Children’s Health

Naturopathic Approach to Child Wellness

Childhood is a time of exponential growth and seemingly limitless potential. Now is the time to lay the foundation for your child’s optimal health, and naturopathic medicine is a fitting medical treatment modality for helping them attain lasting wellness.

Naturopathic medicine focuses on preventive practices to support children in every area of developing wellness at every adolescent age. Diet, exercise, stress and emotional support are all areas that your child’s naturopathic doctor with focus on. In acute cases, your naturopathic doctor can support children with a number of diagnoses, including ADHD, digestive issues, eczema, psoriasis and acne, hormone dysregulation, food intolerances, PANDAS, and many more. They may also suggest holistic treatment options that will support children’s bodies to heal from within. Many pediatricians in conventional medicine offer few sustainable options for healing, and writing a prescription for short term symptom management is all too common. The naturopathic medicine approach can work alongside conventional medicine, incorporating common treatments with specialized holistic recommendations tailored to each child. For children, a naturopathic visit is focused on investigating the health, environment, and behavior of the entire child, including diet, activity, stressors both outside and within the family, with a goal of identifying any underlying causes of recurring health issues. The first appointment is generally regarding as a “getting to know you visit,” that explores a child’s health all the way back to the mother’s pregnancy. A naturopathic doctor will also want to learn about a child’s personality. This is just as important – if not more so – than presenting symptoms, as the child’s personality can give essential clues into the development and presentation of an imbalance. Putting a child into the context of their own behavioral tendencies and predispositions can be important in recognizing abnormalities. This will help guide your naturopathic doctor when selecting homeopathic remedies, if applicable.

Children’s Health Issues Supported by Naturopathic Doctors

• ADHD
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Acne
• PANDA’s
• Digestive imbalance (IBS, IBD, GERD, low appetite, SIBO)
• Food Intolerances
• Food Allergies
• Stress & Anxiety
• Ear infections
• Immune Health
• Bronchitis
• Pain management
• Urinary Tract Infections
• Candida

Child-Focused Preventative Medicine

We understand that it can be overwhelming to stay on top of your family’s health. That’s why we practice educating the entire family on best wellness practices to implement before things even show up. When you have the knowledge, you are empowered to take the health of yourself, and your children, into your own hands. “Doctor as teacher” is a principle of naturopathic medicine, and teaching people when they are children, as well as their parents, to follow a healthy lifestyle is important to prevent some of the damage that can occur later in life and cause chronic disease. Genetic predisposition and other factors can make preventive medicine a defining factor for preventing chronic disease and determining the future quality of life. You naturopathic doctor can help identify these potential factors, and recommend individualized support for every case. Standard health concerns for parents of young children often include the common cold, ear infections, stomach aches, and even developmental disorders, such as ADHD. In some cases, offering an alternative to standard drug therapy may be an option, and there is a range of safe and effective remedies that can be administered to children, such as an herbal blend in a glycerite base, or homeopathic remedies, for example. The range of therapies is nearly always different because the treatment is based on the child, which is a more engaging form of medicine.

Your Naturopathic Doctor & Pediatrician: Collaborative Care

In the state of Virginia, a naturopathic physician that works with children also works alongside a pediatrician in their care, who handles immunizations and prescriptions for antibiotics and other medications, as necessary. Your naturopathic doctor will work closely alongside your children’s pediatrician for the most comprehensive and integrated plan possible.