herbalist.

– Balancing Gut Flora. Identifying and treating any bacterial imbalances or gut infections is usually an important aspect of healing a leaky gut. A stool test that looks for bacteria, yeast, and parasites can be a helpful tool in finding out what’s happening in the microbiome. If any harmful microbes are detected, a stool test that includes “a culture and sensitivity” can help your doctor identify the herbs and medications that may help you get rid of the infection.

While dealing with the symptoms of leaky gut can be a frustrating experience, following these simple guidelines and adopting an anti-inflammatory diet can make huge differences in both your current symptoms and your lifelong health. As always, you should see a qualified specialist for help and guidance when dealing with any significant health concern.

At Dr.O Care we are always happy to set up appointments either remotely through obtainhealth.com or in-person to discuss all of the ins-and-outs of treating a leaky gut and the options. As a parent of children, I understand how complicated all of these decisions can be! If you’d like to schedule an appointment, just call 904-743-2100, or click here to make an appointment online.

Hope for Kids with PANDAS and PANS

aozdemir@drocare.com (Aylin Ozdemir ) — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 02:10:09 GMT

Hope for Kids with PANDAS and PANS

Over the last few years, parents and pediatricians have been noticing a strange phenomenon happening with certain kids. A child can be perfectly happy and normal, then out of the blue develop tics and spasms, extreme anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, mood swings, anorexia, aggression, hyperactivity, cognitive changes, or any combination of the above. This is a tragic change, and often parents and doctors are at a loss when trying to figure out what might be causing these symptoms and behaviors.

What are PANDAS and PANS?
PANDAS and PANS are syndromes that bring on sudden, unexpected neurological and behavioral issues after an illness or infection.

PANDAS stands for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep, and it’s thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction to cells in the brain that control dopamine production. PANS (Pediatric Acute Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) is more general – instead of being caused by a reaction to strep, it can be caused by a reaction to several bacteria or viruses, including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), influenza, coxsackievirus, various herpes viruses, mycoplasma, and the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

In a PANS/PANDAS reaction, the child’s immune system essentially becomes confused and starts to mistake cells in a part of the brain for something dangerous, like bacteria or virally infected cells. Once this case of “mistaken identity” gets started, the immune system can begin to cause inflammation and irritation in the child’s brain, which is thought to be the cause of all the bizarre behavior we see in PANDAS and PANS. With PANDAS, this autoimmune reaction is most frequently triggered by a streptococcus infection, which is the bug that causes strep throat. A lot of kids who develop PANDAS have a bad cold, strep throat, or a sinus infection just before they develop their symptoms. However, because strep can also live deep in the tonsils, in the adenoids, or in the gut, sometimes kids with a strep infection will have a negative rapid strep test, but will still develop PANDAS after or during their infection. To make it even more confusing, some kids develop a condition called PANS: Pediatric Acute Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, which is not always associated with a strep infection – it may be triggered during a viral infection or infection with some other bug. PANDAS is often a condition that has cycles – a kid may have a flare, then go into remission for a while with treatment, then have another exposure to strep (or whatever their trigger is) and then have another flare. Because of this your doctor may recommend that other people in the house are checked for strep infection, as they may act as a sort of “reservoir” for the bacteria.

How are PANDAS and PANS Treated?
This is a very serious condition and must be evaluated by a practitioner who has experience diagnosing and working with PANDAS.

Many practitioners confuse PANDAS / PANS for various other issues, such as Tourette’s syndrome, oppositional defiant disorder, or an autism spectrum disorder. This is in part because PANDAS is a relatively new phenomenon, and in part, because there can be so many symptoms that PANDAS can look like a lot of other disorders. Misdiagnosis of PANDAS even by the most well-meaning doctor can not only delay proper treatment, but it may also result in a lot of unnecessary and expensive interventions like ineffective medications or procedures.

