In April 2003, The American Academy of Pediatrics announced that breastfed infants should get a Vitamin D supplement to prevent rickets, a bone-softening disease linked with inadequate intake. Weakened bones in small children result in bowed legs, soft skulls, and delays in crawling and walking and doctors were seeing a resurgence of cases. Infants and children get all the Vitamin D they need to prevent rickets by getting ten to twenty minutes of sunshine every day.

The problem for Canadians, especially on the West Coast, is twofold – we can go days without sunshine during our winters and the increased use of sunscreens blocks the natural synthesis of Vitamin D. But there is more to this incredibly complex fat-soluable vitamin. Recent studies have stated that Vitamin D is vital in activating our immune systems, one of the reasons why kids are more sick with flus and colds in the winter. Researchers have found that our T-cells (“killer cells”) require Vitamin D to attack the bugs that we catch – without enough of this vitamin, our T-cells stay asleep. So to not only keep our children’s bones strong and healthy but to boost their developing immune systems and kick the T-cells into action, make sure you are supplementing with adequate Vitamin D along with daily sun exposure (but pass on the sunscreen for the first 20 minutes – in the heat of the summer, take your kids for a walk before 10am or after 2pm to prevent burns).

For food sources, you’ll find Vitamin D in salmon and eggs, both very nourishing for the whole family.

As for how much to supplement, experts are still trying to determine the optimal dose but are presently recommending 25-50 micrograms/1000-2000IU for adults and at least 400IU for infants and children.

So enjoy that sun peaking out behind the clouds, especially while we have it!

Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Bonn for this article!

Did it help? I don’t know. Maybe the stinging and burning distracted me from my ailment.

Given that I tend to steer clear of chemical-based products, especially ones on my children’s skin, and that I promised myself that I wouldn’t torture my kids with such treatment as my mom did me, I began to seek alternatives.

I came up dry. Other than the “No Name” versions of Vicks, that is. One thing that I noticed that they all had in common was their warnings not to use the products on infants or children under 2. This got me wondering why and here is what I found.

A case reported in Clinical Toxology 44:357-370, 2006 (http://www.aapcc.org/archive/FinalizedPMGdlns/camphor.pdf)  reported a case of a 2 month old infant hospitalized for an unrelated illness was discovered to have camphor poisoning due to repeated use of Vicks.

Vicks is made from menthol, camphor, eucalyptus oil, cedarleaf oil, nutmeg oil, thymol and turpentine oil suspended in a beeswax base.

Camphor, the active ingredient, is dangerous if ingested. Historically it has been used as an aphrodisiac, contraceptive, abortifcient, analeptic, lactation suppressant, cardiac and central nervous system stimulant, cold remedy, muscle and joint liniment, and rodent repellent. Important to note that Camphor poisoning symptoms include stomach ache,  nausea, vomiting, irritability, and seizures.

While I realize that reactions from exposure on the skin are rare, I think that if I can avoid the stuff, I will.

So the question remained, what do I use instead? Well, I got my answer when we began working with a new Canadian company called Broody Chick. Broody Chick has a line of natural skin care products that includes one my my new faves and a mom-must-have, Sniffs and Snuffles (Canadian link and USA link).

Steph, creator of Sniffs and Snuffles, “wanted to create a salve or balm that could be rubbed onto baby, the act of gently rubbing a baby’s chest or back is very soothing itself, but if the balm contained very gentle decongestants that would calm and soother irritated airways and realse nasal and chest congestion, then all the better.”

Here is Steph’s description of the ingredients she lovingly selected, “The balm itself is a blend of coconut oil, bees wax, macadamia oil and vitamin E ,this melds together to form a light,readily absorbed base. The oils I choose to incorporate are all safe to use on young children and have no contraindications (in the percentages I use them in). Eucalyptus blue gum, or fever tree, as it is also known,a traditional oil used for respiratory ailments such as bronchitis and croup, Frankincense used medicinally in the east and west for respiratory infections, Indian myrrh used for its ability to ease asthma, coughs, the common cold and catarrh and Ravensara for its ability to assist with respiratory problems colds and flu, sinusitis and lung infections.

The oils were all chosen not only for they’re therapeutic qualities but when blended together they create a wonderful calming and soothing aroma that doesn’t over power the senses and it actually does work!!!!!!

All of the Broody Chick skin care range has been created with this kind of fore thought, the best possible ingredients combined with the best possible therapeutic benefits of pure essential oils.”

Both Corina and I have used it on our entire families and the stuff just plain works! I rub some on my kids’ chests and backs, especially at night time when they are congested, and they sleep WAY better than without. One application seems to work all night long.

My whole household is sick with colds at the moment and I don’t know how we’d get on without the stuff! Thank you Steph and Broody Chick for a safe, effective, economical alternative!