Pediatric Care

Blossom Wellness Center provides primary and general health care for pediatric patients. We will use diet, exercise and lifestyle recommendations, stress management, homeopathic medicine, and nutritional, herbal, and supplemental support to help you reach your goals. We want to work with you on your health goals and come up with a treatment plan together that is effective and also works for you. We will help you to identify any causative or triggering factors in your disease, strengthen any weakened organs or systems and stimulate the self healing mechanisms that your body already possesses. Most of our patients will be prescribed a homeopathic remedy to help re-balance their system and retrain their body to self-heal for long lasting, profound results.

Below is a list of general health conditions treated at Blossom Wellness Center. If you do not see your condition on the list, but this philosophy of care resonates with you, then call and schedule a free 15 minute consult to see how we can help you or direct you to someone who can.

Well Child Exams

Most babies have their first checkup within the first few weeks after birth. Even when things are going well, frequent checkups during the first year are an important way to monitor your child’s growth and development.

It is recommended that children have a well-child examination at the following ages:

  • 2 weeks

  • 1 month

  • 3 months

  • 6 months

  • 9 months

  • 12 months

  • 15 months

  • 18 months

  • 24 months

  • Every year until 18 years old

What to expect during a well check exam:

COMPLETE PHYSICAL EXAM

Head: The doctor will check the soft spots (fontanels) on your baby’s head. These gaps between the skull bones give your baby’s brain plenty of room to grow. They’re safe to touch and typically disappear within 12 to 18 months, when the skull bones fuse together.

Ears:  The doctor will check for fluid or infection in your baby’s ears with an instrument called an otoscope.

Eyes:  Using a bright object or flashlight to catch your baby’s attention, he or she may track your baby’s eye movements and check for crossing of the eyes.

Mouth:  A look inside your baby’s mouth may reveal signs of oral thrush, a common, and easily treatable, yeast infection. As your baby gets older, the doctor may ask whether you’ve noticed more drooling or chewing than usual. These are often the first signs of teething.

Skin:  Various skin conditions may be identified during the exam, including birthmarks and rashes.

Heart and Lungs:  The doctor will listen to your baby’s heart and lungs with a stethoscope to detect any abnormal heart sounds or rhythms or breathing difficulties.

Abdomen:  By gently pressing your baby’s abdomen, the doctor can detect tenderness, enlarged organs or hernias, which occurs when a bit of intestine or fatty tissue near the navel breaks through the muscular wall of the abdomen. Most umbilical hernias resolve on their own by age 2.

Hips and legs:  Your baby’s legs may be moved to check for dislocation or other problems with the hip joints.

Measurements

Most well-baby checkups begin with measurements of your baby’s length, weight and head circumference. The measurements will be plotted on a growth chart to ensure proper weight gain and growth.

Ear Infections

The most common causes of chronic ear infections are antibiotic resistant bacteria, viruses, yeast and inflammation. Many doctors will prescribe several courses of antibiotics to help clear up the infections. Most children will initially seem to “get better” while taking the antibiotics and soon after the prescription is gone the infection will return. This occurs because the antibiotics decrease the inflammation in the ear that is causing pain. The antibiotics only kill bacteria that are not resistant to them, and they do not kill viruses or yeast. Ear infections can be successfully treated with homeopathic remedies, herbal supplements and dietary changes. Treating the ear infections with these methods help boost the child’s immune system, decrease inflammation, and prevent future ear infections from developing.

Eczema

Also called atopic dermatitis, occurs in about 15 % of children, and is more likely to develop in children whose parents have or had a history of allergies, asthma and eczema. There are many contributing factors to the development of eczema such as; food allergies or food intolerances, environmental allergies, chemical sensitivities, and a low intake of good fats (omega 3, 6, and 9). The treatment includes removing the food allergies or intolerances, treating the environmental allergies, reducing the chemicals your child is exposed to, and treating any nutritional deficiencies.  Homeopathic remedies can also decrease inflammation and improve the overall health of the skin so that it is no longer prone to developing eczema.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism is a developmental disorder that typically appears during the first three years of life.  Autism is defined by symptoms that appear before the age of three which reflect delayed or abnormal development in language, social skills and behavior.  Autistic disorder symptoms can manifest in various ways.

  • Impaired social interaction including; inappropriate eye contact, facial expression, body posture and gestures

  • Difficultly making and maintaining friendships that are appropriate to their developmental level

  • Inability to reciprocate emotions

  • Delayed or absent development of spoken language. In children who can speak, there are inadequate attempts to begin or sustain a conversation

  • Repetitive speech or phrases

  • Preoccupation with interests such as; spinning, counting, lining up

  • Rigidly sticks to routines or rituals that do not have a purpose

Autism Treatments

Many of the treatment suggestions will be based off of the results from the initial testing.  The majority of children with Autism have nutritional deficiencies that will also show up on the testing.  The nutritional deficiencies will be treated through diet changes, oral supplementation or injections.  During the initial visit all appropriate treatment options will be discussed.   Treatment will address the digestive tract, immune system, and detoxification processes.

The digestive tract can have several areas of suboptimal function in children with Autism.  First, many of Autistic children have food sensitivities to wheat, gluten, dairy, and casein.   To address this issue many patients will be asked to follow a gluten free casein free (GFCF) diet for at least 4 consecutive months.  A GFCF diet has been shown to be very effective in reducing impulsivity, improving eye contact, and improving mental clarity.  There are several helpful websites such as, Talk About Curing Autism which will ease the transition to a GFCF diet.

Children with Autism may also have additional foods sensitivities that can be tested for by a simple blood test.  Digestive enzymes may be recommended to reduce the symptoms associated with your child’s food sensitivities.  Plant based digestive enzymes may help digest and break down fats, carbohydrates and protein.

Second, many children have yeast/candida over growth and bacterial imbalances in the gastrointestinal tracts.  There are prescription medications that can be used to help these imbalances, such as Nystatin, Diflucan/Fluconazole, or antibiotics. 

There are also herbal and nutritional supplements that can also help the imbalances.  Many of these natural products also help boost their immune system.  Some of these herbs and nutrients include:

  • Olive Leaf

  • Oregano Oil

  • Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) oil/Caprylic Acid

  • Grapefruit Seed Extract

  • Garlic/Allimax

  • Vitamin C

  • Probiotics

Children with Autism may also need some supplementation to help boost their body’s detoxification process.  There are many natural products that aid these processes such as:

  • Milk thistle

  • Turmeric

  • Artichoke

  • N-acetyl cysteine

  • Glutathione

  • Calcium citrate

  • Magnesium citrate

  • Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12)

  • Vitamin C

Many children greatly benefit from therapy; occupational, speech, music, and physical.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy helps individuals achieve independence in all facets of their lives. Occupational therapy assists people in developing the skills necessary for independent and satisfying lives.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is the application of researched and proven techniques to help people get back in motion. Physical therapists are health care professionals with extensive clinical experience who examine, diagnose, and then prevent or treat conditions that limit the body’s ability to move and function in daily life.

Speech Therapy

Speech-language pathologists (SLP) will work with a child one-to-one, in a small group, or directly in a classroom to overcome difficulties involved with a specific disorder. SLPs often informally known as speech therapists are professionals educated in the study of human communication, its development, and disorders.  By assessing the speech, language, cognitive-communication, and swallowing skills of children and adults, speech-language pathologists can identify types of communication problems and the best way to treat them.

Music Therapy

Music therapy is a healthcare profession that uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals of all ages. Music therapy improves the quality of life for persons who are well and meets the needs of children and adults with disabilities or illnesses.