Mainstream Treatment

The most common mainstream medical interventions are antibiotics and antivirals. For some kids, one course of antibiotics is all they really need to get better. Other kids might have a susceptibility to developing and PANDAS and PANS after an illness throughout their entire childhoods. Children in these circumstances are often given “antibiotic prophylaxis,” meaning they have to take antibiotics in some form for many years. If their trigger is identified as a specific virus, they may be put on long-term antiviral medication. Other treatments include IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin) and plasmapheresis, which are both treatments that involve putting concentrated antibodies from donor blood into the child’s system to help stop the autoimmune reaction. All of these treatments have relatively good outcomes with kids, especially when paired with naturopathic treatments such as changes in diet, reduction in inflammation, and increasing gut health.

Holistic Treatment

On the naturopathic side, we offer a lot of help to go along with antibiotic treatment. Because PANDAS/PANS are inflammatory immune conditions, a lot of the focus in holistic treatment is on killing off whatever is triggering the reaction, reducing inflammation, and regulating the immune system – three things that naturopathic doctors tend to be pretty great at. ND’s use anti-microbial herbs such as garlic, olive leaf extract, and lemon balm to directly reduce bacterial and viral load without stimulating the immune system. In the case of PANDAS and PANS, this is important because the child’s immune system is already overreactive. Because most anti-microbial herbs do work by increasing the function of the immune system, it’s very important that you seek guidance from a trained naturopathic doctor or another healthcare provider with a background in botanical pharmacokinetics before starting your child on an herbal regimen. In addition, a naturopathic doctor can help the child rebuild a population of healthy gut bacteria after antibiotics, reduce the inflammation in the gut that can lead to increased autoimmune reactions, and treat any co-infections such as candida (yeast) or clostridium.

YES! There is Hope!

The good news is, many kids with PANDAS or PANS go into remission during treatment, and are able to stay symptom-free for long periods – possibly even permanently if exposures to strep or their trigger microbe are avoided. In addition, the vast majority of kids (current estimates are around 95%) grow out of PANDAS and PANS when they hit adolescence or young adulthood. This may be because the immune system becomes fully mature around that age, and it is better able to “self-correct.”

Learn More…

The PANDAS Network has a lot of great information for parents and people who want to find out more about PANDAS, what causes it, and how it can be treated. Check out their website for further information or to find a list of providers in your area who are trained to recognize and treat PANDAS and PANS.

Safe Alternatives to the Vitamin K Shot

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 02:43:48 GMT

Safe Alternatives to the Vitamin K Shot

Please note, offering safe recommendations on this or any medical procedure requires a full health history. Dr.O Care is unable to offer medical advice, including advice regarding the vitamin K shot unless you are an established patient. If you are seeking education or counseling regarding the vitamin K shot, you must first make an initial appointment.

Many parents have reservations about the vitamin K shot, which is normally given just after birth. Most often this is due to concerns about preservatives or other ingredients in the shot, discomfort about giving their children a needle stick, or both. For parents hoping to forego this early intervention, are there other options out there?

What is Vitamin K – and why do babies need it?

When we get bumps and scrapes, blood vessels break open and they bleed. The main way our bodies have to stop all that bleeding is by making a blood clot, which is a sticky web of fibers and blood cells that can patch and plug up any holes. Vitamin K is a nutrient that the body needs to produce the sticky fibers that hold a blood clot together. Without enough vitamin K, the body can’t make a good plug – so even a small injury can bleed a dangerous amount. All babies are born with low vitamin K because vitamin K has a hard time crossing the placenta. It also can be hard to get vitamin K through breast milk, so babies who are breastfed without any vitamin K supplementation often remain low in vitamin K till they start eating solid foods.

Low vitamin K causes bleeding in around 1% of babies who don’t get vitamin K supplementation. Vitamin K deficient bleeding also called VKDB can cause internal bleeding in the intestines, or worse, in the brain. In addition, the first few weeks of life aren’t the only time a baby is at risk for VKDB – a small fraction of babies can have what’s called late-onset VKDB, as much as six months after they are born.

Before we go on, because the above is a terrifying thought, I just want to say that it is VERY EASY to supplement a newborn’s vitamin K levels, with or without a vitamin K injection. Read on to find out more.

Concerns with the Vitamin K Shot

The two main concerns most people have about the vitamin K shot are toxic preservatives and increased risk of leukemia. Read more on each of those below.

What Preservatives are in the Vitamin K Shot?

