Pediatric & Maternal Wellness: Growing Healthy Children in all Ages and Stages

Host Dr. Sarah Clarke, DC, IFMCP, leads this informative episode, interviewing Dr. Brenda Holland, Chiropractic Physician who specializes in pediatric care and maternal wellness. Drs. Clarke and Holland take a deep dive into supporting mothers and children of all ages and stages from pre-conception through adolescence with nutrition, chiropractic care, and healthy movement.

1:00 Growing up on the family farm - learned about health of cows and how to increase healthy milk by providing cows with nutritious foods like alfalfa and fermented corn, and how soil health impacts crops and animals; this experience influenced her passion for caring for humans, especially mothers and children

·      3:15 Whole Body Health – the connection between the Earth and what we put into our bodies

·      5:30 Beginning a Chiropractic Practice and earning a Diplomate in Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics through ICA

·      7:00 Chiropractic companies and organizations for support network for practitioners just getting started

·      10:10 Changes in the field of Chiropractic over past 20 years – more female chiropractors, and how it’s changing the workplace to support working Chiropractic mothers; more emphasis on specialties – pediatrics, functional medicine, and nutrition

·      17:45 Common conditions children come into the chiropractic office – sports injuries, back pain, obesity, skin conditions; when to refer out

·      20:00 Nutrition recommendations for healthy growing children

·      23:20 Risks of children becoming a one sport athlete at a young age, and the importance of a good nutritional foundation for young athletes

·      28:20 Nutrition for infants, babies and toddlers – breastfeeding if possible, good quality formulas, vitamin D3, healthy fats, solid food introduction at the right time

·      34:20 Making healthy foods look appealing for babies and toddlers – focus on eating colorful foods

·      36:38 Establishing healthy habits with older children – take them shopping, parents lead activities on growing foods and learning about nutritional value of foods; the 80/20 rule

·      38:48 Pre-conception, fertility and prenatal care nutrition recommendations – fertility is not just about female health, 30-50% of fertility issues are due to male health, including inadequate folate intake, CoQ10, and selenium; common pregnancy concern is back pain, 45-50% of females experience low back pain in pregnancy and 65+% experience low back pain within 12 months of delivery

·      42:30 Fourth Trimester care – healthcare and society need to establish a foundational understanding of pelvic floor care prior to and after pregnancy; safe comfortable places to breastfeed; supporting the mother in the fourth trimester

·      47:00 Chiropractic as patient-centered care

·      49:44 – Simple changes to start with if patients are feeling overwhelmed on starting their wellness journey – adding good things in before taking away, healthy eating habits, and basic movement