Long before 2020 ever showed up, those of us taking care of kids in clinical practice knew one thing – we were already in a pandemic – what we would soon call The Perfect Storm.
And while a pandemic that affects any portion of the population is one we never wish to face, this one was hitting us where it hurts the most – our kids.
In just 1-2 generations (not near enough time for genetics to actually change much at all), rates of chronic illness in kids have been rising quickly to absolutely horrendous, troubling levels.
ADHD & Behavior Problems in kids range from 10-15% and climbing
Anxiety in kids was 11.6%, then nearly doubled to 20.5% due to the pandemic
Depression in kids was 8.5%, then more than doubled to 25.2% due to the pandemic
Overall mental illness in kids now affects 1 in 6 kids and is climbing rapidly
Autism rates have increased 241% since just 2000, now affecting 1 in 44 kids
Having already noticed this trend as far back as 2008, and most important having been able to identify the real-life environmental factors at play that were fueling this rise in chronic illness in our kids, we began to call this The Perfect Storm.
Having studied genetics extensively in college, it was immediately apparent to me that there had to be something or a “sequence of things” that had changed early in life for our kids.
So I dove deep into the case histories of kids in my clinic who were suffering from Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, Anxiety, Epilepsy, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, and other neurological challenges… and looked to see if I could develop a trend or pattern amongst these conditions.
Sure enough, there was one that emerged as clear as day in those case histories. Being a Pediatric Chiropractor, I was trained to look for the cause… and there it was, seemingly sticking out in plain sight.
Yet no one in traditional medicine and regular “health” care seemed to be aware of it, concerned about it, or doing anything about it. In fact, you’ll learn throughout this long, life-changing article this additional troubling reality — they are actually one of the leading contributors of The Perfect Storm.
Not only are they not helping us stop it, but oftentimes they are creating it.
Whether they are aware of it or not, it’s happening. And it’s been happening for 20+ years, now moving onto yet another generation of infants, young children, and teenagers.
The Perfect Storm is something happening right in front of us again and again, but because of the style of doctors and industry, we are told to trust with the health of our children is not even aware — most of us parents are not either.
Heck, I went to school for 10 years, held multiple degrees and certifications… and still had no clue about it. Until the ones who’ve always known showed up — moms.
For Moms + Dads — Hope, Answers, Help
I know with the introduction of this article here, it may seem like it’s going to continue on to bash medicine, big pharma, pediatricians, and so forth. It’s not.
They simply don’t know. And even if they did, they can’t help. They lack the tools needed to get our kids’ health restored in the way they need it most.
This article is for you, mom and dad. The parents who’ve been up late at night scouring the internet, joining 20 Facebook Groups, and scheduling appointments with 20 different specialists, therapists, and doctors.
Your child is chronically sick — difficulty nursing, colic, reflux, constipation, ear infections, RSV, croup, chronic colds, allergies, asthma, and chronic autoimmune issues.
Your child is chronically stressed — autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, depression, focus and learning challenges, and sleep disorders.
While this article is long and dives super deep into exactly what’s causing this rise in chronic illness in our kids, it truly does contain the missing links and answers you’ve long been looking for, moms and dads!
To get our kids healthy, nothing matters more than figuring out exactly what caused them to get sick and struggle in the first place.
It’s not always fun and can be highly emotional because we want nothing more than for our kids never to struggle. But stay the course with this one parent; we’ll not only provide you answers — but, most importantly, the action steps you need to get your child healing, healthy, and happy once again!
What We’ve Been Told
For the vast majority of us, we’re still being told by our doctors that everything from autism, asthma, and allergies is just simply bad luck — genetic.
That’s what I thought it was for many years as well. Heck, I was a genetics major in undergrad starting out. I’ve always been fascinated with science, health, and helping people. So genetics felt like the perfect place to learn about how all that ties together.
The problem is, what is still the predominant place we blamed for all chronic health issues today — was disproven 20 years ago when amazing scientists and researchers like Dr. Bruce Lipton brought forth the reality of epigenetics.
So what’s next? Well, today, as parents take their first step out of the traditional medical model and get online looking for answers and explanations, we tend to find the vast majority of information centers around this next core topic — toxins.
When you seek out help for your child in a more natural, holistic health care model, you’ll quickly be overwhelmed with information about how you need to put your child on activated charcoal and other detox supplements, completely change your diet to go gluten and dairy free, remove chemicals from your entire household, and be Keto-Paleo-Macro!
But What About Trauma?
Ok, we’ve put enough introductory context to this article. Let me get right to it.
After 15 years of caring for thousands of Perfect Storm cases in our clinic, working with everything from cerebral palsy, autism, and epilepsy, to colic, constipation, and chronic ear infections… I can tell you there is ONE THING that stands out in 90%+ of those case histories that no one else is talking about — Neurological Birth Trauma to Babies.
As a neurologically-focused Pediatric Chiropractor, I’ve always been trained to continually, obsessively search for the cause of my patient’s struggles.
No matter the diagnosis, severity, age, or anything — we simply don’t stop until we’ve dialed in the exact cause(s) of why that child or patient is struggling.
So while I was classically trained to blame genetics and then toxins just like everyone else, that’s not the answer I found when I had the chance to sit down knee-to-knee, heart-to-heart with mom after mom.
