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Pediatrics and Chinese Medicine
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), children are not just miniature adults. They are still developing "works in progress." Just as it takes time for children to learn to walk and talk, their digestive and immune systems need time to mature. It is observed that until the age of five or six a child's digestion is still developing. It is for this reason that Chinese medicine places so much importance on diet and nutrition as it relates to the overall health of the child. It is believed that great care should be exercised in controlling a child's diet to help foster good digestion and nutritional habits.
Because children's digestive systems are not fully mature, most childhood illnesses are caused by phlegm, which is a byproduct of food that is not completely digested. Phlegm accumulates in a particular part of the body, quite often the respiratory or digestive systems. Phlegm can be attributed to the consumption of inappropriate foods, over–consumption of food, or feeding children certain foods too soon. Modern research bears out the fundamental wisdom that the best food for newborns and babies is mothers' breast milk. Infants receive the most complete and easy–to–digest nutrition along with antibodies from the mother that help their immune systems to develop. This isn't to say children who for one reason or another are raised on formula will not be healthy, but extra attention may be needed to assure their proper development.
TCM also points out that children are "yang," in the sense that they grow quickly and tend to be active physically. In the first year of life they often triple their birth weight and increase their length by two and a half. And because they grow so quickly, they tend to eat a lot while their digestive systems are still not fully mature. Improper feeding can quickly lead to indigestion, reflux, allergies, and phlegm buildup.
Many commonly occurring pediatric illnesses are upper respiratory or digestive in nature. When you look at the types of illnesses young children usually suffer from, you can see how phlegm is involved. The most common symptom young children develop is a runny nose. This may or may not be accompanied by a cough. Usually the phlegm starts out clear and runny, but it may become thicker and have a yellow or greenish color. It is best to treat this condition in its earliest stages to prevent it from becoming more serious. What commonly happens is that the phlegm from the sinuses becomes excessive and can block the eustation tube, the tube that runs from the sinuses to the middle ear. When these tubes cannot drain properly an ear infection is likely to result.
One herbal formula that I recommend to clear up a runny nose is called San She Dan Chuan Bei Ye. It comes packaged in little vials with a pointy straw that is inserted through the top of the vial (like a juice box). The child can then drink the formula directly, or it can be mixed with water and served in a bottle or sippy cup. This formula is safe even for very young children as well as adults, and it is pleasant tasting. A number of other herbal formulas can also be used, along with a variety of gentle hands–on techniques to help promote proper digestion and optimal health.
The American diet (which tends to be highly processed and loaded with sugar and fat — think fast food), combined with a sedentary lifestyle, is responsible for the rise in obesity in our youth, which is rapidly becoming one of the major health issues of our time. Great care needs to be paid to what we feed our children so they will be healthy and stay healthy for years to come. Do our children deserve any less?
© 2003–2008 Larry Forsberg. All rights reserved.
Articles posted on this Web site are for personal use only and remain the property of Larry Forsberg, L.Ac.
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