By Harold Buttram, M.D.
PART I
How can couples prepare ahead for a healthy and happy baby? Why take risks with the welfare of a child when research has shown that physical and mental birth defects can be reduced when both parents make an effort to become as healthy as possible before they decide to have a child.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS COUPLES FACE?
Even though medical care has greatly reduced childhood mortality from “killer diseases” of former times, primarily from infectious diseases, there is a dark side of deteriorating health in today's children. In order to bring this issue into perspective, comparisons may be appropriate.
Within the past year or two the public has, relatively suddenly, become aware that we are faced with major environmental problems, global in scope, unlike any others in recorded history. As an indication of this public awareness, recent national polls have shown that a large majority of those polled favor mandatory trash recycling, cleaning of toxic wastes, and stringent controls of water and air pollution, no matter what the cost.
As yet relatively few are aware that the counterpart of this environmental deterioration is taking place in human health, primarily involving children. Although the cataloging and documenting of these adverse health trends is not a pleasant task, it is absolutely necessary to bring a public awareness of the scope of the problem in order to overcome the lethargy and indifference so much in evidence. Once aroused, the public will move towards corrective action.
There are many indications of this unfavorable health trend. A study in England, which has trends very similar to those in this country, showed that the incidence of allergic eczema more than doubled during a 12-year period between 1958 and 1970. At a recent seminar, Russell Jaffe, M.D., Ph.D., a prominent researcher and physician, stated that the incidence of auto-immune diseases has increased more than ten-fold in the past two generations. (For those unfamiliar with the term, an auto-immune disease is one in which antibodies or immune cells attack the cells and tissues of one's own body). A few examples include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erthematosis, juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, some cases of schizophrenia, and many others.
As one example, a study has shown that the incidence of juvenile diabetes per capita has nearly tripled in the last 30 years.
Many children suffer from chronic ear, sinus, and throat infections at a level never before known.
A study at the Bronx Municipal Hospital indicated that asthma is increasing both in frequency and in severity, with more than four-fold increase in hospitalizations between the years 1960 and 1987.
Perhaps most ominous of all is the rise in childhood behavioral disorders, hyperactivity, and learning disorders. The counterparts of these problems may be seen at the later age as juvenile delinquency and perhaps a proneness for drug and alcohol addictions, depression, seizures, and even suicide. It is estimated that about one million school children are medicated with powerful amphetamine-type drugs.
Concerning reproductive statistics in the United States, one out of five pregnancies ends in miscarriage. According to the March of Dimes, the figures show that a reported one quarter of a million babies (6.8% of all births) were born with a birth defect in the year 1984. Many children are born prematurely, small for their gestational age (the consensus is that the low birth weight infant is at risk for a variety of intellectual, school, and behavioral problems, although many low birth weight infants do very well). Finally, one out of ten women have a great deal of difficulty in conceiving or are unable to conceive at all.
On a national level, if no action is taken now, the growing burden of mentally ill and physically handicapped may eventually become too great, in both human and financial terms, for the fit population to support and carry. The employed taxpayer would be supporting a vast burden of drug therapy and care for the hyperactive youngster, long term care for the mentally handicapped, custody and probation for the young delinquent (many young criminals are subtly mentally handicapped), and so on. As stated above, it is an unpleasant task to list these mournful statistics, but a very necessary one, if we are to find solutions.
SOLUTIONS – ENGLAND'S EXPERIENCE IN PRECONCEPTUAL CARE
For solutions to the group of problems outlined above, we could do no better than look to Great Britain, where an organization called Foresight has developed a comprehensive program for preconceptual care. Starting their work in 1981, Foresight has worked with approximately 600 couples, almost all of which had previously had problem pregnancies. Working with couples at least six months before anticipated conception, through careful medical screening and education, they direct their efforts toward improved nutrition and reduced toxins. The results speak for themselves.
Mrs. Peter Barnes of Surrey, England, who works with the program has reported the following statistics:
- Only two birth defects to date among Foresight children, from over 600 births, compared with the national average of 6% or 7% birth defects.
- National average for miscarriages (in England), 1 in 5 pregnancies; Foresight average for miscarriages, 1 in 32 pregnancies.
- National average for premature births, 1 in 13 pregnancies; Foresight average for premature births, 1 in 41 pregnancies, and all of these turned out well.
- Foresight infant deaths – none to date.
- 46 successful pregnancies among 54 previously infertile couples.
Considering that most were high-risk couples with previous problem pregnancies, these are astoundingly successful results. Such a program should serve as a model for a comparable program in this country.
In their educational program, Foresight stresses that male sperm cells take 116 days from outset to reach maturity. In the female, cells develop 100 days before ovulation. Any damage from toxins or nutritional deficiencies during this time may impair cellular development. Both husband and wife must be as healthy as possible during this time in order to have healthy children.
According to their experience, the following factors have been found to be of paramount importance:
Basic diet, with special attention towards vitamin, magnesium, zinc, manganese, and other trace mineral deficiencies.
Eliminate smoking, alcohol, and street drugs.
Screening for lead, cadmium, aluminum, copper, and mercury toxicities.
Natural family planning, with elimination of “the pill” at least six months before conception.
