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The PANDAS Parent Starter Kit (Where to start after a PANDAS diagnosis- or if you suspect it)

PANDAS syndrome, though becoming increasingly more common and well-known, is still poorly understood by the majority of doctors. If your child has recently received a PANDAS diagnosis (or if you suspect your child has PANDAS or PANS), you’ll find the “PANDAS Parent Starter Kit” below helpful.

The PANDAS Parent Starter Kit (Where to start after a PANDAS diagnosis- or if you suspect it) | The Family That Heals Together

If you’re the parent of a child with puzzling and frustrating behaviors, you’re likely wondering what you’re doing wrong, what’s wrong with your child, and what can be done to improve your child’s behavior and relationships in the family, and to bring peace to your home.

Let me assure you, if you’ve landed here, you’re on to something. You know something isn’t quite right with your child, and you’re committed to helping him or her. Let me also assure you that there is hope! Whether your child has already received a PANDAS diagnosis, or whether you suspect that’s what could be going on, the tips below will help you get started to getting your child back on the right track.

How do I know if my child has PANDAS or qualifies for a PANDAS diagnosis?

First things first- is your child exhibiting symptoms of PANDAS? PANDAS symptoms can be wide-ranging, but mostly include neurological and behavioral abnormalities, like:

  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Anxiety
  • Hyperactivity
  • Restrictive eating
  • Tics
  • Depression or suicidal thoughts or ideation
  • Developmental or behavioral regression
  • Rage, aggression, or irritability
  • Sensory processing disorder

Often, these symptoms develop almost overnight, and usually following an illness. Sudden, acute onset of behavioral disorders is generally believed to be a hallmark of PANDAS syndrome, although some children do experience a slow decline that worsens with exposure to illness or other triggers.

What are the causes of pandas?

Because PANDAS stands for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, the belief is that the main cause is a strep infection. However, evidence continues to emerge which links symptoms of PANDAS to many other triggers, which is why a broader diagnosis of PANS may be more appropriate for many children exhibiting symptoms.

PANS stands for Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome. Besides a strep infection (which may or may not present as a classic sore throat), the neuropsychiatric symptoms above can result from exposure to:

The best way to describe how PANDAS or PANS develops is that it is an autoimmune response to illness or some other trigger. Rather than creating antibodies against the disease like a well-functioning immune system should, the immune system instead creates antibodies against brain tissue. When the immune system attacks brain tissue, we see undesirable behaviors.

For my son, symptoms of PANS began following a bronchial infection. He had a fever that persisted off and on for weeks, and a cough that lasted even longer. Once the symptoms finally cleared, he had changed. He had tics and he was defiant and unmoved to obey regardless of motivation and without fear of punishment.

While he had always had symptoms of ADHD, these new symptoms were especially worrying. He began to have episodes of rage and would melt down over seemingly small things. It took us six years to get a PANDAS diagnosis. Six years of wondering what I was doing wrong as a parent and trying doctor after doctor, a variety of treatments and supplements, and strict diets to heal him.

But those six years were not a waste. Though it has been a heck of a roller coaster ride, we’ve gotten my son to places of being totally symptom-free more than once. He is currently doing well, and we are so thankful. Below, I’ll share what we’ve learned- the PANDAS Parent Starter Kit, as it were.

How do you treat PANDAS?

After reading the above, you may be pretty sure this is, indeed, what your child is dealing with. Whether your child has all or just some of the symptoms, whether there was a slow decline or an acute onset, the tips below can help your child recover.

Does PANDAS syndrome go away?

Yes! Many children reach full recovery from PANDAS. Because the underlying causes and triggers vary, modalities for reaching complete recovery can also vary.

The PANDAS Parent Starter Kit (Where to start after a PANDAS diagnosis- or if you suspect it) | The Family That Heals Together

The PANDAS Parent Starter Kit:
where to start after a PANDAS diagnosis- or if you suspect PANDAS or PANS

Below, you’ll find some steps you can take to help your child begin recovering now, whether you have an official PANDAS diagnosis or not.

Diet

Sorry. You knew I was going to start here. You knew it was coming: you must change your child’s diet. But even if you’re not 100% ready to go all in, there are baby steps you can take to begin improving your child’s behavior now!

To begin with, choose a handful of ingredients to eliminate totally and completely, not allowing your child to have them even on occasion. Here are the ones I suggest starting with:

  • Food dyes. This is non-negotiable. Kids with neuropsychiatric disorders cannot tolerate food dyes because of their neuro-toxic properties. They stimulate brains cells and cause them to misfire, leading to early brain cell death.
  • Artificial sweeteners. So you’re trying to do better and cut down on the sugar in your child’s diet? Unfortunately, when it comes to brain health, artificial sweeteners are worse than sugar. Like food dyes, the chemicals are neurotoxins that can cause unwanted behaviors. Be wary of anything labeled “sugar-free.”
  • MSG. Another neurotoxin that hides under a variety of names.
  • High fructose corn syrup. This syrup is chemically-derived from corn starch, giving it a high-fructose makeup which goes straight to the blood stream, causing both blood sugars and behaviors to spike.

Once you’ve tackled the worst ingredients, you’ll want to move on to eliminating ingredients like gluten and dairy from your child’s diet. Like children with autism, a gluten-free, casein-free diet can greatly benefit children with other neurological disorders like PANDAS or PANS.

