Throughout a human's lifespan, the immune system is responsible for keeping out foreign substances and protecting the body. Though it is often thought of as a singular system, it consists of two separate sub-systems: innate immunity, and adaptive immunity. Critical early protection in babies is transferred directly from mothers, but when that fades, children rely on an immature immune system.
It develops stronger immune responses until it peaks in adulthood before diminishing as old age is reached. Because children have naive adaptive immune systems, they tend to rely more on their innate system (which is often fully functional by two years of age).
Ensuring the proper concentration of macro- and micronutrients is critical for a child's health and prepares it for future encounters. The gut microbiota starts off as a nearly blank slate at birth, with its diversity then steadily increasing as we continue to be introduced to new microbes from the environment. Interacting with different microbes in the GI allows our body to learn how to distinguish friends from foes and support healthy relationships in the future.
Highlights from 2022
Inaugural Pediatric Course:
Chronic pediatric diseases arising from early-life immune insult and postnatal immune dysfunction are among the most prevalent health challenges for children.
Diseases such as:
All the above feature dysfunctional immune responses and/or inappropriately skewed immune capacities.
Elisa Song, MD
Dr. Elisa Song, MD is a holistic pediatrician, pediatric functional medicine expert, and mama. In her integrative pediatric practice, Whole Family Wellness (www.wholefamilywellness.org), she’s helped 1000s of kids get to the root causes of their health concerns and helped their parents understand how to help their children thrive – body, mind, and spirit – by integrating conventional pediatrics with functional medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and essential oils. These health concerns have ranged from frequent colds, ear infections, asthma, and eczema; to autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and autoimmune illnesses. Dr. Song has taught around the world on integrative pediatrics topics for multiple podcasts and summits, including Fx Medicine Australia, BioCeuticals Australia, Integrative Medicine for Mental Health, The Center for Education and Development of Clinical Homeopathy, Academy for Pain Research, Center for Advanced Acupuncture Pediatrics, Institute for Functional Medicine, and Holistic Pediatric Association. Dr. Song created Healthy Kids Happy Kids (www.healthykidshappykids.com) as an online holistic pediatric resource to help practitioners and parents bridge the gap between conventional and integrative pediatrics with an evidence-based, pediatrician-backed approach.
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