Strategies For Protecting Your Child's Immune System: Tools For Parents And Parents-to-be

Tools for Parents and Parents-To-Be

Rodney R Dietert, Janice Dietert

• Publisher: WSPC
• Year: 2010
• ISBN:
  9789814338554
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Science General
• Index: Biological Sciences

Strategies for Protecting Your Child's Immune System is the first book to focus on prevention of environmental damage to the immune system of embryos, babies and older children. It provides expecting and existing parents, their families and physicians with science-based information to protect and proactively manage their child's immune system. Environmental exposures (pollutants, allergens, drugs, diet, physical factors) in the home, school and community can damage the developing immune system and increase the risk of lifelong chronic diseases such as allergies, asthma, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease and neurological problems. This book imparts specific tools to parents and their physicians to help keep the early-life immune system out of harm's way and minimize environmental health risk.

Contents:

• The Basic Science:
  • Toxicology 101
  • What's the Risk
  • The Risk Exercises
  • Introduction to the Immune System
  • How the Immune System Develops
  • The Special Conditions of Pregnancy and the Immune System
  • The Healthy Immune System at Work
  • The Dysfunctional Immune System and Its Features
  • Avenues for Immune Exposure
  • Diseases Stemming From Prenatal and Early Life Toxic Exposures
  • The Disease Progression Matrix
  • Categories of Environmental, Physical and Psychological Factors
• Specific Strategies:
  • Prenatal Strategies for Preventing Immune System Damage
  • Strategies to Use During the First Few Years of Life
  • Undoing the Damage of the Past in Adulthood
• Specific Factors:
  • Top 25 Risks
  • Other Risk Factors
  • Postnatal Triggers of Disease — Infections
  • Postnatal Triggers of Disease — Vaccinations
  • Dietary Factors That Affect the Immune System
  • Hygiene and Pets
• Safety Testing:
  • Developmental Immunotoxicity Testing — Past, Present and Future

Readership: Parents, family members, pediatricians, obstetricians and gynecologists, nutritionists, family doctors, complementary health providers, teachers, college and medical students, and general readers.

Part I—The Basic Science

Chapter 1—Toxicology 101

Introduction

The whole purpose of this book is to provide information that can help readers discern what factors in the environment are likely to promote effective immunity and corresponding good health in their children from those that are likely to contribute to immune problems and chronic disease. Individual variation certainly exists, and one's genetic background can influence metabolism, organ sensitivity and the impact of chemical exposures and dietary intake. But there is also information that is generally applicable to all pregnant women and children and can help in creating a safer environment for the child's developing immune system. One important step in this process is the identification of what is harmful and what is not, also known as toxicology.

For our purpose of discussing human health risk and particularly that of our children, toxicology can be defined as the study of the adverse health effects resulting from exposure to chemical, physical or biological agents. The interaction between the body and the external environment includes a variety of encounters with chemical, physical and biological factors ranging from pesticides and solvents to drugs and toxin-containing infectious agents. These interactions occur through the foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the surroundings we and others create.

These surroundings can range from those found in our home (clothing, cleaning agents, toys and furniture) to those in our workplace environment (computers, copiers, air handling systems, machinery) and those in our neighborhoods (daycare centers, traffic, roadways, shopping areas, golf courses, farms, parks and skyscrapers). Everything we encounter, whether through our lungs, on our skin, via our mouth or through our eyes, becomes an environmental exposure worthy of examination. But each element is not necessarily of equal concern. Some elements carry a significant risk that they may harm the immune system. Other exposures have very little risk for immune damage. Some exposures are beneficial and even necessary for good health. Making those distinctions is why toxicology developed as a science. This concept of risk is discussed further in the next chapter.

The interactions between the body and environmental factors generally follow very simple rules. Some exposures are useful and may play a critical role in promoting good health. Others are problematic and can damage the health of our children. Some exposures are not only beneficial but are necessary for survival (e.g., intake of certain vitamins and minerals). The body, including its immune system, needs certain dietary building blocks or it cannot survive. For example, we must have protein for our immune cells to continue to function and maintain healthy muscles.

