Ask the Doctor
Each week, we will choose 2 questions to be answered by one of our pediatric care providers and it will be posted in this forum. For questions about a specific illness, please call our office. For general questions
click here.
All opinions expressed on
www.senderspediatrics.com and
www.facebook.com/senderspediatrics are those of their authors and not of their employer. Information provided here is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. If you have an acute medical problem, we urge you to seek the advice of your physician or medical professional directly. For patients of Senders Pediatrics, please call the office at 216-291-9210. As a recipient of information from this website, you are not establishing a doctor/patient relationship with any physician. There is no replacement for personal medical treatment and advice from your personal physician. Under no circumstances will the authors be liable to you for any direct or indirect damages arising in connection with use of this web site. Patient data published on this web site is modified and information from several cases may be compiled into one posting for teaching purposes and to protect patient confidentiality.
What is your opinion of the blood type diet and the vegan/no oil diet AKA skinny vegan diet?
Answered by Dr. Doug Fleck
Developed by a naturopathic physician, the blood type diet is a diet based on your blood type. According to this diet, if your blood type is A, you should eat a primarily vegetarian diet, if it’s type O, you should eat mostly meat and avoid grains, and if it’s type B, you can eat a variety of food, including dairy, which is excluded for type As and Os.
The theory that our blood type determines what we should eat or what kind of exercise we should do is not supported by scientific evidence. In addition, by eliminating whole groups of food, you may have a lot of initial weight loss, but you are also missing out on a lot of essential vitamins, nutrients and minerals, which are not supplemented if you eat a well balanced diet. Eating a well balanced diet with a healthy exercise routine is still the best way to go.
The vegan diet can also be called "strict" vegetarianism that excludes meat and fish, eggs, honey and milk products. They also abstain from use of all animal products such as clothing, products, etc. While a vegetarian diet can be healthy, it does not guarantee a healthy and balanced diet. A lot of nutritionists feel the vegan-no oil diet AKA “skinny vegan†diet may be lacking in many essential vitamins and nutrients. So, yes, you will lose weight from less calories, however you may develop many nutritional deficiencies by totally eliminating certain groups of foods. These diets can be lacking in protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12, omega 3 fatty acids, and iodine. The American Dietetic Association approves of carefully planned vegetarian and vegan diets, but recommends consulting a registered dietitian to be sure your plan meets your nutritional needs.
Should I be concerned about a lot of flatulence in our 3 year old?
Answered By Julia Caschera, CPNP
Did you know that a healthy person passes gas 8 to 20 times a day?! Most of time gas is normal event.
The main culprit?
Foods like beans, whole grain cereal, eggs, fatty foods, fried foods, milk, and milk products. See if you can think back of what your child ate 2-3 hours before the gas and that is likely the culprit.
Keep in mind that extreme gassiness with a really strong odor combined with not having regular bowel movements may be constipation. Or if the gas is painful, food allergies or intolerances might be considered.
My best advice on managing gas is to make sure you encourage your child to chew properly before ingesting, to not eat rapidly, avoid carbonated beverages, and drink lots of water.
What was the dosage of zinc for children with ADHD?
Answered by Dr. Ann Witt and Dr. Shelly Senders
Zinc deficiency in the United States is rare. Moreover, there are no strong data to support supplementing routine patients with ADHD with zinc. Furthermore, excessive zinc levels can impact on the immune system, cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain and at extremely high levels has been associated with a doubling in the incidence of prostate cancer. As with Vitamin D, the supplement darling of the year, when a child is deficient, there is much benefit to supplementation. When the levels are normal or high, there is little benefit and some harm to supplementation.
The Institute of Medicine has established Adequate Intake (AI) levels of zinc for infants birth to 6 months is 2 mg/day. For older infants, children, and adults, Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) quantities of zinc have been established: infants and children 7 months to 3 years, 3 mg/day; 4 to 8 years, 5 mg/day; 9 to 13 years, 8 mg/day; girls 14 to 18 years, 9 mg/day; boys and men age 14 and older, 11 mg/day; women 19 and older, 8 mg/day; pregnant women 14 to 18, 13 mg/day; pregnant women 19 and older, 11 mg/day; lactating women 14 to 18, 14 mg/day; lactating women 19 and older, 12 mg/day.
All these doses are of elemental zinc. Different formulations provide different amounts of elemental zinc. Zinc sulfate contains 23% elemental zinc (220 mg zinc sulfate contains 50 mg elemental zinc). Zinc gluconate contains 14.3% elemental zinc (10 mg zinc gluconate contains 1.43 mg zinc).
The Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) of zinc for people who are not receiving zinc under medical supervision: Infants birth to 6 months, 4 mg/day; 7 to 12 months, 5 mg/day; children 1 to 3 years, 7 mg/day; 4 to 8 years, 12 mg/day; 9 to 13 years, 23 mg/day; 14 to 18 years (including pregnancy and lactation), 34 mg/day; adults 19 years and older (including pregnancy and lactation), 40 mg/day.
If you are concerned about your child’s zinc levels in a patient with ADHD, please come in, we will measure levels and advise you accordingly