The syndrome, eloquently described by noted holistic pediatrician Lendon Smith, beginning with undernourished parents, leads to undernourished children who suffer from a long list of connected symptoms, including primarily chronic infection, allergy, attention deficit disorder, and learning disability.

Many hereditary factors affect this syndrome.Risk factors in the parents, and grandparents, include Western or Northern European ancestry, blue or green eyes, blond or red hair, diabetes, alcoholism, obesity, migraine, allergy, temper, criminal behavior, caffeine consumption, poor school performance, bed wetting, and insomnia.

Risk factors in the child are: male, blue or green eyes, blond or red hair, constant activity, ticklish, pale skin, high sugar craving, sleep resistance, deep sleep, bed wetting, and insomnia.

Factors of pregnancy are critical for children.Pregnancy risk factors for the syndrome reveal this history: mother’s age older or younger (under 16 or over 36), anemia, toxemia, drugs, alcohol, threatened miscarriage, fever, virus, cigarette smoking, poor diet (low protein), low or high weight gain, short or long duration (less than 36 weeks or more than 44 weeks), later in birth order, recent past pregnancy (less than 18 months).

For parents with these risk factors, it would be best for the mother, during pregnancy to:Minimize stress

Take 1,000 - 5,000 mg vitamin C per day

Avoid eating dairy products or allergic foods to excess

Take 1,000+ mg calcium, 500-700 mg magnesium, and B complex each day

Gain 25-30 pounds

Avoid white sugar and white flour

After the birth:

Breast feed for 9 to 24 months

Start solid foods only after 9 to 12 months

The most common result of this syndrome is multiple food allergies, which can be determined by selective dietary elimination, or by a practitioner, through state-of-the-art blood tests or other means.Food allergies underlie many behavioral problems and contribute to chronic infections.

According to the American College of Allergists, eighty percent of those with food sensitivities have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), so these two conditions share many symptoms, including mood swings and “Jekyll and Hyde” behavior.The favorite foods are usually the worst offenders. (Dr. William Philpott coined the term Allergic / Addictive).

The best treatment for food allergy, which natural healing practitioners say can be reversed completely, is to promote general health and balance.Specifically, identify allergic foods, remove as many as possible, and “fill the tanks”, while including general support for the immune system.

Attention Deficit Disorder

The biochemical side of ADD is basically a reflection of the larger immune breakdown syndrome.This disorder is the number one childhood psychiatric condition.Over one million American kids are taking Ritalin daily, an increase of 2 1/2 times in the last six years.Experts say that 3 to 5 percent of children have ADD.Why the huge increase?Just another facet of the undernourished / allergic epidemic in present day America.

In addition to the methods we’ve discussed, Dr. Smith suggests that “some children do beautifully on the amino acid l - tyrosine to get them awake and tracking in the A.M. and a natural sleep aid with valerian root in the evening to calm them down.”

Herbs for the Immune System

These herbs are general long term builders, and will support the immune system in allergy and infection: echinacea, osha root, ginger, astragalus, elder flower (head area), cleavers, lemon balm, burdock, thyme, and lemon grass.For acute bacterial infection, use goldenseal root.

To support the immune system in the case of allergies, generally the strategy is to include herbs which are mild “alteratives” (blood cleansers).The famous herbalist, Dr. John Christopher, recommends red clover and burdock root.

A Classic Example

One three year old girl I met twelve years ago had been diagnosed as being disabled, and was on her way to the special education track.When tested, she had 35 food allergies, including the usual wheat, milk, and corn.She was light, blond, and blue eyed, with continuous congestion.She was second in birth order, and born to an older mother with a history of allergy and undernourishment.

Although, since the parents were “health nuts”, she had never had antibiotics, she was constantly fighting ear infections, which were barely controlled with herbal medicine.When the parents immediately removed all allergic foods (a big job, but worth the effort), all ear infections ceased, never to return.They noticed that one corn chip would cause a runny nose.

They continued to support the child’s immune system with the type of methods discussed here, and by one year later, the child was nominated for the gifted program at school, and continues to be an honor roll student to this day.

Another child I know, Rhett, was so wild at three years old, that it was impossible to hold an adult conversation in the same room with him while he bounced from one wall to the other, screaming.His parents, though truly loving and compassionate, were at their wits’ end.Their practitioner asked if he liked wheat products.“That’s all he ever eats - bread, cereal, cookies!”The parents, willing to try anything, but skeptical, removed all wheat immediately.(What a battle of whim versus will that was, as you can imagine.)

The result was so startling that it became the talk of the small town where they lived.Within two weeks, the Mr. Hyde that was the only Rhett anyone had ever known, became the sweet boy we all had suspected lurked in there somewhere.

The next time I ran into Rhett and his father, 2 months after the wheat-free diet began, I had a quiet, relaxed, half hour chat with my friends with the boy sitting calmly in his father’s lap and smiling.While nobody had ever really been able to talk face to face with Rhett before, this time he looked me in the eye, smiled, and gave a big “Hi”.

The most common traits associated with Dyslexia

·Perceptual-motor abnormality100%

·Soft neurological signs93%

·Male83%

·Family history of dyslexia78%

·Allergy in child or family78%

·Left-handedness in family43%

Characteristics associated with Hyperactivity

·Perceptual-motor abnormality100%

·Soft neurological signs100%

·Male78%

·Delayed onset of speech60%

·Family history of learning disabilities51%

·Premature graying of hair in family49%

Classical Allergic Symptoms

·Many formula changes - used soy, goat’s milk, etc.

·Watery nasal discharge, rubs nose, sneezes, snorts, zonks, more than eight colds a year.

·Many ear infections, purulent nasal discharge, constant cough, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, used antibiotics.

·Vomiting, diarrhea, gas, constipation.

·Tension fatigue syndrome: zonks, circles, under eyes, pale, tired, aches and pains.

Children’s Symptoms Caused by Allergy