At the other extreme, a number of exposures are likely to be harmful for virtually everyone regardless of age, gender or genetic background (e.g., exposure to cyanide or sarin gas). However, there is also a middle ground. There are some environmental factors that can be dangerous, but only for some groups of people. For example, exposure to cytomegalovirus is usually not a big problem for people with a healthy immune system. But for the very young, the very elderly and those with weakened immune systems (e.g., AIDS or chemotherapy patients), exposure to that virus can be life threatening. There are also some substances that may be very toxic but not every exposure to them presents an equal danger. An example of this is botulism toxin.

Botulism toxin is produced by the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. It is also one of the most potent toxins known. Why were people in older generations taught never to buy a canned good with the sides bulging out? Because the bulges were a result of a broken or improper seal and presented the risk of botulism contamination. In the past, people were taught that these products should be avoided at all costs. Or should they? Ironically, nowadays some people actually pay good money to be exposed to one of the most dangerous toxins we know. The exposures come in the form of BOTOX treatments. Miniscule amounts of the botulism toxin are injected into small areas of the body (generally the face) for cosmetic and medical purposes. The botulism toxin stops signals between the nerves and muscles. This can be used to treat medical problems such as Bell's palsy, lazy eye or cerebral palsy. Of course it has also been used cosmetically to remove wrinkles. But the trick is to ensure the toxic action is only in the local nerves and muscle and can never reach the brain.

Another extremely deadly toxin has also been used for medical treatments. Ricin toxin is the product of castor beans and is a public health concern since it has been produced by terrorist organizations seeking to chemically attack and destroy large populations. But the toxin has medical applications when it can be delivered to cells we want to kill. Very small amounts of the ricin toxin are used to target cancer cells in cancer therapy. Antibodies can be used to direct the ricin poison directly to the cancer cells. In spite of the positive uses for both botulism toxin and ricin toxin, there still remain significant dangers if we encounter them outside of these highly specialized circumstances.

So the trick in toxicology is to know which environmental exposures fall into high health risk categories. What needs to be considered to make this determination? Here are some of the questions that get asked along the way.

1) What is the nature of the environmental factor?

2) What is the way in which the body handles or processes it?

3) How much time does it or its by-products spend in the body?

4) What reactions does this factor undergo in the body?

These questions and the resulting answers help us to place an environmental factor into different categories of potential danger.

One of the misconceptions about chemicals is that we can easily divide them all into a world of inherently good chemicals or despicably evil chemicals. For a few selected chemicals with historic industrial benefits (e.g., the heavy metals lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and the dioxins), it is challenging to find any beneficial, let alone “safe” levels. But for the vast majority of chemicals, blanket good vs. evil labels simply don't apply. The reality is that for most chemicals and drugs, significant health risks occur only for some levels of exposure while other exposure levels are either safe (innocuous to our health) or may be beneficial if not required for good health (e.g., iron, zinc, and vitamin D). In these cases, there is no good or evil label that is useful, only good or bad doses of exposure. For example, one might think that in terms of health, oxygen is inherently good, mercury is inherently evil. But there is more to this story. It is the dose that makes the poison.

The Dose Makes the Poison

In 16th century Germany, a physician and alchemist first began to detail the impact of minerals on human health. This doctor, who revolutionized Medieval thinking about environment and health, eventually became known simply as Paracelsus. Paracelsus recognized that the intake of some minerals was required for good health while other mineral exposures produced illness and even death. He also noted that only certain levels of mineral intake were effective for promoting improved health. Paracelsus essentially became an early version of what we would now call a compounding pharmacist. Among his most significant accomplishments was the coining of what in English translation has become the motto of modern toxicology “the dose makes the poison.” This is the entire basis of the field of toxicology, which is founded on the concepts established by Paracelsus. We understand that chemicals and drugs can be safe at some levels of exposure and dangerous at others. Of importance is learning what safe doses are, what dangerous doses are and when we might encounter each of them.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Oxygen is essential for human life; everyone agrees with this. Our atmosphere contains approximately 21% oxygen. The reality is that our bodies need only a certain level of oxygen for optimum health and under normal circumstances, the amount in the air is ideal for our good health. Too little or too much oxygen can be equally harmful. Too little oxygen is technically called hypoxia. With too little oxygen our cells and tissues can literally starve and organs such as the brain become damaged. If the situation continues, organs can fail and we will eventually die.

