Asthma and Kids

Dramatic Increase in Childhood Asthma

What is causing the rising incidence of children's asthma? Could it be the increasing number of vaccines given to children?

The incidence of asthma has steadily increased in the modern era since the introduction of vaccines. During the period 1980 through 1989 the prevalence rate of self-reported asthma in the United States increased 38 percent, and the death rate for asthma increased 46 percent (Centers for Disease Control, 1992). In the five years from 1985 through 1990, projected estimates for asthma's medical costs increased 53 percent. The total estimated cost of asthma rose from $4.5 billion to $6.2 billion, or 1 percent of all US health-care costs (Weiss et al., 1992). In other parts of the world as many as 30 percent of children suffer from asthma, and the rate of asthma increases by 50 percent every decade. This dramatic increase has been attributed to increased exposure to environmental pollutants, and to the toxic effect of asthma medications themselves, but the increasing burden on the immune system caused by vaccines cannot be ignored.

Several clinical studies have confirmed an association between vaccination and asthma. A team of New Zealand researchers followed 1,265 children born in 1977. Of the children who were vaccinated 23 percent had asthma episodes. A total of 23 children did not receive the DTP vaccines, and none of them developed asthma (Kemp et al., 1997). A study in Great Britain produced similar findings that associated asthma with the pertussis vaccine. In that study 243 children received the vaccine and 26 of them later developed asthma (10.7 percent), compared to only 4 of the 203 children who had never received the pertussis vaccine (2 percent). The relative risk of developing asthma from the pertussis vaccine was 5.4. Additionally, of the 91 children who received no vaccines at all, only one had asthma. Therefore the risk of developing asthma was about one percent in children receiving no vaccines and 11 percent for those children who received vaccines including pertussis (Odent et al., 1994). A third study was conducted in the US from data in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of infants through adolescents aged 16. Data showed that children vaccinated with DTP or tetanus were twice as likely to develop asthma compared to unvaccinated children (Hurwitz and Morgenstern, 2000).

Strengthening immune function: constitutional medical care

Natural medical care has the ability to significantly strengthen immune function, preventing asthma attacks and even curing the underlying cause of symptoms. When used in combination with nutritional approaches to build immune function, natural forms of treatment will create a higher level of health with less tendency to allergic reactions. Never stop ongoing asthma medications without notifying a qualified medical professional.

The most successful approach to asthma, and the easiest for parents, is constitutional homeopathy as practiced by an experienced, certified, classical homeopathic practitioner (see www.homeopathicdirectory.com). The constitutional medicine is a single substance that corresponds to the overall picture of a child's physical symptoms, medical history, general metabolism, and behavior. A skilled homeopath will discern the correct medicine and prescribe it in a single dose on sugar pellets or repeated daily doses of a liquid solution. The expectation is less frequency and severity of asthmatic episodes. The typical effect of homeopathic care is gradual reduction in asthmatic and other respiratory symptoms, and improvement of overall health with less need for conventional drugs.

Oriental medicine and Chinese herbs have the ability to directly strengthen immune function. The most effective strategy for children is to use liquid extracts of herbs and mix them with juice. A licensed acupuncturist experienced in the treatment of children can assess an individual child's needs and prescribe an herbal formula that will relieve congestion and actually build immune function. The correct formula will adjust a child's energetic imbalances and strengthen weaker areas of energy that have led to decreased resistance and heightened susceptibility to allergens. The result is less symptoms and increased resistance to infections. An oriental medicine practitioner may also suggest a course of acupuncture, depending on the child's age and willingness to have treatment with needles.

Classical homeopathy, with its 200-year history of treating asthma, and oriental medicine, with a 3,000 year history, are the most consistently effective forms of natural medical treatment for childhood asthma. Both homeopathy and oriental medicine have also been proven effective for asthma treatment in double-blind clinical studies.