Unfortunately, some parents don’t see a big difference in their child from just the above changes, so they give up and quit a healthy diet. The truth is, the above changes may not be enough for many children with PANDAS. 

Many PANDAS kids do best with a very strict paleo diet, eliminating not only junkie ingredients, gluten, and dairy, but also refined sugars, legumes, and all grains. Yes, eliminating all grains means that store-bought gluten-free foods are a no-go.

Personally, my son does best on a grain-free, low carb/starch, high-fat GAPS diet (read about why he can’t eat corn, a staple in many gluten-free diets, here). The GAPS diet, while intensive and difficult, is best for children with neuropsychiatric disorders because it heals the gut, the root cause of behavioral disorders.

Interested in the GAPS diet? Read more and find recipes here.

You don’t have to wait for a PANDAS diagnosis to see benefits in your child’s behavior from making diet changes. Choose a place to start, explain to your child that these changes are so he can feel better, and dig in (and don’t look back!). Changing your child’s diet is truly the cheapest and easiest way to help your child; I promise!

Wise supplementation

There can also be helpful supplements you can use to compliment your child’s diet changes. Start slowly, experiment, and don’t be discouraged if you don’t find just the right combination right away. Here are a few that we have found helpful, which we go back to time and time again.

Bioray Kids Happy- while this supplement isn’t entirely compatible with the GAPS diet because it has added flavors, it has been one of the most helpful supplements for quieting a behavioral flare.

Happy contains a unique blend of liver and immune-system supporting mushrooms, as well as chlorella, which supports detoxification, plus herbs that support the removal of unwanted organisms, like bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Most importantly, it has been clinically proven to reduce angry outbursts. Read more about our experience with Happy here, or buy Happy here.

Smidge probiotic- it’s important to use a good probiotic when working to heal the gut. While we have experimented with a variety of probiotics, we always come back to Smidge for a number of reasons, not the least of all that it was developed specifically for sensitive children with neuropsychiatric disorders. It’s free of bacterial strains that will exacerbate behavioral symptoms, as well as those that increase histamines, which can result in unwanted behaviors.

Smidge is both gentle and effective, making it a good choice for PANDAS kids. Plus, one bottle (though seemingly expensive up front) lasts a long time, making it the cheapest probiotic (per dosage) that our family has used to date. Buy Smidge here.

Oregano extract- oregano is a very powerful herb that works to combat a variety of infections, especially strep. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal properties, and may even kill pathogens like MRSA and listeria. Oregano essential oil can be useful for ailments like colds and flu.

While we stick with oregano extract in general, we have also found that a supplement called Oregano Spirits works well when we need to pull out the big guns. When we originally used it for our son, he had about a week of die off where he didn’t feel well, and once he felt better, he was a new kid. This was the first time he went into remission.

Get oregano leaf extract here and Oregano Spirits here.

Cod liver oil- while some children with tic disorders don’t do well with cod liver oil, we have found it to be one of the most effective supplements for stopping tics. Between the brain-fueling omega fats and the immune-boosting vitamins A and D, I think cod liver oil is one of the most important supplements for any of us to take. (Read more about how and why to choose a good cod liver oil here.)

There are only a couple brands of cod liver oil I trust and have had good results with. My favorite, most high quality is Rosita’s Extra Virgin Cod Liver oil, a small batch, artisan cod liver oil that is the purest available. Read more about it and buy it here.

My son has also benefited from Nordic Natural cod liver oil, which I sometimes pick up at the grocery store between bottles of Rositas. You can check that one out here.

Magnesium- there are a variety of magnesium supplements available, but those we’ve had the best luck with are MagMind and Wake Up Maggie. Read more about the best types of magnesium here.

While this is not an exhaustive list of supplements that can help with symptoms of PANDAS, these are a few we have found very helpful. Always go slowly, start one supplement at a time, and check with your healthcare professional before starting a new regimen.

Medical testing

Whether or not you’ve gotten an official PANDAS diagnosis, there are some tests that can be helpful to get to the bottom of some of the underlying conditions contributing to your child’s behavior.

We’ve done extensive testing over the years. Some has been expensive, unnecessary, and, ultimately, unhelpful. Others have been helpful and given us insight about how to proceed with treatment.

Tests that can be helpful

  1. Stool testing. This can show what pathogens are overgrown or lacking in your child’s gut. It was stool testing that led me to suspect PANDAS, because, although blood testing didn’t find strep, stool testing did.
  2. DNA/genetic testing. This can help you determine if your child has any genetic mutations contributing to improper detoxification, as well as give direction for other supplementation down the road. Read more about MTHFR mutations and how to test for them here.
  3. Blood tests for specific pathogens. This may give you a start to figuring out what underlying infections your child might be battling, including strep, epstein barr virus, Lyme disease, and more. The caveat is that blood tests aren’t always accurate, and while they may provide answers, they could be a dead end too.

Tests that I would skip

  1. Food allergy testing. While my son is clearly (clearly!) unable to tolerate milk or gluten, neither of these ever showed up on any allergy tests we’ve had done for him. Your better bet is to do an elimination diet or just dive in to a gut-healing diet like GAPS. The key is healing leaky gut to eliminate food allergies.
  2. The Cunningham Panel. Personally, we chose not to have this test done because a. our son was able to get a clinical PANDAS diagnosis since it was clear he had the disorder and b. it is an expensive test which insurance isn’t likely to cover. Not only that, but in my understanding, it is most effective for showing psychiatrists which medications may be helpful, and we’ve chosen to treat PANDAS without psychiatric medications. However, if it’s important to you to get a medical PANDAS diagnosis, as well as get more information about what’s happening in your child’s brain, you may want to do this test. Learn more about it here.

