As a pediatric nurse and mother of two, I certainly agree that threats to children's health are greater and more prevalent than when I was a child. Autism, ADHD, Type I diabetes, obesity and more are skyrocketing. I don't think the reasons for this are being adequately addressed.

I think several generations have been poorly nourished due to factory farming & soil depletion as well as increasing commercialization of food production. Think of all the highly processed foods many people eat. Not only are they stripped of nutrients, many are downright toxic. I recommend reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for more information about this problem and about how to feed your family more nutritious foods.

It is important for people planning to have children to be sure they are adequately nourished with whole, natural foods before conception. Everyone should be taking quality nutritional supplements, especially before and during pregnancy. Beware, many vitamin brands are difficult to absorb, or even contaminated with harmful substances such as lead. Go with a brand that does independent testing for potency, purity, and clinical performance, such as the one I have linked to above.

It is also important to protect ourselves from harmful toxins and chemicals in our homes by replacing toxic products with safe, natural products to clean the home. To learn more, visit my webpage where I discuss which chemicals are harmful and why, as well as how to choose a safe product. http://www.squidoo.com/safecleaning/ Or if you just want to shop for safe products visit http://www.shaklee.net/good_health/getclean/index

Jen S. RN

By smdryad on Jul 20th 2007 at 1:23PM

My link didn't come through. For quality, independently tested nutritional supplements with guaranteed potency, purity, and clinical performance, visit http://www.shaklee.net/good_health/prodNut

Jen S. RN

By smdryad on Jul 20th 2007 at 1:26PM

4.4 million with ADHD? What a crock! I will never believe that this is a real "medical" condition that should be treated with drugs. I think it's simply parents who refuse to discipline their children. Doctors make the diagnosis banking on the fact that the parents will bring their kids back for follow up and medication. At a statistic of 4.4 million, sounds like the majority (note I did NOT say all) pediatritions and family physicians are making a killing off of this ridiculous "disorder".

By Tearsa D. White on Jul 29th 2007 at 8:25PM

I couldn't agree more with Jen's comments. As a mother, I find myself having to do battle to try to get decent nutrition into my kids. But the battle isn't waged with my children. They eat very well and are very happy doing so. But there seems to be a tremendous misunderstanding on what good nutrition is i the average household.

A snack to my kids could be a raw avocado, a raw peach, edamame or hummus and whole grain pitas. Don't get me wrong, they may ask for a cookie or chips, but no tantrums are thrown by my offering healthier alternatives. We set boundaries and introduce them to lots of different foods so they can pick their favorites. But outside our house can be a very different story. Their pre-school has parents send in the snacks, and the pre-school serves apple juice for a drink (without offering the option of water). One teacher suggested I send in donuts (and you can guess she was overweight). I replied with, "Aren't healthy snacks suggested?" Of course she said they were, but that should have been her suggestion.

When my kids are over at their friends' houses, they return home with cookies or candy - they now know they have to ask me before they can have any of that stuff. I have trouble allowing my kids to eat lunch at their friends' houses because fried, fatty and sugar-filled foods are often the norm. I feel like I now have to wage war outside of my house. So much so that I'm pursuing a nutrition degree in hopes that I can help educate the world around me of the dangers of poor nutrition. And now I've begun selling MonaVie at http://www.mymonavie.com/Eichler to try to introduce some level of nutrition into more households. I'm thrilled to sell the product and believe it to have incredible nutritional value.

There's a tremendous amount of misunderstanding by moms who are already overwhelmed by lack of time and an abundance of misleading and incorrect information. Many moms I know believe their serving up nutritious meals to their children by offering them fruit cups with corn syrup, colored yogurts, fruit juices and any item with the label "natural" on a food. They don't understand the harm of overloading on those things.

Again, I echo Jen's comments. Do your research on nutrition/vitamins/household products - read and understand labels. Poor nutrition can negatively impact your child's ability to learn, their physical health and emotional health. Some say it takes a village to raise a child. I agree. I only wish that village subscribed to healthier nutrition.

By Nancy E. on Jul 29th 2007 at 8:40PM

I NEVER believed in ADHD until I was diagnosed with it as an adult! Trust me, my parents were strict and I did 12 years of Catholic school but there was no way I could sit still for that long..... NO WAY! As an adult I go one and off Ritalin depending on the side effects and what I need to accomplish during a certain season or time. Without Ritalin I'm bouncing around, cannot sit still, cannot "moderate" what comes out of my mouth...... on Ritalin I'm calm, less fidgety and more able to concentrate on the task at hand.
I'm not agreeing that there are all THAT many kids with ADHD and there may be some aspects of poor parenting but don't toss out the baby with the bath water!

By Sheilabbl on Jul 29th 2007 at 8:49PM

May you or your children never have to suffer the shame and dissapointment of a young person who is diagnosed with ADD. It is not a positive experience for those children who cannot sit still to learn or who have various difficulties in every day life because of this with or without drugs.
I speak as one who had a child 45 years ago when this was fairly new and my pediatrician recommended someone who was an hour and a half ride away from where i lived in a major city of Chicago. Thankgoodness for the awareness and special ed teachers that was coming into beingand a short time of medication that helped.

