Case study 4: Providing a safe environment for a new baby

To go full term and produce a healthy baby, the mother needs not only to be able to supply adequate nutrients to the developing foetus throughout the pregnancy, but also to protect herself and her developing foetus from the detrimental effects of toxins found in food. Tanya Maxted-Frost, author of “The organic baby book”, says that our daily diet contains residues of 30 different artificial chemicals, as well as routine antibiotics, growth hormones, colorants in egg yolks and farmed fish, as well as GM ingredients. All these things can affect the foetus.

Once the baby is born, care should also be taken to minimise the toxins to which the baby is exposed and to ensure that the baby receives adequate nutrition. This is particularly important if the baby is bottle-fed, since formula milk is nutritionally inferior to breast milk.

We put together a full  programme for a mother embarking on her second pregnancy

On preparation for pregnancy, the mother concentrated on eliminating toxins through homeopathic remedies and by changes to her diet. She also built up her immune system and increased levels of key vitamins and minerals, using a range of vitamins, essential fatty acids and antioxidant supplements. We also recommended that she reduced her exposure to environmental toxins by using safer personal care and household cleaning products. The regime was continued during pregnancy, but in addition she took supplements designed to support bone and brain function in the developing foetus.

Once the mother was breast feeding, the programme was changed slightly to reflect the growing needs of the baby – boosting the vitamins and minerals that are often depleted as a result of breast feeding, and also increasing the levels of antioxidants, since many toxins are passed on to the baby via breast milk. We also recommended that the mother used the full range of safe baby care products, which are free from potentially harming chemicals.

After a few months, the baby, although apparently healthy, was clearly in discomfort while feeding. The mother, concerned that she was not producing sufficient milk, stopped breastfeeding, and switched to bottlefeeding. The feeding difficulties continued, however, and the mother was advised to wean the baby. While this did improve the situation, the mother asked us to investigate further, and surrogate testing using the BEST machine revealed an imbalance in the digestive system. We recommended that the baby’s diet was supplemented with glyconutrients – a key component of breast milk, which is absent from formula milk, and among other things, helps promote healthy digestion. The baby’s feeding problems have continued to improve.

“It is virtually impossible to create a perfect world for a child, but at least I feel reassured that I have done my best”

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