Finding a doctor

If you are going to go the route of having tests run and may be considering using some conventional treatments (like antibiotics or IVIG) to compliment a healthy diet and supplementation, you can’t depend on just any doctor.

Most pediatricians and doctors are not familiar enough with PANDAS to offer treatment solutions, and many even deny that PANDAS or PANS even exist!

You’re much better off finding a PANDAS specialist, who will know which tests to run, which medications and supplements may be a good fit for your individual child, and how to support you with healthy lifestyle changes.

Search here to find the nearest PANDAS specialist to you, then be sure to call and ask questions before scheduling an appointment. You may also want to search for groups on Facebook where you can find other PANDAS parents near you who have had experience with a certain doctor. Many times feedback from other parents can be invaluable when searching for a doctor you can trust.

Use this PANDAS Parent Starter Kit to keep from getting overwhelmed

If your child has received a PANDAS diagnosis, or even if you just suspect your child might be suffering from PANDAS or PANS, I know it can be scary, overwhelming, and frustrating trying to get help. I’ve been there.

The emotions we experience as the parent of a PANDAS kid cannot be adequately described in words. We often feel like our child has been kidnapped and that we will never see them again. And we would do anything in our power to help them recover.

Take heart. There is hope for your child to recover, and you don’t have to do everything all at once. The above steps should be looked at as baby steps, with diet being the foundation of recovery.

Many children find healing in a variety of ways, which cannot be thoroughly covered in one blog post. However, just starting somewhere and working to lower your child’s inflammation is an excellent place to start and get him on the road to recovery.

Has your child received a PANDAS diagnosis? What steps have you taken to begin recovery? Share in the comments below!

Mouth Breathing in Children – Should You Be Concerned?

Mouth breathing in children is a growing topic these days, especially for parents whose children have PANDAS symptoms or ADHD. Parents are learning that the effects of mouth breathing may include behavioral symptoms, but mouth breathing just might be at the root of all disease. Read more below.

Mouth Breathing in Children - Should You Be Concerned? (The effects of mouth breathing) | The Family That Heals Together

What causes mouth breathing?

Mouth breathing occurs when there is an obstruction from the sinuses to the airways. When a child (or grown up) is unable to breathe efficiently through their nose, they will breathe through their mouth.

Obstructions can be caused by temporary congestion due to seasonal allergies, a cold, or a sinus infection. An obstruction may also lead to chronic mouth breathing due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids.

Tonsils and adenoids can be enlarged for a number of reasons, including chronic or recurring infections like strep, as well as food allergies (dairy is often a culprit). The photo below shows how enlarged adenoids can block proper air flow through the sinuses.

Mouth Breathing in Children - Should You Be Concerned? (The effects of mouth breathing) | The Family That Heals Together

In addition, the shape of your jaw and palate can cause mouth breathing. Mouth breathing is also associated with tongue and lip ties, crooked teeth, and MTHFR mutations.

Jump to “Does Mouth Breathing Change Your Face?” to learn about why today’s children struggle with jaw and palate malformation.

How do you know if your child is mouth breathing?

As in the picture below, your child will sleep with his mouth open, rather than closed, and may snore. Mouth breathing in children is easy to spot during both waking and sleeping hours.

Mouth Breathing in Children - Should You Be Concerned? (The effects of mouth breathing) | The Family That Heals Together

When your child is awake, you will notice he or she most likely sounds congested when breathing and his mouth will be open when he is at rest (not talking, eating, or otherwise using his mouth). Mouth breathing tends to be loud compared to breathing through the nose.

If your child is a mouth breather, you may also notice:

  • dry chapped lips
  • dry mouth
  • bad breath
  • snoring
  • allergy shiners (purplish or red circles beneath your child’s eyes, often associated with food allergies, but may also be from chronic sinus problems).

Is mouth breathing bad?

The effects of mouth breathing can be detrimental to you or your child’s health, leading to both physical and behavioral problems. Let’s look deeper into why mouth breathing in children can cause long-term problems.

Why is it bad to be a mouth breather?

  1. Mouth breathing can cause sleep apnea. Mouth breathing during sleep lead to sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing is interrupted during sleep.
  2. Mouth breathing bypasses natural defenses. Your body is designed to take in air through the nasal passages, which aid in both filtration and humidification of the air as it enters your body.
  3. Mouth breathing causes lack of oxygen in the blood. The sinuses also have a very important role in breathing: enzymes in the sinuses create nitric oxide, a gas responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body.

    NO [nitric oxide] gas from the nose and sinuses is inhaled with every breath and reaches the lungs in a more diluted form to enhance pulmonary oxygen uptake via local vasodilation. (source)

    This nitric oxide helps to reduce blood pressure, as well as oxygenate the blood, which ensures that vital nutrients are carried to where they are needed throughout the body.

  4. Mouth breathing allows pathogens to thrive. Nitric oxide is involved in local host defense in the upper airways. It inhibits the growth of various pathogens including bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
  5. Mouth breathing can cause chronic fatigue. The lack of oxygen that occurs due to mouth breathing can cause chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as a number of other health conditions like high blood pressure, poor memory, and mental health problems.
  6. Mouth breathing can prevent deep, rhythmic sleep. This effects your health negatively in a number of ways. See more below on how this can lead to ADHD.

