A Look Into Naturopathic Care for Infants + Children

We're so excited to have a new ND joining our team that focuses on caring for infants + children - Ashley Shea! A fundamental of Naturopathic Medicine is getting to the root cause, and optimizing health from the "ground" up so what better place to start than these early years! Helping to lay the foundations for health from the beginning is of great benefit for not only future health, but proper development! Our developmental years are so important for our future wellbeing.

Naturopathic care for children, infants, and postpartum encompasses many aspects such as preventive support, Well-Child Checks, or alternative treatments for common ailments, post-partum and lactation support! This care also focuses on supporting you through all of the transitions of life - breastfeeding, infancy, toddlerhood, school + teenage years, and support for new parents (lactation support, counselling, resources, and more!) Read on to learn more about how naturopathic doctors can support infants, children, and families in growth and development!

Naturopathic Care for Infants + Children

We strive to provide care to your children through all stages of development, effectively dealing with any health issues that little ones may face to keep them healthy and vibrant. Some of the areas that we provide naturopathic support for children are:

• focus, mood, and behavioural issues

• allergies and food sensitivities

• eczema, psoriasis, rashes, and cradle cap

• immune support (colds, flus, and infections)

• teething

• ear infections

• sleep issues

• digestive disturbances (colic, constipation, diarrhea, reflux)

Meeting Milestones

Ensuring proper development is so important in the health and wellness of your child today, and every day moving forward. Our ND focuses on primary care such as Well Child Checks which are like your annual check-up as an adult! They ensure that infants + children are meeting their developmental milestones and go through a thorough history which includes birth history, family history, diet, sleep, dental care, safety and injury prevention, behaviours, psychosocial factors, environmental and toxin exposures, immune health and developmental milestones. They also include a general physical exam (including growth and weight charts) where further exams can be completed based on individual concerns. As the child gets older, we discuss body changes and how to navigate those transitions. Here is a breakdown of the timeline of Well Child Checks and what they entail!

Additionally, naturopathic children's care focuses on preventative health and uses screenings such as lab work or questionnaires to assess mental health and wellbeing!

Lifestyle

Lifestyle habits and practices are just as important in childhood as they are in adulthood! We can help lay the foundation for healthy lifestyle in early years to support optimal growth and development, and health into teenage years and adulthood! In children's care, the areas that our ND explores with you are: 

• Optimizing Nutrition. How to effectively introduce foods, dealing with picky eaters, approaching sensitivities and/or allergies while ensuring proper nutrition, correcting nutrient deficiencies through food or supplementation.
• Exercise + screen time. Discussing what is optimal for each age group, and ways to approach encouraging increased exercise + outdoor time while creating healthy boundaries around screen time.
• Sleep. Sleep is critical to our development, growth, mental + physical health, and stress management! Exploring what ideal hours of sleep per night are, safe sleeping strategies, dealing with nightmares, and supporting those that aren't great sleepers are all areas that our ND supports.

Counselling

Counselling is something that is important at all ages. Whether it be for parents or child, the transitions that happen during our early and teen years can be overwhelming and both sides deserve support in navigating this fast development! We can help:

• Navigate parenthood for new parents, provide post-partum care and lactation support, help with potty training, daycare and school preparations and adjustments, and puberty.
• With specific concerns such as immune support, anxiety + depression, ADHD/ADD, allergies and sensitivities, GI complaints such as pain, constipation, diarrhea, and skin conditions.
• Supporting stress management and coping ability - learn more about mindfulness exercises + practices for children here!

Treatment Options

As NDs, we opt for using gentle therapies and products to help support the immune system, and the bodies innate healing abilities to combat any ailments that might come up for your child! These treatment options may include but are certainly not limited to:

• botanical medicine
• nutrients + supplementation
• acupressure / auricular acupuncture
• physical therapies
• lifestyle counselling

Learn more about naturopathic care for infants + children with Ashley Shea, ND here!

M O N C T O N : [email protected] // (506) 830-8333 // Click Here to Contact Moncton

C H A R L O T T E T O W N : [email protected] // (902) 367-5300 // Click Here to Contact Charlottetown