Ear Infections

“John-John came to us 6 weeks early. From his birth we had medical issues. Mostly they related to him not being ready to be out of the womb. He spent some time in the NICU at DHMC. He had to learn how to eat and breath at the same time. He had to be able to maintain a good body temperature on his own and he had to undergo a slew of tests to make sure he was neurologically well.

Once we got him home I discovered that although I was nursing, he had some kind of allergy to dairy. I had to stop eating dairy until he was about 6 months old. He had acid reflux, a potential cause of SIDS.

At 6 months old he began getting upper respiratory issues and ear infections. We were taking him to the pediatrician at least once a month. He would use a nebulizer and take antibiotics. The antibiotics sometimes caused terrible yeast infections that would make it hard for us to use diapers or bathe him. He would be prescribed steroid cream to treat the rash.

When his teeth began coming in the ear infections increased. We were at the doctors 2-3 times a month. Finally, we decided enough was enough. The pediatrician wanted to prescribe a prophylactic antibiotic throughout the winter months. If that did not work, we would investigate tubes. Neither were at all appealing to us. We were directed to the Vreeland clinic for a more holistic approach by a family member.

After an assessment by Dr. Court, he suggested we modify John-John’s diet. We removed dairy, gluten and used almond butter in place of peanut butter once he turned two. Dr. Court prescribed an infant probiotic, vitamin D and Sliver to boost his immune system.

John-John has been ear infection free for one year! We reintroduced him to gluten, but remain dairy free and use his probiotic daily. Aside from the occasional cold, and one instance of the stomach bug, John-John has been amazingly healthy.

We are eternally grateful for the Vreeland Clinic and Dr. Court.

I wish my parents had known about the effects of diet on ear infections when I was young!”

Nicole (John-John’s mom), New Hampshire