Mouth breathing and gut health

There is a gut-mouth axis which connects our mouth to our gut, and if something is amiss with the mouth, you can bet it will affect the gut. In fact, our mouth actually communicates with our gut. For instance, as you begin to eat a particular type of food, enzymes in your mouth begin to break it down, and your gut is triggered to also prepare for digestion.

Mouth breathing also causes our system to become more acidic, which can affect digestion and absorption of nutrients in our gut.

In addition, because mouth breathing bypasses the nose’s natural defenses, the bacteria in our mouth changes. Remember, one of the effects of mouth breathing is a lack of nitric oxide, the substance that helps to stave off unwanted bacteria. This lack allows opportunistic bacteria to thrive, creating an environment ripe for chronic hidden infections that affect the mouth, teeth, sinuses, and throat.

The mouth is the first part of the gastrointestinal tract, which also includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, & large intestine, and goes all the way down to the anus. Think of this system as a tube, and what enters the top of the tube will eventually make it all the way to the bottom. Once our oral cavity is colonized with unfriendly bacteria, these bacteria enter and make their way through our digestive system.

In this way, mouth breathing in children sets them up for a lifetime of poor gut health.

Does mouth breathing change your face?

Maybe. However, the converse is actually more true: children with a narrow jaw and malformed palate are more likely to mouth breathe.

One study found that children who mouth breathe have a significantly more convex facial profile, as well as abnormalities with dentofacial growth. In other words, mouth breathing in children is correlated to a receding chin line and jaw and teeth malformation.

So why do our kids struggle with this malformation of the jaw and palate? For a comprehensive answer, we turn to Dr. Weston A. Price, a dentist who, more than 80 years ago, traveled the world in search of why indigenous cultures had such nice, straight teeth and little disease, and westerners had crowded, crooked teeth and much physical degeneration.

The truth was found in the traditional diets of indigenous people, who ate various foods according to their region. These foods never included the processed, refined flours and sugars that had taken over the American food supply.

Because of good maternal diet during pregnancy, indigenous children were born with wide palates and jaws, with plenty of room for their teeth to grow properly (these people weren’t getting their wisdom teeth removed, as is common practice in America!). In contrast, following the industrial boom of food products in the US and other industrialized nations, Dr. Price noted a narrower jaw and palate, and, consequently, more disease in children born to mothers eating processed and refined foods.

Dr. Price also noted that in traditional cultures where industrialized foods began to replace traditional foods, within a couple of generations, the shape of people’s faces had changed, and the population began to experience more disease.

You can find his fascinating book here.

Behavioral effects of mouth breathing

We already know that behavior is linked to gut health, so if one of the effects of mouth breathing is abnormal gut flora, the odds are, we might see some unwanted behaviors from children (& adults) who mouth breathe.

Can mouth breathing cause ADHD?

Let’s go back to the nitric oxide factor. Remember how normal breathing through the nose creates nitric oxide, which in turn oxygenates the blood? Kids who lack nitric oxide due to mouth breathing may be at risk for ADHD.

(You’ll also notice that children with ADHD are more likely to have crooked teeth.)

The first time my son and I sat down with his neuropsychiatrist in 2017, he told me that ADHD was actually a sleep disorder. Come again?

He explained that kids with ADHD don’t get enough deep, rhythmic sleep, so the symptoms of ADHD were their brain’s way of coping- pinging from one thing to another to keep them stimulated and awake.

Lack of deep, rhythmic sleep sounds like one of the effects of mouth breathing, no?

One study found that adenotonsillectomy may have a positive impact on the neurobehavioral problems of children with sleep-disordered breathing. Why? Because enlarged tonsils and adenoids obstruct the airways and can cause mouth breathing in children.

Another study found that removing the tonsils and adenoids of children with ADHD was more effective than treating with stimulant drugs.

Can mouth breathing cause anxiety?

Likewise, mouth breathing may cause other mental disorders, like anxiety, for the same reasons above. We know that anxiety is deeply connected to gut health, and we know that mouth breathing is bad for gut health, so clearly there is a causal connection.

Anxiety is also connected to adrenal fatigue, a condition in which we see elevated cortisol levels and enhanced “fight or flight” symptoms.

Mouth breathing is detrimental to the ­sympathetic nervous system. It accelerates the heart rate and increases blood pressure, stimulating our fight or flight response, hence the link with anxiety symptoms.

Mouth breathing and PANDAS

Because the symptoms of PANDAS/PANS vary widely and include hyperactivity, anxiety, OCD, depression, and other undesirable behaviors, we can see how mouth breathing is connected to these conditions. Treating the causes of mouth breathing in children can help to resolve symptoms of PANS and PANDAS.

How to manage mouth breathing in children

Whether you’re worried about your child mouth breathing, or you want to improve your own breathing, there are things you can do.

How do I stop mouth breathing?

Because mouth breathing has a number of causes, there are a number of ways to remedy it, from diet to special dentistry. Let’s dig in to steps you can take to avoid the effects of mouth breathing.

Diet

The number one culprit for causing inflamed, enlarged tonsils and adenoids? Dairy!

One study found that adhering to a dairy-free, paleo-style diet eliminated symptoms of sleep apnea.

