Emily is a cute three year-old little girl that came to us a year ago. She was suffering from unexplained high fevers that occured about once a month. A couple of them had been bad enough to actually cause seizures. She had undergone extensive testing, but was given neither diagnosis nor treatment plan.

Her parents, undaunted, initially worked with Traci Simonton RD -- aiming to strengthen her immune system and constitution by making changes in her diet and introducing certain nutritional supplements.

Over the next six months, the fevers fizzled out -- which was great news. Sadly though, it was quickly becoming apparent that Emily made limited eye contact, she lacked a social smile, and there was very little expressive language. By last fall, she clearly met diagnostic criteria for autistic spectrum disorder (these criteria will likely be adjusted when DSM-V is released next month).

What else could be done? Actually, at the nudging of Traci & her family, we decided to begin Emily on a rotation of anti-fungal medications -- often referred to as "the anti-fungal parade." This therapeutic approach was pioneed by Dr. Sidney Baker, a Long Island pediatrician who developed a special interest in the biomedical approach to autism.

Emily, like most children on the spectrum, lacked standard signs of yeast infection such as thrush, monilia diaper rash, or ringworm. The first two months of treatment were a bit of a roller coaster. At first, there was notable progress, followed by sudden regression when the medication changed.

Last week, we checked in with her family. Here is the report:

She is doing great!  We have potty trained and transitioned to a "big girl bed!"  She has definitely become more vocal and communicating much more effectively using picture system as well as her iPad as a communication device.  We will be starting preschool in July.

The yeast protocol has been amazing!  She understands so much more now, it's like the fog has lifted... Since her understanding has improved so much, she can follow directions better, understands schedule and routines. She is a happy, healthy girl too, which is most important!   

Questions remain -- How long do we treat her? Could a relapse occur if the meds are stopped? Is there way of telling when the yeast are really gone? How many other children with ASD / Asperger / SPD might benefit? What is value of urine or stool testing? Hopefully, answers will be forthcoming.

Propolis is a vegetable mastic that bees collect from tree bark or flower buds and use in the honeycomb as a sort of caulk -- sealing cracks and keeping germs away.

Propolis has antiseptic properties that give it efficacy against canker sores, herpes virus, and MRSA. Beside its usefulness as a topical antibiotic, propolis is also a nutrient-packed superfood. It's loaded with flavonoids, minerals, amino acids, and a range of vitamins.

Last month, we had a little boy end up in the hospital when a wart on his thumb quickly became infected with MRSA. Staph infections like boils and impetigo often become more common as the weather warms. Consider some propolis for your first aid kit.

A genuinely important matter that we often fail to broach during check-ups with teens (or even tweens) is Internet safety. In last few years, the technology tsunami of tablets, iPods, and smart phones have made the job of protecting their children even more challenging.

To make things even more complicated, parents face not only the tasks of monitoring text messages, email, and social media, but new apps like Snapchat are being used by some youths to fly under their parent's radar.

Pornography today is incredibly more accessible to kids than it was half a gnereration ago.  Repeated viewing, explains Dr. Mary Anne Layden of the University of Pennsylvania, "produces mental imagery which is permanently implanted in the mind of the user and is scaled in by brain chemistry." She concludes: "This is the first addictive substance for which there is no hope for detoxification."

Content filters (e.g. K9 by Blue Coat) are a safety must for families, but in some cases many not be enough. If you suspect your child may have some trouble staying safe online, feel free to discuss this further with us.