LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

Healthy Pregnancy

CONTRACEPTIVE USE AND PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS RISK TO OFFSPRINGS – (12-29-04)

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ARE ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE USE AND PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS RISK FACTORS FOR ATOPIC DISORDERS AMONG OFFSPRING?

I have mentioned repeatedly that we are programming our next generation while they are still in the womb, and research continues to support this. Couple this with lack of/shortened breast feeding, poor dietary choices and overuse of antibiotics and it’s no wonder our kids’ physiologies are screwed up. I must admit, when I first saw a link with the BCP and increased risk I was a little surprised. But, knowing that BCP contributes to insulin resistance, might this be the real pathway that the increased risk is conferred? The increased risk was 1.8 times–quite a big influence.

Read entire article here

How To Prevent Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in 8 Easy Steps

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Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus almost guarantees you will be diabetic in the future, so you need to know how to prevent gestational diabetes.

To put things in perspective, being obese and at risk for GDM, but not actually being diagnosed with GDM had almost THIRTEEN times the risk of becoming diabetic in the future. That’s really, really high. But wait!  There’s more! Being obese AND being diagnosed with GDM led to over FORTY-SEVEN times higher risk. Nothing is certain, but this is one of the highest risks I think I’ve ever seen.

A more recent study threw elevated blood pressure during pregnancy into the mix as well and found that, in pregnant women who had experienced hypertension during their pregnancy, the later risk of developing diabetes was 508% higher. Interestingly, when they looked at the combination of hypertension, elevated cholesterol and obesity, the risk for progression to diabetes was again staggering 39.5 times higher risk. Maybe not as high as the previously mentioned study, but still strikingly high.

Given these numbers, any women diagnosed with diabetes of pregnancy needs to understand that the rest of their lives needs to be lived within the context of avoiding diabetes and making appropriate lifestyle choices.  If this is not taken into consideration, you can pretty much plan on becoming diabetic in the future.

Of course, the best option is to prevent gestational diabetes mellitus in the first place. Clearly an anti-diabetic lifestyle is key here.  Some key elements include:

  1. Continue with exercise, most likely some type of short-burst aerobic exercise
  2. Avoid refined carbohydrates / high fructose corn syrup, processed foods and high calories
  3. If an 8-yr-old can’t read the label, don’t buy it
  4. NO artificial sweeteners – Splenda, sucralose, Nutrasweet, aspartame, acesulfame K
  5. Avoid chemicals present in things like bottled water, flame retardants, bug / weed killer and Teflon
  6. Add olive oil, no added oil nuts, wild caught salmon
  7. Variety of fruits and veggies- 8-10 servings/ day

This particular study gives us an eighth option.

Researchers looked at vitamin D levels and their relationship to the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus.  The findings are pretty clear cut.

Women with levels below <25 nmol/L 220% more likely to develop pregnancy related diabetes.

25 nmol / L is a pretty low cutoff. I personally prefer 60 or higher. To get here, most patients would need to supplement at least 4-6,000 IU / day of emulsified D3 to get to this level. I know that in our office, this translates to about $20 for the entire term of the pregnancy. Pretty inexpensive protection.

If you were diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus, had anyone explained to you how great your risk of developing diabetes was in the future?

Best Probiotics for Babies Not Found In Forumula for Infants

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Industry claims that formula is as good as breastmilk; it’s not true for many reasons. The best probiotics for babies don’t come in a pill or in formula for infants.

As long as I’ve been doing blog posts (since 2000) I’ve gone on record as a strong supporter of probiotics and an avid detractor of antibiotics unless absolutely needed.  If there is any topic that exemplifies the gap between clinical practice and medical research, it is the subject of probiotics.

The first published article on the topic of probiotics was in 1907, written by Nobel Prize winner Elie Metchnikoff and was entitled “The Prolongation of Life: Oportunistic Studies.”

1907.  For those of you a little rusty on math, this is, as of today’s writing, 105 years later.  And mainstream medicine has STILL not caught up.  By these same standards of non-adaptation of the medical literature, bloodletting and sterilization would still be practiced at Mayo and the VA.

I remember the first time that I heard about probiotics showing up in the breastmilk.  I thought that this had to be an error.  Some contamination from the skin that made it into the sample.  Just no way.

 Think about it.  The bacteria would have to be absorbed from the gut actively, transporting through the bloodstream without getting destroyed by the immune system and then actively pumped back into breastmilk.  Just no way.

Turns out, my first impression was wrong.  They DO show up in breastmilk.  Not only that, but breast milk contains factors called prebiotics that support the growth of healthy bacteria in the newborn’s gut.  Personally, I could envision no better sign the Mother Nature wanted us to have beneficial bacteria in our guts than this.

But wait!  There’s more!  It’s the proverbial Ginsu knife and free shipping!

This particular study shines even more light on the probiotics present in breastmilk.