If you or your child is struggling with the effects of mouth breathing, diet should be your first line of defense. Remove inflammatory foods like dairy, sugar, and gluten & other grains. A paleo-style template is your best bet to lower inflammation in the sinuses, adenoids, and tonsils.

Epigenetic dentistry

An epigenetic dentist or orthodontist will specialize in treating TMJ and sleep apnea, based on the understanding that it is the shape of the jaw and palate that causes these conditions.

These dentists use devices like orthodontics to actually change the structure and shape of the jaw in order to promote better air flow. Patients report resolution of chronic symptoms like headaches and anxiety thanks to corrected breathing.

Search for “epigenetic dentistry” near you to look for someone who can help, or ask your nearest biological dentist if they know of a dentist who specializes in this treatment.

Surgery

Some parents resort to a tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy for their child when resolution of symptoms cannot be obtained through diet changes and supplements alone. This is a personal decision, and while these body parts do, of course, serve an important purpose in the body’s defenses, sometimes they cause more harm than good.

Oftentimes, especially when we see recurring sickness like strep throat, removing the tonsils will eliminate the infection and chronic inflammation.

Other options should be exhausted and much prayer and research should accompany such a decision, but many parents report their child’s symptoms of ADHD and even PANDAS resolving after a tonsillectomy.

How do you train yourself to sleep with your mouth closed?

You should be mindful during your waking hours and force yourself to breathe through your nose when you think about it.

As often as you think about it, close your mouth and take nice, slow breaths through your nose. Anytime you catch yourself breathing through your mouth, close it.

In addition, you can use devices or tape to ensure your mouth stays closed while you sleep.

This chin strap is inexpensive, comfortable, and effective for keeping your mouth closed while you sleep.

You can also try mouth taping using strips like these or a mouth guard designed to promote nose breathing.

Is taping your mouth shut at night dangerous?

Not if you do it correctly. When you tape your mouth, you should be able to breathe through your nose. If you can’t, you need to address the reason why your breathing is blocked (see dietary and other suggestions above).

Is mouth breathing a big deal?

Yeah, it really is. Because mouth breathing is associated with so many health conditions, both physical and mental, it stands to reason that regardless of what conditions you may be facing, proper breathing can help.

Take the steps above to ensure you breathe properly through your nose in order to avoid these negative effects of mouth breathing.

Mouth Breathing in Children - Should You Be Concerned? (The effects of mouth breathing) | The Family That Heals Together

How To Stop Tics Naturally

Trying to figure out how to stop tics naturally? As it turns out, tics and other childhood brain disorders have a common root: inflammation in the brain. Whether the cause is genetic, autoimmune, or an infection – you can support your kid’s behavior with diet and supplements.

How To Stop Tics Naturally | The Family That Heals Together

The first time I noticed my son had developed a tic disorder, I was terrified. Clearly, there was something happening in his body that he had no control of. It started around the same time he developed PANDAS symptoms, following a respiratory illness.

It was subtle, but there was no doubt, he was making a soft sighing sound at times when he otherwise should not have been making a sound: while sitting quietly watching TV or reading a book, for instance. I had no clue what this new and puzzling symptom was, but I knew it was neurological in nature, which was the scariest thing of all to me.

Since that initial development of tics, my son’s tic disorder has come and gone, usually after careful and deliberate supplementation. They have shown up as an eye-widening tic, a blinking tic, and a throat clearing or vocal tics at varying times, but no doubt, they are the worst when he is battling the most inflammation.

Not sure if what your child is struggling with might be a tic? Read on.

What is a tic disorder?

Tic disorders usually begin in childhood, from ages five to seven years old.

When your child has a tic, you see the body move suddenly and uncontrollably. Movements appear non-rhythmic and repetitive.

Tics that involve movement are called motor tics. Most cases start with simple tics like eye blinking and progress to more complex tics. Examples of simple motor tics include:

  • Nose wrinkling
  • Eye blinking
  • Facial grimacing
  • Shoulder shrugging

Tics that involve sound are called vocal tics. Vocal tics tend to begin one to two years after the onset of motor tics. Examples of simple vocal tics include:

  • Coughing
  • Throat clearing
  • Grunting
  • Sniffing

Three types of tic disorders

The American Psychiatric Association recognizes three types of tic disorders:

  1. Provisional (or transient) tic disorder
  2. Chronic tic disorder
  3. Tourette’s syndrome

A tic disorder diagnosis is based on what type of tic your child has – motor, vocal, or both – and how long you’ve noticed it. Under one year and your child would have a provisional tic disorder. Over a year, and the diagnosis may be chronic tic disorder or Tourette’s syndrome.

Provisional tics are common and can affect up to 10% of kids. Chronic tic disorders – including Tourette’s syndrome – can affect 2% – 4% of kids.

For kids experiencing tics, they can feel them coming. It might start with an itch or a sensation in a particular muscle group. If a child attempts to stop a tic from happening, the sensation or itch may build up in intensity.

Tic episodes happen in clusters. In other words, they get worse, better, and then worse again as time passes. This waxing and waning of tics can happen at least three times a year.

Parents of kids with tics notice that tics tend to increase when their child feels tired or stressed. They also happen more often or with more intensity towards the end of the day.

What causes a tic disorder?

Officially, tic disorder causes are TBD – or to be determined.