By SIMONE BARI on Aug 4th 2007 at 10:34PM

i completely agree with the others who think the 4.4.million with ADHD is total bullcrap. these kids get drugged up,and half the parents will get s.s.i. for them. so it is just one more bogus drain on tax money. this is a made up so called disorder...funny how when we were all growing up these kids were described as hyper active,and the parents were to just allow them to run off the extra energy. now parents are to lazy to deal with a handful of a child and because of it everyone suffers for it. and everyones tax money will support these children for their entire lives. my kids wear glasses,maybe i should push to get free money for them also.

By belinda on Jul 29th 2007 at 8:52PM

Nutrition is very important I agree. But a hamburger now and then isnt going to kill a child. No offense but I dont even know what "edamame or hummus" is. There is nothing wrong with kids that dont grow up eating veggies. I know I did not care for them growing up (although now there is not much i wont eat) I believe all these childrens diseases are not due to poor nutrion.. Just kinda thought the mom in the last comment was off subject and sounded pretty overbearing. I also I do agree with the ADD/ ADHD condition being false, thats called being a kid and not paying attention, not a medical disorder.

By OMG on Jul 29th 2007 at 8:53PM

A frightening development is the resurgence of diseases such as polio due to failing to immunize children. One mother told me she hates to take her children for their shots "because it hurts them so." My mother had polio when I was a child: a "mild" case which caused her to be hospitalized for 3 and a half months and is still causing her problems over 50 years later. Severe cases caused failure of the nerves and muscles that control breathing, resulting in permanent residence in an iron lung, and early death. How does the temporary pain of a shot compare to that? Many other diseases that are just as devastating have immunizations now. Parents, don't let a few tears keep you from immunizing your children. Thank goodness so many schools require them before enrollment.

By teri on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:05PM

In it's all too typical tacky fashion, AOL labels as "gross" one of the problems that people may seek advice on. I could understand this if the people who were in charge were, say, nine or ten years old.

It is that kind of stupidity that leads people to be ashamed of their bodies and the function of those bodies. Less shame would lead to earlier diagnoses of colo-rectal cancer, breast cancer, testicular cancer, etc.

Thanks for perpetuating childishness.

By Lita on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:09PM

I didn't believe in ADHD either, until I had children of my own. I certainly discipline my kids, but I see that their are limitations to what my older son can comply with. That is one of the reasons I am homeschooling him. He is bright and capable and he speeds through the material we cover, but he just can't sit still to do it. And he has real difficulty keeping his eyes on his reading. We can accommodate his needs at home while helping him to live up to his full potential, medication free.

I strongly disagree with the practice of prescribing medication for this problem. I use nutritional supplements, such as Omega 3, b-complex, calcium and magnesium, vitamin E, and dye free multivitamins. We are having great results, especially with the b-complex. To see my favorite children's products, visit http://www.shaklee.net/good_health/productscustom

And feel free to contact me with questions. http://www.shaklee.net/good_health/contactMe

Jen S. RN

By smdryad on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:13PM

I do believe the stats on ADHD. I also believe that all these "childhood Diseases" are definetly related to poor nutrition. there have been studies showing positive that a healthy diet and exercise plan drasticly improve the effects of ADHD specifically. so much so that children are able to reduce or even completely stop their dependence on drugs like ritalin. I truely believe that many of the others could also be related to not onlt their own poor health habits, but also that of their parents habbits prenatal and postnatal.

By Melissa on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:18PM

Why do so many of the "replies" have links to websites with merchandise for sale? Is that health food so expensive you have to sell it to make enough to pay for what you use?

By John Smith on Jul 30th 2007 at 12:26PM

I was diagnosed ADHD in youth but never received treatment until now in midlife. My academic career and personal life suffered immensely in spite of having intelligence and creativity that measured in the top percentile. Straterra has given me a new lease on life. I now realize that the constant distractions,impulsiveness, and task switching I have been accustomed to are not the norm. If those who discount this disease could live in my head without medication for even a day I am sure they would eat their words. How dare they!

By gemlure on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:36PM

I have been in the pedeatric aspect of the medical field for 16 years. I want to address the first casual comment about a child just having asthma. Asthma causes thousnds of deaths in the U.S. alone each year. (not to mention all the missed school and work.) Unlike the popular "hollywood version" of asthma, most asthma is not caused by emotion but allergens(dust mites , animal dander, pollen etc., Also,cold and other infections. Also, , perfume, and cigerette smoke can cause reactive airway disease. Ever accidently gotten disoreinted under water? Ever have a friend or sibling hold a pillow over your face as a joke just a little too long? Try it for hours.There are many great medicines to treat asthma but all cases are not the same and people have dangerous flare-ups. This disease should be taken seriously. I knew a doctor who sat up trying to treat his asthma during the night with various treatments. Finally, he told his wife (also a doctor), he better go to the hospital. He collapsed in the driveway. A neighbor( another doctor)and the wife tried to revive him but to no avail. Take this disease seriously. New studies show long term low-grade asthma leads to COPD.