Researchers went beyond the idea that probiotics are present in breastmilk (a concept that most pediatricians are probably not aware of) and looked to see if the type of overall makeup of the types of bacteria changed during different periods of nursing.

Turns out, they do.  Here is what they found:

  1. The bacteria Weisella, Leuconostoc, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Lactococcus were predominant in colostrum samples (the initial milk production for several days after delivery)
  2. In 1- and 6-mo milk samples Veillonella, Leptotrichia and Prevotella)levels were increased
  3. Milk from obese mothers tended to contain a different and less diverse bacterial community compared with milk from normal-weight mothers
  4. Milk samples from elective cesarean delivery contained a different bacterial community than did breastmilk samples from vaginal delivery
  5. Emergency C-section milk, however, was not different from vaginal birth

There are a few take home messages here.

  1. It is clear that these bacteria in the breastmilk are not an accident
  2. Stress is likely to somehow play a role (elective C-section led to alterations in the bacteria, but emergency C-section did not), although the exact answer has yet to be understood
  3. I can pretty much guarantee that antibiotics in the mom or the infant will absolutely disrupt what Nature is attempting to do

The bottom line is that nursing provides benefits that we don’t even yet (or will ever) understand.  Formula will never replace breastmilk.  Period.  And this study suggests that, even up to 6 months, the mom’s body and breastmilk are adapting somehow to the needs of the baby.

Did your pediatrician or obstetrician recommend probiotics to you?

 

Diet for Pregnant Women: Avoid Sucralose Side Effects

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A healthy diet for pregnant women is arguably the most important factor in a healthy baby. Sucralose side effects on pregnancy keeps this chemical off the list.

Artificial sweeteners are far too well accepted in society today.  You can’t buy a pack of regular gum without aspartame or acesulfame K.  Some restuarants will only carry sucralose flavored lemonade–and don’t tell you unless you ask.  The most popular sports drinks now are sweetened with Splenda.  Every diabetic is told to use artificial sweeteners in place of sugar.

I’ve written before about how hard it is to keep my mouth shut when I see a parent feeding their toddler or preschooler any type of artificial sweetener.  This, more than anything, tells me just how entrenched artificial sweeteners have become to our current lifestyle.  And there is nothing good about it.

Clearly, the evidence points to artificial sweeteners as actually contributing to diabetes and obesity.  Based on the research, I remain firmly against any and all artificial sweeteners, even if it is just a “small amount.”  If it’s such a small amount, why even have it there in the first place?? (hint–it’s because you can still taste it, and if you can taste it, your body can react to it)

I am also not a big fan of stevia or the sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol), except in small amounts, much like is found in nature (as an example, xylitol is naturally occurring in apples, just in small amounts).  Basically, we just need to get away from this burning need for “sweet.”  This can mean cutting back on the pumps of syrup in your Starbuck’s mocha.  It means drinking your tea naturally flavored but unsweetened.  It means buying less sugar-sweetened cereals.

I’ve mentioned in the Rantings before that human physiology’s battle against diabetes is the most important battle any of us will fight.  Unless you cut back on “sweet” and cut OUT artificial sweeteners completely, you’re going to fight a losing battle.

Just in case this isn’t enough to convince you, maybe this particular study will tip you over the edge to avoidance.

One of the most important factors in having a healthy child is for the pregnant mom to go full term.  Luckily, this is not just the luck of the draw and we know may factors that increase and decrease the risk of preterm birth.

Researchers looked at sugar sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages and the risk of preterm birth.  Here’s what they found:

  1. Those women having >1 artificially sweetened beverage per day had an 11% risk of preterm birth.
  2. Drinking >1 serving of sugar sweetened beverages per day led to a 25% increased risk.

These are very real, and very modifyable risks for preterm birth of your child.  If you are not pregnant, these types of drinks are off the list; if you’re pregnant, it’s not even a question.

What did you avoid during pregnancy out of concern for harming your baby?

INFERTILITY TREATMENT AND CELIAC DISEASE- (12-22-03)

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Coeliac disease and subfertility: association is often neglected

Infertility treatment in today’s society usually consists of fertility drugs and the birth control pill. These methods are designed to override normal human physiology and force the body to perform something it is not ready to perform. A more logical approach would be to restore normal physiology and allow the body to perform as it was meant to. This would include managing insulin resistance, use of progesterone cream, lowering estrogen exposure (endogenous and exogenous) and, in the case of this study, evaluating for coelic disease (allergy to the gluten protein found in several grains, most notably wheat).

bmj.com Sanders 327 (7425): 1226-e.

Read entire article here

Allergy Induced Asthma Treatment Plans: 3 Things to Avoid

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Asthma treatment plans seem to include only medications.  However, what if you could identify household items that contribute to allergy induced asthma?

It seems all too common for toddlers, elementary school kids and teens to be dealing with asthma and allergies.  Both of these conditions are created when the Th2 arm of the immune system (specifically our cell-mediated immunity) becomes too dominant.  I call the Th2 cytokines the “guard dogs” or our immune system.  They stop stuff from getting in.  The Th1 aspect I call the “attack dogs.”  They work to destroy stuff once it enters.  We obviously need balance between the two.