But with that said, researchers have found interesting clues that can help parents learn how to stop tics naturally.

For example, there’s good evidence that the development of a tic involves the immune system. Mothers of kids with tic disorders are more likely to be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease like ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, or multiple sclerosis. 

How is this possible? Researchers suggest that antibodies moving through the placenta may be responsible for tics along with other related disorders, like OCD. These antibodies may activate the baby’s immune system and affect normal brain development.

In children with PANDAS and tics, the likelihood of autoimmune disease in the mother is even higher.

Moms, this does NOT mean that your kid’s tics are your fault. But it does give us information on how to stop tics naturally (more on that in the next section).

In addition to maternal autoimmunity, you’re also more likely to see autoimmunity in a child with tics and OCD. This includes autoimmune diseases like:

  • Sjogren’s syndrome
  • Celiac disease
  • Guillain–Barre syndrome
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Non-streptococcal triggers like other bacteria and viruses can also activate the immune system and show up with tics and other neuropsychiatric disorders. 

More likely, we’re seeing the effects of a cytokine storm. 

Disorders related to tics

When you flip through the medical literature and listen to stories from other moms, you may notice that tics tend to show up with other disorders beyond autoimmune disease in the mother. This includes:

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD
  • Autism
  • Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD
  • PANS and PANDAS

For example, roughly 65% of kids with Tourette’s syndrome are diagnosed with ADHD. Over half these kids also have signs of obsessive-compulsive symptoms while 30% can be fully diagnosed with OCD.

Do you think that any of these disorders have something in common?

It appears that they do.

Even in the case of ADHD where the cause is unknown, researchers working together at the University of Texas have found that an increase in inflammatory markers correlates with the severity of ADHD symptoms.

This means that the immune system plays a role. And if you can work with your child’s immune system – whether the root is genetic, autoimmune, or an ongoing infection – you can stop tics and reduce other signs of inflammation.

How to stop tics naturally

Learning how to stop tics naturally is as easy (and difficult) as figuring out what triggers inflammation in your child’s body. It’s also about making sure your kid has the right nutrition to fight infection and soothe inflammatory fires.

1. Follow a gluten-free, casein-free diet. For this to work best, make sure that the whole family is on board. Both gluten and casein are major triggers of autoimmune disease and it’s essential to remove them from the whole family’s diet.

2. Ditch the food dyes, artificial sweeteners, and high-fructose corn syrup. Food dyes and artificial sweeteners are toxic to your child’s brain. While I also recommend cutting back on sugar to your support your kid’s immune system, artificial sweeteners are worse than sugar.

3. Make sure your child takes a daily DHA supplement. Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory and excellent for brain health. When it comes to omega-3s, plant and seed oils won’t cut it. For example, flax oil is poorly converted into long-chain omega-3s and do little (if anything) to raise DHA levels. (Read more about the truth about omega fats here.)

Get my favorite DHA supplement here.

4. Remember to include choline-rich foods. If you follow a restricted diet, eggs may be off the menu. They’re a common allergen and trigger food. But egg yolks are also the easiest way to get choline in the diet. Choline is critical to a healthy, happy brain. If eggs aren’t an option, be sure to include other choline-rich foods.

Click here for a list of foods high in choline.

5. Use Smidge Probiotic. Why probiotics? Because the gut-brain axis is a real thing. And a healthy gut means a happy brain.

But not all probiotics are created equal. Smidge is free of fillers or prebiotics and it gently supports your child’s immune system. Most importantly, it’s free of probiotic strains that produce histamine – a pro-inflammatory compound that the body works hard to get rid of.

Click here to start using Smidge.

How To Stop Tics Naturally | The Family That Heals Together

My #1 tip: stay flexible

You may already know that there is no single supplement or cure that will forever stop tics.

Stopping tics and other disruptive behaviors is really about managing the underlying conditions that your child lives with. It’s also about creating a positive experience around these changes.

Being different – especially for a kid – can be rough. Whether it’s the actual tic or needing to reinforce a gluten-free diet for the sake of better health, how you frame each experience matters.

So stay flexible and stay open to discovery.

As the body changes, your approach will too. That’s okay.

There’s no finish line.

Encourage your child to check in with how he feels after eating an “off limit” food or skipping supplements. Explain why these foods are off limits or what probiotics do in the body. And allow him some room for making mistakes and making his own decisions.

As you and your child figure out ways to put out inflammatory fires with diet and supplements, be sure to also talk with your child about the importance of self-love and even humor when a tic shows up in public.

After all, laughter is the best medicine.

Not only does laughter combat inflammation, but it also helps your child celebrate differences rather than feel ashamed of them.

What have you done to stop tics naturally? Share in the comments!

The Best Sources of Choline for Brain Development

I’m not going to tell you that choline-rich foods can prevent things like ADHD, autism, or PANDAS – a disorder that you might mistake for autism. But I am going to tell you that getting good sources of choline into your diet while pregnant can certainly reduce the risk of these disorders. Read more below about why choline just might be one of the most important nutrients to focus on during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early childhood.

The Best Sources of Choline for Brain Development | The Family That Heals Together

Can adequate choline intake during pregnancy really reduce the risk of autism, ADHD, and more?

Yes, choline is THAT important.

But if you take a look at prenatal supplements, you won’t find choline at all. Or, you’ll find only a small amount – far below the recommended 450 mg/day.

What is choline?

