CHILDREN’S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

CHILDREN’S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT DISORDERS

By Dr. Lawrence Wilson

Problems to do with children’s growth and development are very common today. Most have stunted growth, while some grow very tall and thin. Some may be diagnosed as persistent delayed development (PDD), failure to thrive, or other nomenclature. Those who grow very quickly and develop ligament problems may be labeled as Osgood-Schlatter disease or other syndromes.

Hair mineral analysis and nutritional balancing programs can help us understand many growth problems of children, and, at times, correct the problem as well. For a more detailed discussion of Down’s syndrome, click here.

STUNTED GROWTH AND NUTRITION

In general, children today get a terrible start in life because in too many instances, their mothers are nutritionally deficient and toxic, and these imbalances are passed on to their children in the womb. Toxic metals all pass right through the placenta easily.

As if that is not bad enough, once they are born, children are subjected to some 30 or more vaccines, some of which are preserved with aluminum and mercury, or perhaps even more toxic substances. Many are also given medical drugs at a tender age that add to their toxic load.

In addition, many children live mainly on sugar and denatured food, along with hundreds of chemical additives that have not nutritional value and some of which are known to stunt growth, mimic estrogens and other abominations.

This is the start in life that most children receive today in America and elsewhere to a lesser degree. It is no wonder they are developing more and more birth defects, and problems with growth and development.

HAIR ANALYSIS AND GROWTH DISORDERS

Young children’s hair reports, in general, indicate fast oxidation with high toxic metals. They also usually reveal low levels of essential trace minerals.

Proper growth requires zinc, in particular. Indicators of a zinc deficiency on a properly performed hair analysis can be subtle. They include:

· Zinc level less than about 11 mg%.

· Copper level of greater than 1.6 mg% with a low zinc.

· Cadmium level elevated above 0.01 mg%.

· Phosphorus level of 12 mg% or less.

· Sodium/potassium ratio greater than 10:1.

· Indicators for ‘hidden copper’. These are many, and are described in the article Copper Toxicity Syndrome.

· It is also possible that a zinc deficiency may not be revealed on early hair mineral analyses. One may need to remove toxic metals before the indicators appear on a later retest.

Zinc is commonly deficient in our population due to eating refined foods, stress, hybridized foods, vegetarian-style diets, zinc-deficient soil and other causes. About the only food sources of zinc are meats, which are eaten somewhat less today. Red meats are actually highest in zinc. Vegetables are much lower in zinc and higher in copper, which causes a worsening of zinc status.

OTHER COMMON IMBALANCES SEEN

Another common imbalance that may be associated with problems of growth is a hair mercury level greater than about 0.1 mg% or 1 ppm in the hair. Mercury is an interesting toxic metal that can affect many body systems during growth and development.

Others are a low sodium/potassium ratio, below 1:1 or so, especially when it occurs at a critical time of life such as the growing years. It is associated with imbalances in the adrenal glands that affect cortisol and cortisone production in these glands. Cortisone in particular, can stop growth when it is produced in excess. This gives rise to the so-called adrenal body type, which a person who is short in stature and of a stocky build.

Another pattern associated with growth disturbance is a situation in which the adrenal glands are very weak. This is usually indicated by very low levels of sodium and potassium, providing of course that the hair is not washed at the laboratory, as is the case at ARL.

These individuals often grow taller, sometimes very tall, because of a relatively low level of cortical adrenal hormones during either gestation or childhood. This can produce very tall, slender individuals, the exact opposite of the previous adrenal type. These are sometimes called thyroid types, as they thyroid gland is forced to compensate for the weakened and deficient adrenal hormones. This body type, when mild, produces the common ‘model’ body type, which is a low adrenal picture that is so common and almost worshipped today. It is not a normal body, however, as pictures of models of 50 years ago will easily show. It is an ill type of person, even if the young worship these individuals.

In this way, hair analysis can help us identify the glandular patterns that give rise to aberrations in growth and development that give us the familiar and the pathological statures of human beings. They are a fascinating study all in their own right.

CORRECTION

If a growth disorder can be caught early, many children will develop normally. The growing part of the bones often closes during the teenage years, or at the latest when one is in the early 20s. If nutritional correction can begin before this time, it is theoretically possible to improve many growth disorders. Later than this, it becomes difficult or impossible to change one’s height very much.

Babies and younger children often respond excellently to nutritional balancing science. Often, these children have tried other nutritional regimens with little success. Dr. Eck’s research and application of principles appears to give this method some advantages that other methods do not offer. It has to do with the delicate balancing of the body chemistry, and not simply chelating out heavy metals or filling the child with various nutrients.

In addition to the proper supplements, which are usually very few, the diet is often critical. Babies and children need very little if any sweets of any kind. Sugars have detrimental effects, even the beneficial sugars found in all fruits and some vegetables.

PREVENTION

If we want children to grow up healthy and of normal height, it is imperative to start with the parents at a young age, before puberty when possible, to rebuild their bodies in order to produce healthy children. Then, from birth, the children need lots of love, pure food and water of the right kind, protection against vaccines and most medical drugs, and training in how to eat and how to live a healthful and happy life.

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