Should you give your child nutritional supplements? Are vaccinations safe? Why are more and more children becoming couch potatoes? In Healthy Child, Whole Child, doctors Stuart H. Ditchek and Russell H. Greenfield answer these questions and more, offering authoritative, cutting-edge information on all aspects of children's health and wellness. Taking the position that conventional and alternative approaches to pediatric care are not mutually exclusive, they provide the newest science and most up-to-date information on:

• The 6 myths (and one true statement) about vaccinations
• The 10 powerhouse foods for your kids
• The 7 questions you need to ask to find out if your child is overweight
• The 16 herbs that are safe and effective for children
• How to receive more integrative care from your current pediatrician
  And more!

Read This First:

What You Need to Know to Get the
Most from This Book

Before we can talk about "integrative pediatrics" we need to explain the underlying concept of integrative medicine. "Integrative medicine" is a term popularized by the founder of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, Harvard-trained physician and author Dr. Andrew Weil. It describes a model of healing that focuses on health rather than on disease, in which doctor and patient work in partnership, employing both conventional and less-established therapies to support the natural capacity for healing we all possess. Ideally, integrative medical care promotes well-being by addressing the mind, body, and spirit in a way that is effective, reasonably priced, and free of adverse side effects. Here aretwo examples from our practices to give you an idea of how these highminded phrases translate into medical care in the real world.

Ten-month-old Michael (patient names have been changed throughout the book) came to Dr. Stu after his seventh ear infection. The previous infections had all been treated by antibiotics, but Michael's mom was concerned about the long-term effects of this treatment, which didn't seem to be very helpful, anyway. A purely conventional approach would have been to put the boy on preventive antibiotics for several months, and to consider surgical insertion of plastic tubes in his eardrums to relieve the fluid buildup in his inner ear if the condition did not resolve. But Dr. Stu thought he would see better results if he could uncover and address the reason the fluid was backing up in Michael's ears instead of just treating the boy's symptoms. Allergy or a case of gastroesophageal reflux (where the acidic stomach contents back up into the esophagus) can cause recurrent ear infections, so as an integrative pediatrician, Dr. Stu suggested dietary, lifestyle, and pharmaceutical approaches to address these possibilities. He eliminated cow's milk products from Michael's diet, changed his feeding positions, and tried a short course of acid-reducing medication. Within six weeks the fluids were gone from his middle ear, and Michael has not needed antibiotics for an ear infection since.

Dr. Russ integrated conventional and alternative therapies in a similar way when he treated Selena, a five-year-old liver-transplant recipient who was also diagnosed with a form of cancer. Since Selena's specialists were not confident she could be cured, her parents wanted Dr. Russ to do what he could to make her feel better. Dr. Russ worked in partnership with Selena's more conventional doctors to help her safely discontinue some of her medications. Among the interventions recommended were mind/body therapies and osteopathic manipulation to help ease her pain, and the herbal remedy milk thistle to help protect her transplanted liver. Selena's doctors voiced concern about her attending school because she could more easily pick up an infection, but her mom knew how important it was for her little girl "to be like every other kid," and allowed her to return to the classroom. Dr. Russ saw her a year later, and Selena looked great. Her cancer had not spread detectably, and she had not developed any infections. Although she had not been cured, her quality of life had been improved significantly.

Defining
Integrative Medicine

Integrative medicine is often confused with, alternative medicine or complementary medicine, so we want to take a moment to explain the differences, with thanks to David Eisenberg M.D., who helped definethese concepts....

Stuart H. Ditchek, MD, completed his medical and pediatric training at State University of New York/Downstate Medical Center. He is a practicing pediatrician and senior managing partner of Integrative Pediatric Associates of New York and is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine. He is also a member of the Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics, and an active Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is married and has four children (with a fifth on the way).