There are two kinds of vitamin K shots – a form with preservatives and the “preservative-free” shot which still contains several preservatives, but the preservatives used are considered non-toxic. If you aren’t sure which shot your hospital, birthing center, or midwife uses, make sure to ask before you go into labor.

Here are the ingredients of the regular vitamin K shot:

Synthetic vitamin K (Phytonadione)
Polyoxyethylated fatty acid derivative (derived from castor oil)
Dextrose Monohydrate (glucose)
Water
Benzyl alcohol
Hydrochloric acid

Here are the ingredients of the “preservative-free” shot:

Synthetic vitamin K (Phytonadione)
Polysorbate 80
Propylene glycol
Sodium acetate anhydrous
Glacial acetic acid (vinegar)

Most of the ingredients in the “preservative-free” version of the shot are at low enough levels that they are considered safe. However, Polysorbate 80 has been associated with sterility in rats – many people, myself included, feel like this additive should be studied further in humans before we consider it safe for our kids.

The Vitamin K shot and leukemia

A 1992 study showed an increased risk of childhood leukemia in kids who got the vitamin K shot vs kids who got oral vitamin K. But there were a few issues with this study – the major one being that it was a small study of only a few hundred kids, which may not have been enough to rule out confounding factors. For example, while the kids in the group with cancer were slightly more likely to have had the vitamin K shot, they were also more likely to have a mom that smoked cigarettes while pregnant most of these kids were in utero during the ’70s and 80’s when that kind of thing was still common. Several also had their abdomens x-rayed during pregnancy, which may have increased cancer risk for their kids later in childhood.

When this study came out it caused a lot of alarm and several much larger studies were done to see if the correlation held out. Larger studies didn’t show any correlation between the vitamin K shot and leukemia or any other cancers , but the question of correlation is enough to make some parents want to opt for non-injection sources of vitamin K for their infants.

Easy alternatives to Injectable Vitamin K

There are several alternatives to the shot, and they are very easy and low risk. The two best-studied ways of supplementing vitamin K are:

– Vitamin K Drops.

A well-done study in Denmark showed that supplementation with 1mg vitamin K via oral drops once per week was just as effective as the vitamin K shot at birth for preventing vitamin K deficient bleeding. Giving these drops is easy – just one drop per week directly into the mouth or bottle is all it takes. Bio-K-Mulsion by Biotics Research is a good one, if you have another brand in mind, just ask your doctor or midwife first to make sure it’s the right product and that it comes from a reputable source.

– Supplementing the Breastfeeding Parent.

In order to get breast milk up to the levels babies need, a breastfeeding parent can take around 5mg of vitamin K per day. While this is about 56 times higher than the daily recommended amount for adults, vitamin K is still considered non-toxic at this dose.

Other ways to support Vitamin K Levels
Probiotics may also help infants increase their vitamin K levels, especially with babies delivered via cesarian section. Gut bacteria helps create vitamin K for the body – by the time a baby is on solid foods, about 10% of the vitamin K they need can be produced by bacteria, while foods they eat provide them with the other 90%.

Deciding whether or not to give the vitamin K shot to your newborn is just one of many decisions new parents have to make in a baby’s first week of life. Fortunately, with a little guidance and support from your health care provider, there are plenty of ways to make sure your newborn is protected from VKDB is a safe, non-toxic way.

Would you like Dr.O Care’s help with your child’s vitamin K shot?

At Dr.O Care we are always happy to set up appointments either remotely through obtainhealth.com or in-person to discuss all of the ins-and-outs of the vitamin K shot. As a parent of children, I understand how complicated all of these decisions can be! If you’d like to schedule an appointment, just call 904-743-2100 , or click here to make an appointment online.

Finding Emotional Balance with OCD

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 03:01:04 GMT

Finding Emotional Balance with OCD

There are many things that can a child’s or adolescent’s mental health, from things as complex as neurotransmitter deficiencies to issues as simple as food allergies. Integrative and Naturopathic medicine always seeks to find the root cause of mood disorders, so that your child can experience long-lasting relief. Holistic therapies such as herbs, supplemental nutritional support, homeopathy, and lifestyle changes can make dramatic impacts on your child’s cognitive, behavioral, and emotional health.