Choline is an essential nutrient. Which means that even though the liver makes choline, you must consume sources of choline to meet your body’s daily demand for this vital nutrient.

But what is choline and what does it for you? When you think of choline, think about the brain, the structure of cells, and healthy genes.

Choline:

Similar to nutrients like folate and B vitamins, choline supplies something called a “methyl donor” that feeds into the methylation cycle.

When it comes to a healthy pregnancy and fetal brain development, a diet rich in methyl donors can shape the expression of your baby’s DNA and affect your baby’s health as an adult.

Besides that, choline and other methyl-donors influence:

For example, choline protects the body against inflammation and the effects of inflammation during pregnancy – like preterm labor, intrauterine growth restriction, and preeclampsia.

In animal studies, researchers have found that getting plenty of choline during pregnancy and while nursing can dramatically reduce anxiety and social behavior in offspring that mimics autism.

Likewise, in a follow-up study on mothers supplementing with twice the recommended intake of choline during pregnancy, researchers suggest that choline can safeguard against the development of ADHD, autism, and schizophrenia.

Do you need to worry about choline deficiency?

Choline accumulates in the liver, kidneys, brain, breasts, and placenta. During pregnancy and while breastfeeding, the demand for choline is exceptionally high.

For example, a mother’s body will move large amounts of choline to her baby through the placenta. By some estimates, the level of choline in amniotic fluid is ten times higher than a mother’s blood levels.

Research has found that when choline intake exceeds recommendations, outcomes are better for mother and baby. Animal studies have shown better cognitive function, a healthier placenta, and a better response to fetal stress.

But, there’s a problem.

Almost 90% of folks do not meet the adequate intake amount of choline.

Many prenatal vitamins don’t include choline. And there’s a good chance your doctor won’t tell you to seek out choline-rich foods.

Outright deficiency is rare since the body can make choline. But if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, there’s a good chance that you’re at risk for choline deficiency.

Genetics also matter. Some folks with genetic variants impacting folate metabolism or the production of choline will be at a great risk for choline deficiency.

Signs of choline deficiency

Signs of choline deficiency are directly linked to what choline does in the body and where it’s stored. You may need more choline if you notice:

  • Low energy
  • Memory loss
  • Trouble learning
  • Mood changes

Fatty liver, metabolic disease, and dementia are also signs that the body needs more choline.

Sources of choline for pregnancy

The best sources of choline are animal-based foods.

During pregnancy, it’s a good idea to include foods high in choline like liver and egg yolks. Bite for bite, liver and eggs have the highest levels of choline along with other methyl donors, like folate and B vitamins.

Try this tasty, easy custard recipe to get your daily dose of choline-rich egg yolks!

In addition, if you’re not a fan of liver (sneaking it into recipes like meatballs and chili makes it way more palatable!), you can take it in supplement form (though keep in mind, you have to take lots of capsules to equal the same nutritional value as eating fresh liver). This is an excellent grassfed desiccated liver supplement.

Remember, methyl donors support the lifelong expression of your baby’s DNA.

Other good sources of choline include:

  • Poultry
  • Red meat
  • Scallops
  • Salmon
  • Atlantic cod
  • Shrimp
  • Milk, yogurt, and buttermilk
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cauliflower
  • Peanut butter

How to choose the best choline supplement

When enriching your diet with choline, start with food.

For example, when eating egg yolks, you not only get choline. But you also get carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin that support baby’s vision and developing nervous system.

In addition to eating choline-rich foods, it’s a good idea to take extra choline as a supplement during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

When looking for the best choline supplement, you may come across:

  • Choline bitartrate
  • Phosphatidylcholine
  • Lecithin

Choline bitartrate is a water-soluble free choline that goes directly to the liver. Whereas phosphatidylcholine – found in lecithin – is fat-soluble. Phosphatidylcholine first enters the lymph system and other organs before going to the liver.

These different pathways matter.

For example, there’s evidence that supplementing with phosphatidylcholine can change the choline composition of breast milk and support a more robust immune response in babies when compared to choline bitartrate.

During pregnancy and while breastfeeding, shop for a fat-soluble choline supplement like phosphatidylcholine or lecithin.

Make sure your choline supplement is non-GMO and avoid soy-based supplements. Instead, look for sunflower lecithin, like this one from Seeking Health.

If you haven’t thought about choline until now

Choline just recently popped up on the radar of companies making baby formula and prenatal vitamins. And there’s a good chance that the current daily requirements for choline are too low.

So if you suspect you didn’t get enough choline during pregnancy, be kind to yourself. It’s not too late.

Little ones – especially those on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, or learning disorders – can still benefit from choline-rich foods and supplements.

What are your family’s favorite sources of choline? Share in the comments!

Arguments Against Vaccination: What Does the Bible Say?

Increasing numbers of parents are finding plenty of arguments against vaccination, including the reality that vaccines go against what the Bible says and what God wants for His creation. In this article, Danielle sheds some light on why Christians may want to rethink vaccines, and why it is essential to protect our religious freedoms.

Arguments Against Vaccination: What Does the Bible Say? | The Family That Heals Together

Most parents don’t even think about questioning the modern medical care system. You have a baby; you get vaccines and whatever treatments your doctor says he needs.

But how about investigating the arguments against vaccination? Is society’s current paradigm what Christians are called to follow? Does the Bible even talk about vaccines?

