Childhood Asthma, Allergy, ADHD and Autism Statistics Totals 20 Million

In his book Healing the New Childhood Epidemics, Dr. Kenneth Bock addresses the four conditions whose exponential growth in the last 20 years is already in epidemic numbers. Autism statistics alone has increased by some estimates by 6000% (that's not a typo and no, it's not just better diagnosis). The book is a compelling read, one that I feel inadequate to summarize. Essentially, his clinical success in reversing the symptoms of the epidemics is what convinces him that he knows their root cause... toxicity in the brain and body.

According to Dr. Bock this toxicity is the result of not one thing but a combination: genetic predisposition, the assault of toxins on our children's systems, the deterioration of nutrients in the food supply, and the increased exposure to toxic mercury through aggressive vaccination. He calls these circumstances the perfect storm which has affected the most vulnerable population: our children. They are the canaries in the coal mine, so to speak.

This is the first book I've read that has integrated every experience I've had as an allergy mom to date. For the first 9 months of life, Tanner had horrible eczema. At 13 months, he had his first anaphylactic reaction to almonds. The allergist confirmed that he was allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and milk. As he has matured, he has exhibited symptoms of seasonal allergies. His eczema and related skin infections is an ongoing challenge for us. I've noticed that his eczema tends to flare during the spring and fall, when the pollens are high. I've also noticed that he can have mild reactions (a trace hive) to foods that at other times, he can eat without incident. When he gets colds, they settle in his chest and affect his breathing, which the doctors blamed in his early bout of RSV.

One of the issues that Dr. Bock addresses is the myopic system of modern medicine, with doctors seeing the world only through the lens of their own specialty. I think it's a natural tendency, one that I often experiences as a designer. The solutions that I came up with were within the system in which was trained and had the most experience. Or, as my husband likes to say, "If you're looking for someone to tell you that you need a new roof, call a roofer." In our case, we had a dermatologist treating our skin issues and an allergist treating allergic symptoms but no one seemed to know how to prevent the symptoms from occurring in the first place.

The treatments that have most helped him came from a chiropractor, who explained to me that food allergies are tricky because they cannot be treated isolation. He recommended a "detox" diet that would clear his system of refined flours and sugards, significantly reducing his processed food intake and consciously maintaining a mostly organic kitchen. We added vitamin supplements, including probiotics and daily multivitamins and cod liver oil. And to my surprise, this is the basis of Dr. Bock's groundbreaking healing program as well. Dr. Bock subscribes to the total immune load theory and takes a more holistic approach to treating his patients. In fact he says that treating the whole patient, rather than the symptoms is the key to recovery. This is really the focus of the book, that children who have these conditions can be helped and healed.

So I'm the Crazy Mom that talks about nothing else but this book right now... because like almost everyone these days, I know many families who are affected by ADHD, asthma allergies, and autism (statistics are one-third of all American children, after all). If you are one of these parents or know someone else who is, give them this book: Healing the New Childhood Epidemics.