Tag: children

Lyme Disease Prevention Plan

Written by Dr. Sonya Nobbe, ND on . Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

Dr. Sonya Nobbe, ND

KFL&A Public Health reports that in 2013, 23% of the ticks brought in for testing were positive for B. Burgdorferi, the infectious agent of Lyme disease. Our region is considered high risk for Lyme disease. Additional infections carried by ticks (collectively known as Lyme co-infections), were not evaluated. Please educate yourself, friends, and family members about tick-bite prevention and treatment. I’ve thoroughly researched and summarized some guidelines to keep in mind this season:

1. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing with pants tucked into socks, when outdoors in tall grasses and wooded areas so that ticks are more visible.

2. A product containing 30% DEET is officially recommended for adults. For children younger than 12 years, Health Canada recommends using a product with 10% DEET. However, the repelling effects at this concentration may only last for 1 to 2 hours. Alternate approved chemicals for children or sensitive individuals include products with Icaridin (e.g. Avon Skin So Soft, some MEC and OFF! brand products).

3. Non-approved but well researched natural repellants include Lemon Eucalyptus oil (Eucalyptus citriodora), Labrador tea oil (Rhododendron tomentosum), Juniper (Juniperus virginia), and Marjoram (Origanum majorana). These can be mixed in a ratio of 12 parts pure grain alcohol (95% if available), to 1 part oil combination, and applied liberally with a dark glass spritzer bottle over clothing.

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The Effects of Digital Media Use on Early Childhood Brain Development and Self-Regulation

Written by Dr. Holly WhiteKnight, ND on . Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

~ Dr. Holly WhiteKnight, ND

Media use by children and adolescents has reached an unprecedented level, and is ubiquitous. A recent study reported that Canadian children spend 8.5 hours per day engaged in sedentary media activities. Those under the age of two are spending 2.5 hours a day in front of a television. Youth also report using more than one device at a time. Both quantity and quality of media consumption have effects on brain development and the behavior of youth.

A developing brain is a sensitive organ that slowly builds from the bottom up.

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Technology and Energy

Written by Sarah Knight, PhD, RM on . Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

~ Sarah Knight, PhD, RM

Interacting with digital media can affect our energy systems. One immediate and noticeable impact of sitting in front of a screen is that it brings the attention away from the body and up to the head. Think about it – if you are engrossed in whatever you are doing on the computer you may even forget that you have a body! You become a floating head, perhaps with a set of arms if you are lucky. Where our attention goes our energy flows. So, “screen-time” often results in a feeling of being ungrounded. This feeling can manifest as irritation, oversensitivity, anxiety, or inability to concentrate.

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Non-toxic Sunscreen for Kids

Written by KIHC on . Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

Please view our entire June e-newsletter, Kids and Teens and their unique health needs, here.

Dr. Sonya Nobbe, ND

For years we’ve been taught that sunburns cause skin cancer and that sunscreens are protective. Did you know though that many agencies are now arguing that there is actually very little scientific evidence to prove that sunscreen prevents skin cancer, and that many ingredients in these products are quite harmful themselves? Though this may be very true, it’s most important to consider that a lack of evidence doesn’t prove ineffectiveness so that, simply put, it appears we simply lack the evidence to make an easy informed decision one way or the other. So what’s a parent to do?

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Pediatric Naturopathic Medicine

Written by KIHC on . Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

Please view our entire June e-newsletter on Kids and Teens, here.

Dr. Sonya Nobbe, ND

Children are not born as the “clean slate” we once thought of them as. Our environment is over-burdened with toxic chemicals and babies are exposed to many of these while still in mom’s tummy. Even breast milk, which is the healthiest food for a newborn child, can be laden with fat-soluble toxins from mom’s body. The good news is that children are generally quite resilient and they often respond very well to healthcare approaches that promote healthy functioning of the entire body. This differs from some approaches that address uncomfortable symptoms by suppressing normal body processes, sometimes until a child “grows out of” their particular concern.

Many complementary and integrative medicines, such as Naturopathic Medicine, Osteopathy, and advanced forms of Reiki, treat conditions by identifying and treating where or how the body is having difficulty fixing itself. By gently supporting the body’s natural ability to heal, much of the guesswork in medicine is removed and optimal health, (rather than simply the absence of disease), is possible.

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Babies and Energetic Touch

Written by KIHC on . Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

Please view our entire June e-newsletter on Kids and Teens, here.

Carol Belanger, BA, RM, BHS

Babies appreciate contact to a great degree. From time of conception, they exist in a comforting world of contact. They are both stimulated and soothed by their growing sense of touch and by their other senses as well. From my experience with babies in utero, they respond wonderfully to energy work through enhanced energetic touch. This continues after they are born too.

It can be sensory overload for a newborn or young infant in our busy, stimulating, steady-paced world. This presents an environment of a lot of input for them. Resting helps restore their sensory calm and soothing, but infants may need this calming and soothing even before a rest happens.

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We respectfully acknowledge that Kingston Integrated Healthcare is situated on ancestral Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory. Since time immemorial they have cared for these lands and waters, and we are grateful. We recognize that a healthy environment is essential to the wellbeing of all people and all life.

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