Things like exposure to normal healthy bacteria in our gut and exposure to pets very early in life challenge our attack dog immune cells and keep them trained.  Antibiotic use EVER and living in an otherwise sterile, hygiene environment does not train the attack dog immune cells.

Vaccinations stimulate the guard dog immune cells, potentially leading to allergies and asthma.  We also know that Tylenol exposure, both in the womb and out, can increase asthma risk.

 But did you also know that there are many chemicals in our environment that you are exposed to every single day that can increase the risk of asthma?  This particular study looked at the presence of compounds know to mimic hormones in the body as well as chemicals already known to contribute to asthma.  Researchers looked at just where many of these compounds may be lurking, and you’ll likely find most of the list present in your home, car and office.  They include:

  1. Vinyl products (think shower curtains)
  2. Fragranced products such as perfume, air fresheners, and dryer sheets
  3. Sunscreens

Researchers found that many chemicals that they were able to find on products you would be exposed to were not listed on product labels.

Let’s go back to number 2 above, because this is the one that I think most people have a hard time understanding.  Or maybe they are just not willing to admit that fragrances are a problem.  Just to clear things up–they ARE.

Think on this.  Just how many of these do you expose yourself to?

  • Dryer sheets (we use those dryer ball thingees)
  • Carpet fresheners (so the carpet still stinks, but you’ve covered up the stinky smell with a chemical one)
  • Most candles (very few are made with only essential oils)
  • Air fresheners (see carpet fresheners, above…)
  • Bath stuff (bombs, shampoos, bubble baths, salts)

As an example of just how oblivious society is, let me relate a recent experience I had in a fancy, “natural” bath type store.  This particular store sells many things that they tout as natural, one of them being bath bombs.

I asked one of the salespeople if they made any with just essential oils.  When she was unable to find ANY, I stressed my concern with the term “fragrances.”  She even called over her manager to assure me that these are still natural and that there are no problems with “fragrances.”  I figured that right then and there was not the time to get into an argument over asthma triggers with the store manager.  But you get the point….even this store promotes their products as “natural” and yet they are anything but.

So how many of these types of products do you have in your home that you, prior to reading this post, were not aware of?

MEAT INTAKE DURING PREGNANCY RISKS CHILDHOOD HEALTH – (12-27-06)

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Maternal Supplement, Micronutrient, and Cured Meat Intake during Pregnancy and Risk of Medulloblastoma during Childhood: A Children’s Oncology Group Study

While this is a very unfair situation and I am not casting blame in any one parents’ direction, I do strongly blame society for believing that childhood cancers are a “luck of the draw” scenario that we have little control over.

I have always strongly believed that the environment in the womb does a huge amount of programming of that infant for the decades to come, and this article further supports that.  It also should be some type of impetus to get doctors away from those poor quality pharmaceutical prenatal vitamins that just barely provide enough folic acid and iron to address the anemia and neural tube defect issues but nothing else of substance.

Read entire article here

Will Antidepressant Use in Pregnancy Harm My Baby?

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The developmental time in the womb is very susceptible to any foreign chemicals. The brain is particularly sensitive.

Many pregnant women have concerns over the use of pharmaceutical drugs during pregnancy.  Drugs like Tylenol and ibuprofen are already known to be unsafe.  Given the wide use of antidepressant in society today, this class of drugs obviously comes up.

As far as I’m concerned, the use of ANY drug during pregnancy is a time bomb waiting to happen.

This particular study evaluated the potential outcomes of antidepressant use during pregnancy.  The results were a little scary as it relates to the outcomes of the pregnancy:

  •  Of the women who had a prescription for an antidepressant prior to getting pregnant, 75% of them did not fill the prescription in the second or third trimesters of pregnancy
  • 10.7% of them used antidepressants throughout pregnancy
  • Filling antidepressant prescriptions during the second trimester was associated with shorter length of pregnancy (1.7, 2.7 and 4.9 days for 1, 2 or >3 prescriptions filled)
  • Third-trimester SSRI use was associated with 490% increased risk of infant convulsions for having ≥3 prescriptions being filled

Another thing to consider that is not mentioned here.  In any situation, anytime the developing baby is exposed to artificially higher levels of some hormone (insulin from gestational diabetes, cortisol from increased stress, serotonin from SSRI use, etc…) his or her physiology becomes used to this higher level of hormone.  After birth, the baby’s “normal” level of hormones is essentially lower than what he or she was used to and this child essentially has a deficiency that they can now have a problem with.

Overall, we need to accept that there are significant risks associated with antidepressant risk during pregnancy.  This needs to be fully explained to you by your OB so that you can make a truly informed decision. Anything less is malpractice.

What other drugs or exposures did you have concerns about during your pregnancy?