C-Section deliveries increase risk of allergies & asthma

In the past few years, the number of caesarean section deliveries have been increasing. It has become fashionable to do so with the media reporting a number of celebrities asking for this procedure. Unfortunately a recent study conducted by a team of scientists from the University of California at San Francisco presented their negative findings to the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto recently. They stated that babies born by C-Section have weaker immune systems than those born vaginally, which may explain the increased risk of developing allergies and asthma.

A few month ago, I attended a two day lecture on the benefits of probiotic therapy in children and it relates to the recent news announced by these California researchers. Probiotics are the good bacteria that populate our gastrointestinal tract. Please see my previous post on the benefits of probiotics: http://naturopathicessentials.blogspot.com/search?q=probiotics

Babies born vaginally are exposed to the flora/bacteria from the mother's vaginal tract which is usually good. C-section babies are first exposed to bacteria from the environment by a baby or mother touching objects and putting their finger into the infant's mouth. This set of bacteria are different from the ones that the infant would have received from a vaginal birth.

A large scale clinical trial is being conducted into the UK into whether probiotic therapy with newborns will help to decrease the risks of developing atopic conditions like eczema, allergies & asthma. This research looks promising!

So given a choice between a C-Section or a vaginal birth, I recommend the latter.

Acupuncture: Its origins. Does it work for allergies?

As part of my naturopathic medical education, we learn the art and science of traditional chinese medicine, which includes doing four years of training in acupuncture. Some patients are hesitant and nervous when I first suggest this as part of the treatment protocol, but after the first or second treatment, they find it quite relaxing and enjoyable.

Acupuncture has taken decades to become accepted by western medicine. President Nixon first brought interest to this ancient healing art back in 1972 when a member of the traveling press, New York Times reporter James Reston, received acupuncture in China after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. Reston was so impressed with the post-operative pain relief he experienced from the procedure that he wrote about acupuncture upon returning to the United States.

Acupuncture has been practiced in the far east for well over 2000 years. In 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health formally recognized acupuncture as a mainstream medicine healing option with a statement documenting the procedure’s safety and efficacy for treating a range of health conditions. The World Health Organization promotes acupuncture as a safe, effective and affordable medicine. While awareness of acupuncture is growing, many health care practitioners are still unfamiliar with both the theory and practice of acupuncture. Please ensure that the person performing acupuncture on you has had the proper training - both theory & practice.

Below is an recent article from the Globe & Mail about the benefits of acupuncture treatment for allergies. As a naturopathic doctor, this is just one tool that I use as a part of a comprehensive treatment strategy for dealing with allergies.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080513.wlacu13/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080513.wlacu13

How to improve your home's indoor air quality.

As a naturopathic doctor who tries to practice holistically, I often find myself giving advice to patients beyond what one would typically get from a health care practitioner. I've had to do some detective work with patients trying to suss out the root cause of allergies or skin reactions. I remember one patient whose skin reacted negatively to a new brand of detergent she had begun to use.

I've also given advice on matters relating to household and indoor air quality. A few friends of mine have even laughed at some of the advice I give. For example, I advise patients with outdoor allergies such as pollen to brush their clothes and hair off before they enter their home. It seems simple, but how many people with allergies actually do that? Doing so will help to decrease the amount of allergens one brings into their house.

Here's an interesting article I found about ways to improve indoor air quality:
http://www.canadianliving.com/life/green_living/healthy_home_how_to_improve_indoor_air_quality.php

In addition to these tips, I would also recommend that families air out their homes once in a while by opening the windows. Studies have shown that indoor air quality is often worse that outdoors, so take the time to air out your residence even during the cold winter months. Of course, I don't recommend doing so during smog days and during allergy season if you have allergies.

If you have any good tips, I'd love to hear what you do to improve your indoor air quality.