The Gut-Brain Connection
A recent report put out by Caltech notes that an estimated 90% of our body’s serotonin is made in our gut. That means that an imbalance in gut flora, such as candida overgrowth, may disrupt the serotonin levels in your child’s blood, causing low serotonin. Low serotonin is associated with several conditions, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social withdrawal, and insomnia. Occasionally overgrowth of harmful fungi and bacteria in the gut (sometimes called dysbiosis) can cause mental and emotional disturbances simply by their own growth and metabolism. The bi-products of organisms like candida and clostridium can act as neurotoxins, causing irritability, confusion, mood swings, and aggression. Balancing the gut and maintaining healthy gut flora is an essential part of every child’s emotional and mental well-being. Check out the following blog post on dysbiosis and autistic behaviors: Gut Bacteria and Autism

Anxiety and Depression

Children and adolescents deal with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues for a variety of reasons. For some kids, there is a genetic tendency to have anxiety or depression in the family. Other kids experience traumas or stresses that make them more vulnerable to negative thoughts and moods. For other kids and adolescents, their mood may be affected by inflammation, nutritional deficiencies, or exposure to environmental toxins. Naturopathic medicine can help identify and treat these preventable causes of mood disorders, and help your child find long-term solutions to better deal with the emotional and physical stresses of their lives and environments.

Help for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Children and adults with OCD generally live with a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety. Rituals and repetitive behaviors can be very time consuming and prevent people suffering from OCD from engaging in common activities such as playing sports, going out with friends, going to other people’s houses, or even going to school or work. Watching your child or loved one go through this kind of stress can be very painful. Fortunately, there are many holistic, gentle treatments for OCD.

At Dr.O Care we are always happy to set up appointments either remotely through obtainhealth.com or in-person to discuss all of the ins-and-outs of OCD in children. As a parent of children, I understand how complicated all of these decisions can be! If you’d like to schedule an appointment, just call 904-743-2100 , or click here to make an appointment online.

Daily updates on Family Wellness, General Pediatric Care, Autism, Lyme Disease PANS and PANDAS with Dr. Ozdemir

How do I take care of my kids during a pandemic?

How do I take care of my kids during a pandemic?

What steps can parents take to keep their children calm during the pandemic?

How do parents answer difficult questions their child might have about COVID-19?

What can parents do to make sure their child succeeds during distance learning?

How can we prevent children from becoming frustrated with how much extra time they spend with siblings or parents?

What change could parents consider implementing during COVID-19?

How Gut Bugs May Be Aggravating Your Child’s Autism Symptoms

How Parents Can Help Children of the Pandemic Cope

Here’s what parents and caregivers can do to ease anxiety and stress among kids.

The Family Meltdown

Mending the Frayed Safety Net

Taking the Next Step Forward

Phosphatidylserine and ADHD

Protection from a Bad Flu Year with Elderberry

Avoid the Flu in the First Place

Elderberry Can Reduce the Length of a Flu

Elderberry is Tasty!

Why do it Alone?

Is There Too Much Aluminum in Vaccines?

Why is Aluminum in Vaccines?

Why Might Aluminum Be a Problem?

Do All Vaccines Have Aluminum?

How Much Aluminum is Safe?

Are There Ways to Reduce Aluminum Absorption or Increase Detox?

Could Leaky Gut Be Causing Your Immune Symptoms?

Hope for Kids with PANDAS and PANS

What are PANDAS and PANS? PANDAS and PANS are syndromes that bring on sudden, unexpected neurological and behavioral issues after an illness or infection.

How are PANDAS and PANS Treated? This is a very serious condition and must be evaluated by a practitioner who has experience diagnosing and working with PANDAS. ​

Mainstream Treatment

Holistic Treatment

YES! There is Hope!

Learn More…

Safe Alternatives to the Vitamin K Shot

Concerns with the Vitamin K Shot

What Preservatives are in the Vitamin K Shot?

The Vitamin K shot and leukemia

Finding Emotional Balance with OCD

What are PANDAS and PANS?
PANDAS and PANS are syndromes that bring on sudden, unexpected neurological and behavioral issues after an illness or infection.

How are PANDAS and PANS Treated?
This is a very serious condition and must be evaluated by a practitioner who has experience diagnosing and working with PANDAS.