Ch. 1. Toxicology 101 -- ch. 2. What's the risk -- ch. 3. The risk exercises -- ch. 4. Introduction to the immune system -- ch. 5. How the immune system develops -- ch. 6. The special conditions of pregnancy and the immune system -- ch. 7. The healthy immune system at work -- ch. 8. The dysfunctional immune system and its features -- ch. 9. Avenues for immune exposure -- ch. 10. Diseases stemming from prenatal and early life toxic exposures -- ch. 11. The disease progression matrix -- ch. 12. Categories of environmental, physical and psychological factors -- ch. 13. Prenatal strategies for preventing immune system damage -- ch. 14. Strategies to use during the first few years of life -- ch. 15. Undoing the damage of the past in adulthood -- ch. 16. Top 25 risks -- ch. 17. Other risk factors -- ch. 18. Postnatal triggers of disease - infections -- ch. 19. Postnatal triggers of disease - vaccinations -- ch. 20. Dietary factors that affect the immune system -- ch. 21. Hygiene and pets -- ch. 22. Developmental immunotoxicity testing - past, present and future

This volume provides readers with a systematic assessment of current literature on the link between nutrition and immunity. Chapters cover immunonutrition topics such as child development, cancer, aging, allergic asthma, food intolerance, obesity, and chronic critical illness. It also presents a thorough review of microflora of the gut and the essential role it plays in regulating the balance between immune tolerance and inflammation. Written by experts in the field, Nutrition and Immunity helps readers to further understand the importance of healthy dietary patterns in relation to providing immunity against disorders and offering readily available immunonutritional programming in clinical care. It will be a valuable resource for dietitians, immunologists, endocrinologists and other healthcare professionals.

From two of the world’s top scientists and one of the world’s top science writers (all parents), Dirt Is Good is a q&a-based guide to everything you need to know about kids & germs. “Is it OK for my child to eat dirt?” That’s just one of the many questions authors Jack Gilbert and Rob Knight are bombarded with every week from parents all over the world. They've heard everything from “My two-year-old gets constant ear infections. Should I give her antibiotics? Or probiotics?” to “I heard that my son’s asthma was caused by a lack of microbial exposure. Is this true, and if so what can I do about it now?” Google these questions, and you’ll be overwhelmed with answers. The internet is rife with speculation and misinformation about the risks and benefits of what most parents think of as simply germs, but which scientists now call the microbiome: the combined activity of all the tiny organisms inside our bodies and the surrounding environment that have an enormous impact on our health and well-being. Who better to turn to for answers than Drs. Gilbert and Knight, two of the top scientists leading the investigation into the microbiome—an investigation that is producing fascinating discoveries and bringing answers to parents who want to do the best for their young children. Dirt Is Good is a comprehensive, authoritative, accessible guide you've been searching for.

Get and stay healthy, the natural way! Boost Your Immune System is packed with information on how to boost your immune system. You'll learn how your immune system works, how to fine-tune it by eating certain foods and vitamins, and how your mind and body work together to produce optimal health. Chapter topics include: sleep, stress management (meditation, exercise, gratitude, mindfulness, massage, and more), power foods, vitamins and herbs, environmental factors and preventative medicine, and home remedies for getting over common ailments quickly. Full color photography enhances the book. 256 pages

Healthy children need healthy immune systems, to fight off bugs and infections they can pick up at school. The most effective way to strengthen your child's immune system is through a healthy diet. With suggestions to suit children from 0-18, top nutritionist Lucy Burney shows you how. Discover: The importance of good nutrition; The immune-boosting diet for all children, from babies to teenagers; The pros and cons of vaccinations for kids; The latest research on food allergies - and how to avoid them; How to fight infections naturally, and avoid antibiotics; Tips on food storage and preparation, to avoid bugs and preserve nutrients; Easy-to-follow menu plans and over 160 easy-to-make recipes that all your family will love

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.