You guys. I feel like all I do these days is a.) get test results back about this gene mutation and b.) read about it. I am learning a lot, some of it useful, some of it not so much. And what's really frustrating is that if you ask one doctor or pediatrician, they may be adamant that it's a huge deal. Then another won't have heard about it at all. So there's that. I don't even know what to do with that, having no medical training myself. Take all that I say with a grain of salt. Or with, like, the usual dose of WTH we give everything we read on the Internet. Amiright?
That said, here is what I have learned, in a nutshell....
MTHFR is linked to lots of things, including autism, delayed development and ADD. It keeps your body from processing toxins, B vitamins and folate. Gluten and casein (a protein in dairy) can wreak havoc on someone with this mutation. OR, you can be totally fine. If you treat it with a gluten-free/dairy-free diet, a methylated B/methylfolate supplement like this one, a delayed vaccine schedule, and a little therapy for things like developmental delays, you can see some big changes that will allow your child to overcome the symptoms, so they can grow and develop normally.* We also give our kids probiotics, vitamin D and fish oil with CoQ10 daily.
Ethan has been evaluated and is being evaluated again next month, but the crux of it is he is so much improved, he is like a new kid. We have no more than the normal behavior challenges now. What a relief. What a restful break. And truly, what a difference a year makes. Academically, going half-day to Kindergarten this year, he is currently ready to enter first grade. He struggles with focus, but he can do anything one-on-one, and we are confident that with time to grow, he can learn to manage it. For this, I also highly recommend karate.
We are so thankful for our amazing children, and for the journey that led us to learn about MTHFR and how to treat it. To read my original post, click here.
*I have been told by various doctors that the methylfolate won't hurt if you don't need it, but can help if you do! And as for delayed vaccines, that is each parent's personal choice. There may be risks when you don't stick to the recommended schedule, but I believe too many at once, too young, can cause harm too. I have looked up the schedule in other countries, and I personally believe the U.S. pushes them too hard. I think there can be a balance that allows you to protect your child's growing body from diseases and toxins, both. And I truly believe our younger kids have benefited from being on the delayed schedule from birth, unlike Ethan. We have not observed the same symptoms in them, and they all have forms of the mutation. If you would like to learn more, check out our pediatrician's Patient Education site.
That said, here is what I have learned, in a nutshell....
MTHFR is linked to lots of things, including autism, delayed development and ADD. It keeps your body from processing toxins, B vitamins and folate. Gluten and casein (a protein in dairy) can wreak havoc on someone with this mutation. OR, you can be totally fine. If you treat it with a gluten-free/dairy-free diet, a methylated B/methylfolate supplement like this one, a delayed vaccine schedule, and a little therapy for things like developmental delays, you can see some big changes that will allow your child to overcome the symptoms, so they can grow and develop normally.* We also give our kids probiotics, vitamin D and fish oil with CoQ10 daily.
Ethan has been evaluated and is being evaluated again next month, but the crux of it is he is so much improved, he is like a new kid. We have no more than the normal behavior challenges now. What a relief. What a restful break. And truly, what a difference a year makes. Academically, going half-day to Kindergarten this year, he is currently ready to enter first grade. He struggles with focus, but he can do anything one-on-one, and we are confident that with time to grow, he can learn to manage it. For this, I also highly recommend karate.
We are so thankful for our amazing children, and for the journey that led us to learn about MTHFR and how to treat it. To read my original post, click here.
Ethan's Star Student Pictures from Kindergarten
*I have been told by various doctors that the methylfolate won't hurt if you don't need it, but can help if you do! And as for delayed vaccines, that is each parent's personal choice. There may be risks when you don't stick to the recommended schedule, but I believe too many at once, too young, can cause harm too. I have looked up the schedule in other countries, and I personally believe the U.S. pushes them too hard. I think there can be a balance that allows you to protect your child's growing body from diseases and toxins, both. And I truly believe our younger kids have benefited from being on the delayed schedule from birth, unlike Ethan. We have not observed the same symptoms in them, and they all have forms of the mutation. If you would like to learn more, check out our pediatrician's Patient Education site.
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