By R.B. on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:35PM

I think that many people resist the idea that ADD/ADHD is such a prevalent disorder because we do not like the idea of medicating children. When I personally hear of parents who have exhausted every single alternative method of treating a child's ADD/ADHD first (before asking a doctor to write a prescription), I know that they really want to help their child, not just to simply medicate him or her into submission. Too many Americans rely on prescription medications to fix their lives-- prescription medication is not always the answer! Many health conditions are receptive to natural treatments, and we should all investigate these options first before opting to just take a pill.

By M on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:35PM

I hope that you people who don't believe in ADHD never have a child who has it, and above all, I hope none of you teaches school. This condition is very real, I have a grown son who was diagnosed at age 9. We firmly believe in discipline, but in a child with severe ADHD it doesn't help. Also none of the medications at the time helped him, his teachers did not understand the condition, so my family pretty much had to go it alone. DO NOT criticize what you don't understand.

By LJH on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:42PM

For #9, I think a frightening development is people like you that like to frighten parents by writing nonsense such as "...the resurgence of diseases such as polio due to failing to immunize children." Really? How many people do you personally know that have polio other than your mother? I imagine this has been a horrendous experience for her and I DO NOT wish to make light of it, but the fact remains that polio has been eradicated from the Western hemisphere without 100% of the population being compliant in getting the polio vaccine. The ONLY way polio would make a comeback in our country is through immigration. Diseases such as TB ARE becoming more prevalent due to immigration. In fact, a great many individuals have actually recieved polio DUE TO THE IMMUNIZATION FOR IT! Research this at www.nvic.org

Let me tell you MY experience with vaccinations: my oldest two children were MERCURY poisoned through their MANDATED CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATIONS! They are AUTISTIC! One so severely that I will have to take care of him for the rest of his life! So before you get on your high horse and blame parents that fail to get their children vaccinated for diseases that are on the rise, get your facts straight. VERY FEW parents actually "fail" to vaccinate their children. The vaccination rate in the US is over 80%. A great many of the remaining percentage that are not vaccinated are due to the fact that THOSE parents have made an INFORMED decision and have CHOSEN not to vaccinate due to the risks associated with it. And THERE ARE RISKS associated with vaccination! Parents have the RIGHT to choose what is best for their children. YOU DO NOT have the right to choose for them!

For parents with autistic children that are unaware of the help that is available for them research www.generationrescue.org

By TMZDDZ on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:36PM

I take offense to some of the comments here concerning kids with ADHD, and the "parents" who are supposedly not doing their job. There are many very high functioning, intelligent adults in our community who are currently dealing with the "bullcrap" ADHD syndrome. Maybe even your own boss. I have a child with ADHD...who will never be on s.s.i. (what is that?), will never have to be supported by the state. ADHD is not a mental defect, these kids and adults are not retarded. Most of them are perfectly capable of leading normal lives. My child will be attending college in the future, maybe right next to yours, and you will never know. As far as immunizations are concerned, there may be a link between autism, and the mercury based preservative that is being given to our kids. This hasn't been proven, and of course, drug companies and private interest groups don't won't it to be - they would lose billions of dollars in revenue from these immunizations. There are parents in this country right now suing for this malpractice. A recent magazine article hilighted the possible link between our immunizations that we exported to an Asian country and the startling number of Autism cases - in a country where this disease was previously unknown. Is this just a coincidence? Stamping out polio, and smallpox is great; but we could be paying a price of a different kind. The last thing any parent wants is to dish out more money, like raising kids isn't expensive enough. The decision to use medication isn't taken as lightly as you think, many kids have side effects including ulcers, and weight loss. As a parent you have to weigh the pros and cons. So, until you have actually dealt with an ADHD child on a daily basis, you have to have all the facts. I do agree that there seems to be a breakdown in parental control of their kids, but these two issues are not always related.

By Linda on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:49PM

There is a father of an autistic child that found out accidentally that a vitamin B12 nasal spray dramatically improved his (the dad's) ADD symptoms. He has a website with some dramatic recovery videos. This one is my favorite. http://www.childrenscornerschool.com/video/gina.wmv
To see more videos, look here http://www.childrenscornerschool.com/recoveries.htm

I haven't tried the spray for my son, because a prescription is needed. But the b-complex is doing some really nice things, I'm going to wait a little longer, then discuss with my pediatrician if needed. This is the b-complex he takes http://www.shaklee.net/good_health/product/20186 I have been using it for adrenal support and I feel much more energetic. Jamie is more focused on it.

Jen S. RN

By smdryad on Jul 29th 2007 at 9:54PM