Liz,
Many doctors criticize anything that contradicts them, but they commonly have little good science behind many of their own recommendations, as has been addressed repeatedly in recent years in the media, in medical journals and among researchers themselves, who have called the vast majority of what passes for scientific research into question. How often is it that we discover that a supposedly valid standard of care has no science behind it. And much if it is VERY dangerous. Like premature cord clamping. Like routine fetal monitoring in labor. Like inductions and cesareans and testing an infant's blood sugar prior to the first feed and weighing babies of moms who have had iv fluids. Almost all cancer treatment is NOT based in science--I spent two years researching it when my mother and FIL had cancer. It was eye-opening to say the least.
From my personal experience, when my son was 5 and diagnosed with extra-hepatic portal hypertension, I was instructed to put him on beta blockers by the ped GI. This was the standard of care. I absolutely did not do so and used no allopathic medicine or interventions at all--he simply saw the GI doc once a year to track spleen size and for basic eval. Five years later, the doctor told me that I had made a good call--that these drugs were now considered more harmful than helpful for his condition. I respect him to this day for telling me the truth. I am sad for all the kids whose parents followed his advice. 
What I see every day are sick kids being medicated or made more and more sick by people who do not understand that the mother's gut health is the foundation of the child's gut health. Almost 20 years ago, I heard a functional medicine researcher talk about gut health and disease and the use of probiotics and L-glutamine to heal the gut. Not one single pediatrician I knew of was advocating the use of probiotics for kids who had abx--but every single naturopath and homeopath was. Suddenly the allopathic community is okay with probiotics so we can use them? I, for one, am glad I did not wait for the green light. 
And bf infants's guts are NOT well-populated at all if they were born by cesarean, had abx, had AIM or have mothers with those histories. Colonization begins at birth and the flora in human milk depends on the flora in the mother's gut. A healthy person has 400-500 strains of flora--most Americans do not have that variety. Studies have suggested that the fewer strains in the gut, the more impaired cognitive functioning is, the more likelihood there is of obesity, the lower the ability to digest a wide variety of foods and so on. It isn't as simple as giving the baby some probiotics.
There is a lot more in the world of nutrition and gut health that is miles ahead of what is going on in traditional medical schools, too. Maybe instead of dismissing everything, it would be a good idea to learn from a field grounded in this information. While I read hundreds of studies on the gut, it is the holistic application of this information that has taught me so much. There is such a rich world of inquiry, research and clinical experience that it is a shame doctors are ignoring it simply bc it challenges some of their foundational ideas about nutrition and immunity. 
I have seen no research to prove that children outgrow intolerances or any research to support anything at all that is commonly held to be true about intolerances. The only doctor I know who treats intolerances in children though healing the mother is a dermatologist in NY. I have referred quite a few moms to him and he and I have talked extensively about his own concerns as to the lack of knowledge among doctors on these topics. What I have seen is that most doctors assume most intolerances are cow milk protein, while as many if not more babies in my clinical practice tend to be sensitive to gluten than cow milk protein. What I have seen is babies get better when they see naturopaths, who treat exactly the issues I addressed in my post--while their mothers are terrified of their peds who push artificial feeding at them. Mothers are smart--they know their milk is hurting their babies--and no amount of condescension is going to tell them it isn't---what they need is a way to eliminate whatever is causing that to happen so they can take action. 
And the response to edible clay? Ugggh? But, it's okay to give babies reflux meds? Animals in the wild who consume acidifying foods seek out clays to neutralize them. There is nothing disgusting about using these clays. 
I also consider it insulting to call consumers uninformed bc they do not buy into the allopathic model of disease-care. Parents are going to look for their own answers. Allopathic physicians can try to keep control of people by limiting access to information or they can try to learn it themselves so they can have a meaningful dialogue with these parents. I wonder how many peds realize how much their patients' parents do not tell them because of these kinds of attitudes. One ped took a poll of her patients and most said they would never mention using natural remedies to her. And she is a very open person--but people do not want to be treated as if they are stupid or uninformed. 
I suggest that anyone who wants a basic understanding of this information watch these very short videos on you tube. They are a presentation by Donna Gates, who wrote the Body Ecology Diet and Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, a neurologist who cured her own son of autism using the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet, which she designed. This is the diet all those uninformed consumers are turning to, because they are tired of not being able to help their children who are on the autism spectrum, who have multiple food allergies and intolerances, who have poor digestion, behavior problems, sleep problems, food addictions, sensory integration issues and learning disabilities. And their children are getting well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLP0Ijo2CK4
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, France
Intuitive Parenting Network, LLC


I was going to refrain from responding to this post, until the quote was
used "show me the science".
There is absolutely no science behind anything suggested in this post.  And
your challenge to show me the science behind protein intolerance is the
only science that exists here.  Leaky gut? Challenging vaccines? Come on.
We really need to move past these stumbling blocks that have prevented
science from progressing based on theories and rumors that cause panic
among uninformed consumers. Toxins? Just the use of this term demonstrates
the lack of science here.  What toxins, specifically, are you discussing?
Edible clay? Ugggh.
Protein allergy is a misnomer here.  It is not a protein allergy at all, it
is a protein intolerance.  There is plenty of science that demonstrates
that the vast majority of infants that do not tolerate cows milk protein or
soy in moms diet will tolerate it as the gut matures.  The GI doctor does
"get" what is going on.  Soy elimination will probably help tremendously.
I do agree with your suggestion of probiotics, although breastfed babys'
guts usually are well populated with healthy flora.  They may help mom.
I really disagree with the notion that mom's breastmilk may be toxic.  Just
suggesting this and using this language is very undermining to this mom and
her mission.
I know that there are a lot of opinions on this listserv and this may be a
very unpopular post.  But this was a very strong worded response, and I
think lacking in a lot of science itself.
I cannot help but be a voice for science here.  I think it is our
obligation to protect babies from disease with nature and science.

Liz Dedman, MD, FAAP, IBCLC


Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, France
Intuitive Parenting Network, LLC






 

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