Screening and treatment of venereal disease (gonorrhea, Chlamydia, mycoplasma and others).
Milk and wheat allergy, as well as other allergies.
Candida-related syndrome due to the “birth control pill” and/or antibiotics.
Avoidance of pesticides.
Avoidance of chemical food additives.
Careful selection of drinking water so as to reduce possible water borne chemicals to a minimum.
Foresight's success is apparently based on a balanced program involving scientific research and documentation, education, and clinical care. There is also apparently a master touch of organization with harmonious interworkings between lay persons and professional consulting staff, consisting of approximately 40 physicians.
PRECONCEPTUAL CARE, THE CINDERELLA OF MODERN MEDICINE
It is a sad commentary on modern medicine that, while much is known concerning the influences during pregnancy, very little is known about influences surrounding human conception. Most of our knowledge in this comes from veterinarians.
In the book, “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration”, Weston Price recounted his experiences in extensive travels in which he reviewed the effects of diets on all species. He studied experimental work done at the time with farm and domestic animals citing many examples of anomalies brought about by depletion of a single nutrient, vitamin or mineral, in either parent.
He stressed that, in human reproduction, the father's role in the promotion of fetal integrity has long been overlooked although, of course, its importance is well-recognized in stock breeding and the breeding of pets.
At a seminar held in this country some years ago, Jonathan Maberly, M.D., of Yorkshire, England, expressed the problem in these terms:
“In preconception many factors apply. Nutrition, including vitamins and minerals, are all important to the sperm and ovum at that stage. Exposure to toxic substances can have detrimental effects in the beginning. Oral contraceptives affect the levels of vitamin B6, zinc, and copper in the mother and, if she becomes pregnant within three months after taking the “pill”, immunologic derangements or congenital anomalies may result. Immunologic impairments in the fetus from zinc deficiency will not be corrected by administration of zinc at a later date. Humans tend to breed at random. By contrast, stock breeders take every precaution to make sure both bull and cow are healthy. The first time a human usually thinks of health is when the woman is three months pregnant. By that time the organ systems are fully formed, which is too late to do anything at all.”
CASE REPORT
A single case report will probably serve to demonstrate both the problem and the solution. A woman in her thirties with a variety of health problems was seen by a physician. In giving her medical history, she related that she had been fairly sickly as a child with multiple allergies and repeated infections. In her teenage years, she was a typical child of the 1960's. She smoked, she indulged in alcohol, at times heavily, and for a short time she was into drugs. Towards her late teens her health failed and she became incapacitated from normal activities. At that time she came to her senses and changed her ways, which became exemplary in every sense of the word.
Although her own health recovery was slow and far from complete, she did marry. She had several children. One might expect that the children would inherit her mother's weaknesses. Far from it! The children were in excellent health because of the mother's efforts in the scrupulous care of her health, presumably during the preconception and prenatal periods.
If this story has a moral, it is that effort, in terms of health care of prospective parents, can have rich rewards in healthy, happy, and intelligent children, almost irrespective of imperfect health of the parents.
THE FUTURE OF PRECONCEPTION CARE IN AMERICA
Considering that America, as a nation, originated largely as offspring of Great Britain, there may be a poetic justice in now looking to Great Britain for a rebirth of another sort, in the improved health and well-being of our children.
How should the program develop in this country? Ultimately it should invoke the schools at all levels, but especially the high schools. It should involve medical care at all levels as well as the churches. It should have government sponsorship.
The program is relatively simple but does require, at a professional level, a working knowledge of sound nutrition and environmental toxic hazards, areas now relatively neglected in medical training. With this in view there should be training programs for professional persons expressing interest.
Using the English experience as a model, there should be balanced emphasis on public education, scientific research and documentation, and clinical care.
If it is to succeed, it must have a firm organizational basis with harmonious working relations between lay persons and professionals. Finally, since childbearing is primarily a woman's work, there must be strong feminine representation. Women should be the prime movers in this venture.
A FINAL WORD
Quoting again from Dr. Jonathan Maberly, the most important period in an individual's life is from six months before conception through the first 2 or so years of life. The time is long overdue when health and medical care in this country begins thinking and working in these terms. Time is running out. Tomorrow may be too late.
Note: This article is not intended as a scientific review, and for this reason references have been omitted. For those desiring documentations of statements made herein, Dr. Buttram's references are available and will be provided upon written request and SASE. Write to: PPNF, PO Box 2614, La Mesa, CA 91943-2614.
PPNF recommended reading:
For Tomorrow's Children: A Manual For Future Parents.
This book outlines a program by which parents-to be may improve their health to produce mentally and physically healthy offspring. This program is based on the premise that most of the problems related to birth defects and infant mortality can be avoided if both parents make proper preparation prior to conception. Topics include: nutrition, vitamins and minerals, allergies, environmental hazards, contraception and prenatal influences. This advice applies to any and all ages.
To purchase CLICK HERE
Another book that is GREAT for parents who don't have time to read ALL our books yet it has lots of important information that every parent should know about - all in ONE book is:
The Truth About Children's Health: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Preventing, and Reversing Disease.
To purchase CLICK HERE:
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