Einstein Syndrome: Down Syndrome with a Positive Attitude

If you have a child with Down syndrome, you probably have a child with a poorly functioning immune system. Frequent sickness is an expected part of the “syndrome.” Yet it doesn’t have to be. Once you understand the “very good” design of the human immune system, then you can begin using tools to  support that design rather than taking actions which undermine it.  Your goal should be to build the immune system, not just to achieve a quick reduction in symptoms.

In this post we will look at antioxidants, essential fatty acids, herbs, the gut and sinus protective barriers, and fever as they relate to the immune system.  Entire books are written about these topics, so this will be a quick overview.  As the Professor Parent you’ll have to do the deep study yourself.  The goal of this post is to list some tools that you can use to build the immune system in your child.

Antioxidants

Almost all antioxidants measure low in the blood of someone with Trisomy 21. Yet antioxidants are part of the body’s arsenal against foreign invaders. Simply supplementing antioxidants can have a noticeable difference in the frequency of sicknesses. This has been reported in Down syndrome by Dr. Mattias Gelb in 2001. In Gelb’s clinic, he saw a 37% decrease in infections treated with antibiotics in children who received antioxidants in a supplement targeted to DS, as measured against a control group.  Indeed, one of the most frequent observations from parents who start their children on the targeted supplement NuTriVene-D is that their children have less frequent illnesses.   The antioxidants in NuTriVene-D include Vitamins A (including beta-carotene), C, E, the minerals zinc and selenium and the supplements Alpha Lipoic Acid, Co-Q10, inositol and bioflavinoids.

Essential Fatty Acids

Contrary to popular belief, fats are good food. Well, some fats are, anyway.   Without the essential Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, the immune system cannot function as designed. Once you have done your kitchen makeover and introduced healthy fats, you should see an improvement in health. By introducing easily obtained essential fatty acids (like Cod Liver Oil and others), you will give your child the tools to reduce inflammation, to heal, and to fight disease.  Here are a few articles to introduce the chemistry of these fatty acids.   There is some controversy among the researchers as to the best ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids, but everyone agrees that both are necessary.

Treat with Herbs, not Antibiotics

An antibiotic short circuits the maturing of the immune system God designed. Our system is supposed to grow an accumulating repository of data about invaders, to recognize them, and to then mount an offense against them when they are found. When antibiotics are used to wreak widespread destruction on all bacteria in and on our bodies, then the immune system does not get the time to finish its response and mature.

Antibiotics also do great damage to the healthy probiotic bacteria in our guts.  These probiotic bacteria are a front line of defense against invaders in our bodies.  It is best to leave them, and not to kill them with powerful drugs.

So, should we leave our children helpless when they are sick?  No.  The herbs that grow in abundance in our world contain much that supports good immune function. Learn to use these tools rather than reaching for antibiotics.  Visit any health food store and ask about the best herbs for treating sickness.  There are many, and your local proprietor will have his favorities.  My favorites are echinacea, garlic, and elderberry.  Every winter I stock my cupboards with these, plus bovine colostrum powder and plenty of antioxidants.  With these, we ward off the flu and treat the various illnesses that come our way.

Do antibiotic drugs have their place?  Of course.   But not as the first response to every infection.

Gut Wall

A healthy gut is a wall of protection against invaders. By keeping peristalsis moving, by supplementing therapeutic levels of probiotics, and by eating a diet that starves the unhealthy yeast, you ward off sickness in the first place.  In a previous post I discussed the gut at length.  The gut can be damaged by antibiotics, by vaccines, and by toxins.   If unhealthy bacteria and yeast have gained a hold on the gut wall (as is very common in DS), then a diet of grains, starches and sugars will feed these bad bacteria and strengthen its hold.  For a strong immune system, keep the gut healthy.

Sinus Wall

The sinuses are also a wall of protection–this time against airborne invaders. Keep the nose free of clogging mucous; keep it moist, and do what it takes to keep your child breathing through his nose instead of through his mouth.  In my area where we need heat in the winter, it helps my daughter to have a humidifier in her bedroom at night.  Keeping her sinuses moist, but clear, keeps them functioning well.

Fever is Your Friend

Fever is a defense mounted by the immune system to create an inhospitable environment for invading microbes. When you immediately give acetaminophen (Tylenol) to reduce fever, you deprive the immune system of a potent weapon. There may be medically necessary reasons to reduce fever. However your first response should be to support the immune system rather than to undermine it.

Acetaminophen has the additional negative result of depleting the liver of glutathione, which is needed to remove toxins from the body. In Down Syndrome, glutathione is already depleted because of the result of triplicated SOD. When you further deplete what glutathione your child has, then you leave him vulnerable.  This page does a good job of collecting research relating to glutathione depletion, plus listing all the medications which contain acetaminophen.

So, let me spell out this out.  A child with DS is low in glutathione because of a triplicated gene.  Glutathione is necessary for the liver to detoxify the body, including to detoxify after taking drugs or vaccines.  An invader enters the body, possibly by a vaccine, or just an ordinary bacterial or viral infection.  The immune system mounts a response including a fever.  The liver goes to work to remove toxins from the body. 

Meanwhile, the loving mother lays her hand on the child’s forehead, notices the fever,  and confirms it with a thermometer.  And then rather than supporting the immune system, her first response it to give a dose of acetaminophen (Tylenol).   The liver is depleted of the very glutathione that it needs to do its job.  Sure, the body temperature is lowered, but in so doing, the  immune system is weakened.  The sickness lasts longer.

As you treat sickness, step back and look at the design of the body. That design was called “very good” by the Creator. In order to work well, the immune system requires plentiful antioxidants, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, avoidance of antibiotics,  healthy gut and sinus walls, and the occassional ability to raise the body temperature.  As my husband and I have evaluated treatment choices through the years, we have achieved our best results when we chose the option that worked in conjunction with the immune system that God designed.

Filed under: antioxidants, Down Syndrome, gut, Health, TNI, vaccines Tagged: | Down Syndrome, herbs, immune system, vaccines