As long as the main areas of recovery are improving (communication, socialization, emotional regulation, and hyperactivity), I don’t worry about episodes such as covering the ears or stimming behavior because they too will eventually resolve themselves without any additional intervention.
Many issues can trigger a worsening of behaviors, such as stemming, that will need to be addressed to get recovery back on track. Oftentimes these issues go undetected by parents simply because the child cannot communicate that they may be experiencing pain or discomfort. Things like dental, sinus, bladder, ear infections, or severe allergies can derail the recovery and have a major impact on behaviors. nnThis is not a relapse or a regression. When this occurs, it is either because the child is in pain or a drop in blood pressure to their head from another source. There may be an obvious trigger like a recent trauma or stressful event, but the child needs a medical examination to rule out other sources in many cases. The most common trigger I see in my office is dental issues. Getting an x-ray and having your child assessed by a professional is the recommended course of action. Please see the included checklist for common triggers.
No, I don’t think that would be very likely.
Increased frequency of stool without diarrhea is generally nothing to worry about. Sometimes increased frequency of stooling when on the protocol might be from the amount of oil the child is consuming. I recommend my patients double-check the amount of oil they are given by looking at the table in the book (also available in the Nemechek Navigator). Adjust doses if necessary, and then I recommend giving the fish oil and olive oil at separate times.
Other than looking for traditional enteric pathogens such as salmonella or giardia, assessing the balance of bacteria with a stool specimen provides little to no practical information that would guide therapy. The real concerning area of the microbiome is within the small intestine and stool specimens from the rectum do not provide information about the small intestine.nnUnfortunately, there is no way to get repeated accurate tests on the bacterial species growing within the small intestine outside of an intensive research setting.
As I discuss in the book, stool testing from a sample from the rectum does not represent the bacterial overgrowth issues present within the small intestine. Furthermore, we can only grow a minority of the bacteria that live within the intestinal tract, so how meaningful can a stool analysis from the distal colon be? I vigorously oppose the use of any probiotics in the treatment of any child with autism or any developmental disorder.
Yes, I believe you will. The olive and fish oils help stabilize the omega-3:omega-6 balance which is critical to maintaining lower levels of inflammation.
As one might expect, embolic or thrombotic strokes (i.e., CVA) early in life result in major neurological damage at the site of the stroke. The event will also cause a wave of secondary injury throughout the brain due to increased neuroinflammation. This secondary effect might cause developmental issues or autonomic dysfunction leading to poor focus, constipation, hyperactivity, or anxiety.nnThe Nemechek Protocol is very effective at reversing secondary inflammatory issues. But we have also had some very significant improvement in the primary effects from the stroke site itself. Although these children are improving, there is hope they may fully recover from their stroke if given enough time.
Yes. Stuttering often significantly improves with the rebalancing of the intestinal tract with either inulin or rifaximin. The onset, frequency and intensity of stuttering are related to overgrowth of intestinal bacteria as well as inflammation within the nervous system.
In moderation, simple table sugar is harmless. People can also use honey or real maple syrup as sweeteners. I generally do not like artificial or natural sugar sweeteners as they have a negative impact on gut bacteria and metabolism.