Oxygen toxicity involves the other extreme of “dose,” essentially too much oxygen. The two ways that oxygen toxicity can occur is by forcing it into our lungs at too high a pressure or forcing it into our lungs at too high a percentage over a long period of time. Oxygen toxicity affects the central nervous system (CNS), the lungs and the eyes. Which tissue is most likely to be affected depends upon whether the excess oxygen is at too high a pressure with a higher percentage than normal or whether it is at normal pressure but too high a percentage for a long period of time. It is possible to tolerate 100% oxygen for 24 to 48 hours at sea level. But problems can begin to arise after only a few hours, and the likelihood of severe tissue damage increases as time goes on.

Since the 19th century it has been known that breathing too high a concentration of oxygen for too long a period of time can produce toxicity. In reality, oxygen toxicity is more of a concern for premature newborns in neonatal care units, scuba divers and astronauts. How does this work?

Many premature babies have underdeveloped lungs. They lack lung proteins called surfactants that help to keep the lungs open so air can enter. Without assistance they would suffer from oxygen deficiency. They need oxygen delivered to the lungs and tissues at higher concentrations since their lungs are not mature enough to accomplish what is needed. This is usually performed in the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). In these units, higher concentrations of oxygen can be delivered either via a hood (for babies who can breathe on their own) or though a mechanical ventilator, which helps to fill the collapsed lungs. The latter may also deliver oxygen under high pressure to help the babies breathe. But it is a fine art to provide just enough oxygen and not too much. Under these circumstances, oxygen toxicity can occur that alters lung development, immune system development and the vascular development of the eye. The latter scenario results in vision problems for the child.

Much of the damage caused by oxygen toxicity appears to come from the overproduction of oxygen free radicals and damage to the tissues. Breathing oxygen over 60% for too long can cause multiple problems. The eye is a vulnerable site because premature babies don't have complete blood system development to support the eye. Oxygen toxicity can interfere with and then alter the course of the needed vascular development.

In the case of scuba diving, oxygen is usually carried at either its normal concentration (21%) or at high concentrations for certain periods of time—called hyperbaric oxygen. However, as the diver moves to different depths, the external pressure increases. Diving too deep can cause the oxygen to be under too high a pressure, and toxic amounts can be delivered to the blood and tissues while breathing. The oxygen toxicity created can lead to seizures and brain damage.

For astronauts, breathing oxygen safely depends upon their situation. For example, they are able to safely breathe 100% oxygen for days in the orbiting capsule because the pressure in the capsule is only a fraction of what is found on earth. However, changes during space walks and re-entry mean that the pressure and the concentration of oxygen need to be adjusted to ensure the astronauts both avoid decompression and avoid a lack of oxygen or oxygen toxicity.

Of course, for most of our day-to-day encounters, the oxygen in the air is at a level that is safe, beneficial and required for life. This example with oxygen serves as a reminder that virtually any chemical or drug, even those required for life, can become toxic given a high enough concentration. For this reason, it is important for us to identify which concentrations of chemicals and drugs are safe for our children and which are potential problems for their health and well-being.

Selenium: Deficiency, Health (Immune Protection) and Toxicity

A good example of Paracelsus’ idea can be found in our exposure to the mineral, selenium (designated as “Se” on the chemical periodic table). Selenium is an essential micronutrient that is involved with an enzyme (glutathione peroxidase) that is important in the detoxification processes to get rid of oxygen radicals. Glutathione peroxidases are a family of enzymes that, in effect, have antioxidant activity. They convert two dangerous chemicals to safer alternatives. These particular enzymes can take hydrogen peroxide and turn it into water, and they can take very dangerous lipid-radicals and make them into by-products that the body is able to handle. The trick is that the enzymes must have selenium in them to function. For this reason, one of the major roles of selenium is as an antioxidant. Selenium, through its role in glutathione peroxidase, helps to protect our tissues and organs from oxidative damage as our body fights infections and cancer.

Selenium is naturally found in many of the foodstuffs we eat such as cereals (e.g., oatmeal) and grains used to make bread. Selenium content in plants such as wheat is influenced by the soil content where the crop was grown, and this can vary widely. In fact even within the same country, soils in some areas can be deficient in selenium while soils in other regions may contain dangerously high levels of the mineral. At the extremes, this translates directly into the production of selenium-deficient wheat or selenium-toxic wheat depending upon the locale (an example of the latter is found in China). Many individuals also obtain selenium through the food chain (e.g., ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part I - The Basic Science
• Part II - Specific Strategies
• Part III - Specific Factors
• Part IV - Safety Testing
• Appendix
• Glossary
• Selected References and Additional Resources
• Index