Again and again, for 15 years running now, that one thing has stood out more than anything else — birth trauma.
Things like induction, manual assistance, forceps, vacuum, and c-section.
And a close second as the most common contributing factor to The Perfect Storm – prenatal and maternal stress during pregnancy. This was already a major factor, and then the enormous amount of stress and fear we piled on our poor mothers from 2020-2023 just made it so much worse.
Birth Trauma and the Brainstem
While it would take an entire book to break down the exact neurodevelopmental and neurosensory issues that arise from this one thing, I’ll do my best to summarize it in this section.
Simply put, the bones of the skull, upper neck, and entire spine are vastly more important than most know. They are not just there for structure, they are there to house and protect the most important aspect of our health — the central and autonomic nervous system.
When these areas are physically injured and altered during the birth process, their function is altered from the very first moments of life on.
Those vital functions that this area is in charge of include:
Control nerves and muscles responsible for breastfeeding
Control nerves and muscles responsible for digestion
Control nerves and muscles responsible for draining fluid from the ears, sinuses, etc.
Control and regulate our immune system and inflammatory cascade
Control and regulate all sensory processing — eyes, auditory, smell, touch, etc.
Control and regulate our motor development, milestones, tone, balance, coordination, etc.
Control speech development and function
Control and regulate all initial brain communication and coordination — social, emotional, behavioral, memory, decision-making, etc.
What is the one crucial nerve that connects and tethers all those vital functions together? Something called the Vagus Nerve.
To simplify all of this for you, once that brainstem area is injured, it sets in motion a condition that truly will explain so many of your child’s struggles all in one place — dysautonomia.
The Sequence of Sickness, Medications, and Stress
While the section above puts all of the various health challenges and lists them out, what is most fascinating about The Perfect Storm is how clearly things sequence together and happen in order from the very beginning of life on.
Nearly every single time we go through this real-life sequence, parents will say something to the tune of — “You literally just described my child and what we’ve been through to a T.”
It begins with birth and then goes through these 5 stages:
Fussy, colicky, constipated, sleep-challenged infant
Sensory, constantly sick, challenging baby to toddler stage (meaning antibiotics and steroid-based anti-inflammatory medications over and over)
Constantly wound up, sensory overwhelmed, hyperactive, impulsive, emotional, “stuck” child
Focus, concentration, organization, social, and emotional regulation challenged grade school child
Exhausted, Angry, Anxious, Depressed Teenager
The one positive we have in the landscape of the Perfect Storm today compared to just 10 years ago is this — parents are turning to medications way later and as a “last resort” now more than ever before!
When I first started practice, 80% of grade school and teenage patients we began care with were already on at least 1-2 psychotropic drugs that had a whole host of horrendous side effects.
This is such good news and is an absolute end result of parents doing exactly what you are doing right now mom and dad — doing your own research and learning to advocate for your child in every way possible!!!
How to Get “Unstuck”
So far, in this Perfect Storm summary article, we’ve likely got you rather emotional and excited at the same time! It’s my hope we’ve given you some explanations and answers you’ve long been searching for.
But we still have not turned the corner on how to now get the help you need!
I’ll cut right to the chase here, moms and dads. The answer and help you seek is found in the office of something and someone you likely never considered — a trained and ready Pediatric Chiropractor.
Everything we described and took you through above can be summarized and tied to one other term and condition you likely had not heard of until reading this article — subluxation.
Subluxation is a term that simply means — stress stuck on.
Our central nervous system is the absolute “Air Traffic Control” system that regulates and controls every other major system in the body. It’s the absolute boss, and its main operating center is located in the brainstem that we discussed above is, sadly, easily injured and damaged during the birth process for millions of children today.
Once that upper neck and neurological subluxation sets up shop, it gets stuck.
Subluxation that is present from birth (or even before with breech presentation and other prenatal challenges) then alters the most important of all infant and childhood brain development features — movement and motor milestones.
Movement is life.
Neurology is life.
And they are intricately linked.
When that subluxation is present, even in a mild form, dysautonomia and The Perfect Storm get kicked into gear early and often.
How to Find Your Child’s Subluxations – Insight Scans
Here it is, parents! The most important action step you can take is to get your child into one of our trained and ready Pediatric Experience Chiropractors and get them scanned!
Our Insight Scanning Technology features 3 different types of non-invasive, life-changing scans that help find and measure subluxation, dysautonomia, alterations in motor tone, and so much more!
In literally just 15-20 minutes, you can have so many of the answers and explanations you’ve been searching for this whole time.
Once we have this life-changing exam and test done, they then provide you with three crucial answers and explanations:
Can neurologically-focused, pediatric chiropractic help?
If yes, how long will it take to restore neurological function?
If yes, what exact chiropractic techniques and specific subluxations must be addressed first?
The technical and detailed aspects of Pediatric Chiropractic Care are what the Doc will explain in #2 and #3 on that list, but honestly, moms and dads, for right now… don’t even worry about anything other than #1!
Get your child’s appointment scheduled right away, and just simply find out if we can help!
If you need some more information and real-life examples of this truly incredible work, be sure to check out the rest of our helpful articles and patient stories!
You deserve Hope, Answers, and Help parents — and we are here to give you just that!
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