As an integrative pediatrician, I practice a model of healing that is based on wellness rather than disease. I am trained in both conventional and “alternative” therapies and try to utilize the best of all practices and treatments to support each child in maintaining health and wellness in all aspects of their lives.

Integrative medicine is not alternative medicine- it is a practice of medicine that literally integrates the teachings of many forms of practice, like an a la carte menu, picking and choosing the best care for each child’s circumstance. The goal is to avoid being too aggressive, allowing the body to heal itself whenever possible, but not to negate the need for biomedicine when alternatives are not appropriate. We avoid antibiotics for example, and offer nutritional support, except when antibiotics are clearly the only option. Unlike conventional western medicine, we focus on how to strengthen and supplement the natural bodily processes to heal oneself, rather than intervening only once the patient is sick.

In an ideal world, your child’s mind, body and spirit will be in balance, and any medications, treatments or interventions will reflect the needs of the whole child. Children are particularly responsive to integrative care because they are fundamentally healthy and strong, their immune systems ( after 6 weeks of age) are generally robust, and they are forever growing and getting stronger if we feed them well, nurture them well and protect them from toxins and stress.

However, Integrative care counts on parents: because it is all about prevention, good nutrition and healthy living styles. A child is so vulnerable to his home environment and parental practices. A parent who believes in good nutrition, healthy habits and a healthy home gives their child a “passport” to a healthier future.

Integrative pediatricians work with the whole family-to look for patterns of behavior that effect health, patterns of behavior that effect mood, family paradigms that work and don’t work. We examine a child not only from the perspective of acute disease but also from the perspective of his mood, his schedule, his family life, his school environment and his temperament. We look at the roots of illness from all these perspectives and search for care plans that respect all the facets of each child’s life.

According to Dr Weil, a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, and others in the field, there are several basic principles of integrative medicine, especially integrative pediatrics.

• 1. Prevention is better than later cure- western medicine has always been action oriented- do something now- rather than educate, watch and wait. Certainly there are times when intervention is life-saving and critical, but often if the focus had been on simple prevention( good nutrition, good hygiene, mental health stability) disease could have been avoided.
• 2. Each human being is unique, and their response to illness and stress is therefore unique: Children are all different: even siblings respond to stressors, medical or emotional, in different ways. Illness triggers each child uniquely, so the medications or treatments offered must be individualized.
• 3. There must be a commitment to draw from conventional and alternative therapies in order to customize the care of each patient: A good doctor will draw on the wisdom of many different established practices, such as Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine and homeopathy and with that understanding pick and choose what will work best for the child within the context of conventional medicine.
• 4. The human body, especially as a child, is inherently programmed to heal itself: Your child’s immune system, unless she has an underlying disease, is innately set up to fight illness. Conventional care often disregards this, filling your child with medications that actually suppress the body’s own ability to fight disease.
• 5. Do no harm and do not order tests that will not alter treatment: There is a place for prudent use of laboratories and radiology, but not as a replacement for common sense and good listening.
• 6. Children are not small adults- their bodies require thoughtful care: the challenge of pediatric medicine and integrative pediatrics is to approach and treat each child within the context of their growth and developmental stage. We must look not only at the short-term consequences of an illness and treatment plan, but also the long term effects and the long-term goals.
• 7. Health care is a partnership between physician and parents: as parents you are and must be your child’s biggest advocate. This means you must speak up to your doctor- you know your child best of all, and you spend more time with him than a 15 minute doctor visit for strep throat. Be sure to bring a list of questions to your child’s doctor and be sure that your relationship with your child’s doctor is a partnership in her care.