Naturopathy for Common Ailments with Nadia Schroder-Christensen

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) , such as acupuncture and herbal medicine , has been widely researched and is now more frequently used alongside mainstream healthcare for treatment and ill health (Wells et al., 2017; Quezada et al., 2016; Johnson et al., 2014; Hall et al., 2012)

In some countries, complementary medicine is regulated the same way as conventional medicine. In general, there is an increase in interest among health care professionals in integrating some form of CAM to their practice. The popularity in different genres differs between countries, but globally public demand for CAM is strong and growing.

A couple of months ago I came across a wonderful book called ‘‘Enfants en bonne santé toute l'année’’ (which translates to ‘Healthy children all year round’) by the French Danish naturopath Nadia Schroder-Christensen.

Nadia’s gentle and respectful approach to the most common ailments in infancy and childhood as well as her tips as a naturopath on building the terrain of our little ones throughout the seasons, resonated soundly with me and on what we are discovering everyday as a scientific community on the importance of creating healthy foundations in the early years.

Disclaimer: Nadia stresses the need for an open communication between primary health care providers , parents and complementary medical practitioners when discussing a child's health.

Let us start by the simple question of what is Naturopathy? And How does it differ from other complementary medicine such as Ayurveda, Chinese medicine or even Tibb?

Naturopathy is a traditional European medical practice, which has been used throughout centuries. It is the equivalent of Ayurveda in India, Traditional Chinese medicine in China, or even Tibb in the Middle East and North Africa.

Naturopaths have a holistic view of the human body . If something was to go wrong, we would not necessarily link it to a system or organ per se but to the entirety of the patient. Thus, to his or her mental and emotional health, diet, bowel movements , sleep etc. All of this, is taken into consideration.

We first and foremost put an emphasis on strengthening the body rather then fighting an illness.

How is it different from Lifestyle medicine?

It is different in the sense that in addition to lifestyle modification and nutrition based treatments, we use tools such as herbal teas, essential oils or adequate vitamin/mineral supplementation.

Some naturopaths may also offer therapies such as energetic medicine, hydrotherapy or revitalizing and detoxifying practices.

How does naturopathy work in terms of prevention and supporting a child's immunity versus recurrent childhood illnesses?

Naturopathy first of all provides an explanation on what might be happening in the child’s body when ill.

For example, we recognise the link between diet and certain diseases, since the immune system is essentially located in the gut, the way we eat, what we eat and the environment in which we eat in, can be fundamental. Just by taking care of these three aspects, you might perceive a big shift in a child’s health.

I loved the seasonal approach in your book , knowing that infections dissipate during the summer months, how important is it for us to be in sync with the seasons in terms of building our children's immunity? can you give us an example?

Thank you for your feedback :) Infections do dissipate during the summer months, one reason is that people are outdoors most days and therefore do not contaminate each other as easily. But some illnesses still appear throughout the year and some symptoms can still manifest.

Let’s take for example, ear infections. They can occur anytime throughout the year, and the association between animal milk exposure and recurrent ear infections in susceptible children has been documented (Juntti et al., 1999; Heiners, 1962) If you breastfeed a baby or give a child homemade plant based milk instead, your susceptible child or baby is less likely to suffer from ear infections.

Can you list 5 essential natural remedies we should all have in our medicine cabinet to support our children's immunity throughout and the year , and explain why these in particular?

Yes, I would include the following:

Ravintsara* (cinnamomum camphora) which is an essential oil. It has antiviral properties and supports the immune system.

Helichrysum* (Helichrysum italicum G. Don) which is also an essential oil, ideal for falls and bruises.

Activated charcoal for when the child has diarrhoea or gastrointestinal issues. It can absorb toxins rapidly and helps regulate the transit.

Probiotics can support a weakened immune system or if there is any trouble in bowel movements.

Vitamin D is a fantastic support of the immune system and is synthetized from sunlight, when children are outdoors. It can also be taken as a supplement during the winter months when the sun is less present.

* Essential oils are powerful so safety is paramount and should be avoided on babies younger than 6 months old. In children, unless claimed otherwise it is best to use essential oils with a carrier oil or a in diffuser.

References+

Hall, H.G., McKenna, L.G., and Griffiths, D.L. (2012). Midwives’ support for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A literature review. Women and Birth 25, 4–12.

HEINER, D.C. (1962). Multiple Precipitins to Cow’s Milk in Chronic Respiratory Disease. American Journal of Diseases of Children 103, 634.

Johnson, J.R., Crespin, D.J., Griffin, K.H., Finch, M.D., and Dusek, J.A. (2014). Effects of integrative medicine on pain and anxiety among oncology inpatients. Journal of the National Cancer Institute - Monographs 2014, 330–337.

Juntti, H., Tikkanen, S., Kokkonen, J., Alho, O.P., and Niinimäki, A. (1999). Cow’s milk allergy is associated with recurrent otitis media during childhood. Acta Oto-Laryngologica 119, 867–873.

Quezada, S.M., Briscoe, J., and Cross, R.K. (2016). Complementary and alternative medicine. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 22, 1523–1530.

Wells, R.E., Baute, V., and Wahbeh, H. (2017). Complementary and Integrative Medicine for Neurologic Conditions. Medical Clinics of North America 101, 881–893.

DR NAUF ALBENDAR

My name is Dr Nauf AlBendar and I am the founder of The Womb Effect. As a medical scientist with a BSc in Molecular Genetics and Genomics, an MSc in Nutrition & Food Science and a PHD in clinical medicine, I have developed a deep appreciation and understanding for the developmental origins of health and disease. 

NADIA SCHRODER-CHRISTENSEN

Nadia Schroder-Christensen is a certified ISUPNAT naturopath and a member of OMNES (the French trade union for naturopaths). She is the author of ‘‘Enfants en bonne santé toute l'année’’ published in 2019. She specialises in naturopathy, dietary supplementation, nutrition, micronutrition, gemmotherapy, Bach flowers, aromatherapy and herbal medicine. Nadia offers consultations in French, English and Danish and can be found at https://www.nadiachristensen.fr/