I would argue that yes, the Bible talks about pharmaceuticals, trusting in man, the holiness of our bodies, keeping our hearts and hands clean, and what happens when God’s creation is altered in depth.

And that, my friends, touches on the issue of vaccines. 

How did vaccines get on the scene?

The very basic premise that began the notion of needing vaccines is called “the germ theory.”

In the mid-1800’s, Louis Pasteur developed the “germ theory,” the idea that germs are the cause of all disease. He then developed pasteurization, a way to heat food and kill microbes that may cause illness or disease. But, pasteurization also kills beneficial bacteria and enzymes.

His contemporary, Antione Beauchamp, came out with an opposite theory called the “terrain theory.” This theory highlights that healthy food, hygiene, and lifestyle affect a person’s terrain or immune system.

Interestingly, it’s widely accepted that Pasteur said on his deathbed that Beauchamp was right, “it’s all about the terrain.” However, the germ theory flourished and is still accepted today. It is what our modern medical system, and vaccines, are based on.

What does the Bible say about vaccines? Biblical arguments against vaccination

Aren’t vaccines saving lives? We are only using the wisdom God has given us, right?

The Bible contains stories showing how God’s people relied on their own wisdom to do what was good in their own eyes, only to find out they hadn’t asked their Heavenly Father what He thought.

The golden calf (Exodus 32-34), King David (1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings), and King Solomon (1 Kings) come to mind. But vaccines? Where does it talk about that?

Let’s explore some verses that may bolster the arguments against vaccination for Christians.

God doesn’t make mistakes

“And God saw that it was good.” [Not one but four times] Genesis 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:25

Let’s start at the beginning, when God created the Heavens and the earth, and then he created Adam and Eve.

Did God create Adam and then realize He made a mistake? Did He miss something in the immune system? Do we really think we can improve on His creation?

That sounds more like pride rather than wisdom to me. God stated that His creation was “good” four times, not just one.

His good is just that – entirely good, without blemish.

Human nature is to want to improve on things. We think that we can make things easier and better for ourselves (remember how the tower of Babel turned out?). But the Bible is clear that God has it down – and doesn’t need our help.

Abortion is an integral part of the vaccine industry

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13

The Bible makes clear that life begins at conception. It says that every child is a gift from God (Psalm 127:3). If Jesus were here today, I am not sure if He would be carrying a sign, but we can agree He would be pro-life.

Many are surprised to find that in fact, vaccines do contain aborted fetal tissue, including lung and kidney tissue.

This is because scientists grow live vaccines in living tissue. You can find aborted fetal tissue in 23 total vaccines, including:

  • MMR
  • Chickenpox
  • Shingles
  • Rabies
  • DTaP
  • HiB
  • Hep A and B
  • Polio

Today, many pro-vaccine Christians will convince themselves that aborted fetal cells in vaccines is just a sad part of the history of vaccine creation, as these “designer cell lines” (one of the names given to make them sound innocuous) were derived from elective abortions in the 60s. However, there is evidence that this is an ongoing practice.

Even more concerning are the implications of using cells from fetuses, as DNA fragments in vaccines have been implicated in autism spectrum disorders, as well as increasing gender identity disorders.

Vaccines contain DNA from animals too

“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” Leviticus 17:11

Consider that God forbade His holy people to drink blood, eat blood, or even mix it with certain other sacrifices.

He explains in Leviticus 17 that the life of the animal is in its blood, and thus is what atones them from their sacrifice, pointing to the ultimate Atonement, Jesus.

Yet, we find that there are animal by-products in vaccines. Not only are vaccines contaminated with DNA fragments from aborted fetuses, but also from animals, as they are grown in things like monkey and dog kidneys.

Vaccines contain ingredients that assault the body God created

“Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?” 1 Corinthians 6:19

These ingredients include carcinogens, neurotoxins, animal viruses, animal blood, allergens, and heavy metals. These ingredients can cause serious harm and even death to the body.

But the vaccine industry gets a free pass to include them in vaccines in the name of “health.”

Vaccines are man-made

“Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?” Isaiah 2:22

We all know and have our own stories about how hard it is to trust in God in difficult times.

But, we have to trust Him. As Christians, we believe He is sovereign. He knows all. He sees all.

We have to believe that He has our best in mind (Jeremiah 29:11) because He does. We are called to be in this world, but not of it. And that often means going against the grain, walking the narrow path, and seeking His will alone. This applies to our relationships, our words, our work, our actions, and yes, our health decisions.

We should never make decisions out of fear

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

The fear created by overzealous vaccine campaigns is real. Those advertisements are designed to provoke an emotional response, to make you fear your child becoming sick.

However, when we make decisions due to fear, we miss out on hearing from God about what He wants for our lives. When we instead trust His perfect design, we can make decisions from a place of education, with a sound mind, and empower ourselves to make healthy choices for our kids.

It is essential to protect religious vaccine exemptions

As Christians, there are plenty of arguments against vaccinations that are supported by biblical truth. Sadly, some states have already removed religious exemptions from vaccines, and still others have also removed vaccine exemptions based on philosophical beliefs, leaving parents to rely on doctors willing to support a medical exemption, which are hard to come by.

That means that parental freedoms and choices are limited, and children may not be able to attend public school without receiving vaccines that may violate a parent’s religious beliefs.

Vote your conscience and learn what your representatives believe about parental rights when it comes to vaccines.

What are your arguments against vaccination? Share in the comments below!

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