As a parent, you want nothing more than for your child to grow up healthy and happy. You do your best to provide nutritious meals, plenty of love, and opportunities to learn and play. But what if there was an invisible threat undermining your efforts, silently impacting your child’s well-being?
Sadly, this is the reality for far too many families today. Despite our best intentions, rates of chronic health conditions in children have been skyrocketing over the past few decades. Asthma now affects 1 in 12 kids. Autism Spectrum Disorders have soared to 1 in 36. And over 11% of children struggle with ADHD.
Looking beyond even these specific rates of various conditions, if we all just look around at the general health of kids today we see mostly sickness, sinus congestion, allergies, chronic ear infections, gut issues, sensory and behavioral issues, and so much more.
While many factors contribute to these alarming trends, there is mounting evidence that points to a largely overlooked culprit: the “hidden in plain sight” presence of environmental toxins. From the pesticides sprayed on our foods and lawns to the plastics that invade our homes and daily lives, our children are swimming in a chemical soup with virtually no safety testing.
Environmental toxins are just one factor in a larger issue. The Total Load Theory highlights that the cumulative effects of various stressors—such as toxins, poor nutrition, chronic infections, EMFs, and emotional stress—can overwhelm a child’s body and contribute to chronic health conditions.
In this article, we’ll dive deep into how these pollutants can harm our children’s delicate and developing systems, and explore how they contribute to the overall “total load” on a child’s health. We’ll investigate why kids are uniquely vulnerable and which chemicals are of greatest concern. Most importantly, we’ll arm you with practical tips from the PX Docs natural and drug-free approach to protect your little ones and give them the best chance to thrive in this toxic world.
The Pervasive Presence of Toxins
In today’s world, the question is not if our children will be exposed to environmental toxins, but how early, how much, and how often. A staggering 85,000 synthetic chemicals are currently approved for use in the United States, with around 2,500 new ones introduced each year. Yet shockingly, only 1% of these have been rigorously tested for safety, let alone for their specific effects on children’s health.
These untested chemicals are everywhere, contributing to the total load on our children’s bodies.
So where are all these untested chemicals ending up? The short answer is virtually everywhere. They pollute the air our children breathe, both indoors and out. They contaminate the water that flows from our taps and the food that nourishes their growing bodies. They lurk in the products we use every day, from the flame retardants in our furniture to the plasticizers in our shower curtains.
Children don’t just live in this chemical soup—they quite literally immerse themselves in it. Their rapidly developing bodies absorb toxins more readily. Infants and toddlers explore the world with their mouths, ingesting contaminants from dust, soil, and household objects. Pound for pound, kids also breathe more air, drink more water, and eat more food than adults, leading to higher relative doses of any toxins present.
A groundbreaking 2005 study by the Environmental Working Group found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in umbilical cord blood from 10 babies born in U.S. hospitals. A follow-up study identified up to 232 toxic compounds in the cord blood of minority infants. These babies were being born “pre-polluted,” their delicate systems burdened with chemicals linked to cancer, brain damage, birth defects, and more.
As parents, the idea of our children being inundated with toxins from their first breath can feel overwhelming and infuriating. How have we allowed this to happen, and what can we do to protect them? Understanding the scope of the problem is an important first step.
By understanding the pervasive nature of these exposures and their role in the larger picture of total load, we can begin to take steps to protect our children’s health.
The Concept of Total Load
In recent years, a growing body of research has pointed to the role of “total load” in the development of chronic health conditions in children. Total Load Theory is a conceptual framework that helps explain the cumulative impact of multiple stressors on an individual’s health.
At its core, Total Load Theory suggests that each stressor, whether physical, biological, environmental, or emotional, adds to the overall “load” that a child’s body must manage. The theory posits that when this load exceeds the body’s capacity to cope and adapt, it can lead to a breakdown in health and the development of chronic conditions.
To illustrate this concept, imagine a barrel being filled with water. Each stressor is like a drop of water added to a bucket. While a single drop may not cause the bucket to overflow, the accumulation of multiple drops over time can eventually lead to the bucket spilling over. Similarly, a child’s body may be able to handle individual stressors, but the combined effect of multiple stressors can ultimately overwhelm their system, meaning the bucket “spills over” and allows chronic disease and developmental issues to set in.
Some of the most common stressors contributing to total load in children include:
- Physical stressors: Poor diet, lack of exercise, disrupted sleep, and physical trauma from birth interventions such as forceps, vacuum extraction, c-section, induction, etc
- Biological stressors: Infections, allergies, and hormonal imbalances
- Environmental stressors: Exposure to toxins, pollutants, and electromagnetic fields
- Emotional and behavioral stressors: Stress, anxiety, and social challenges that can start as early as the fertility and perinatal journey
While the total load concept may seem daunting, there are many ways to reduce the burden on a child’s system. Supporting the body’s natural healing processes through proper nutrition, reducing toxic exposures, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and addressing emotional well-being can all help to lighten the load.
By taking a holistic approach that considers the cumulative impact of stressors, rather than just focusing on individual symptoms, we can more effectively support our children’s health in the face of the many challenges posed by our modern world.
The Total Load Theory provides a valuable framework for understanding the complex interplay of factors that contribute to chronic health conditions and highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach to protecting our children’s well-being.
Environmental Chemicals of Concern
With tens of thousands of synthetic substances in circulation, it can be daunting to know where to start in protecting our children. While it’s impossible to avoid all toxic exposures in today’s world, awareness of the most common and hazardous chemicals can help us make safer choices and reduce the overall toxic load on our children’s bodies.
Here are some of the top offenders:
Pesticides
- Found in: Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, landscaping products, pest control sprays
- Health risks: Neurodevelopmental delays, increased risk of ADHD and Autism, hormonal disruption, certain cancers
- Prevention tips: Choose organic produce when possible, avoid storing or applying pesticides in the home, wash hands after playing outside
Plastics and Microplastics
- Found in: Toys, food packaging, storage containers, disposable dishes and utensils, dental fillings, clothing fibers, dust
- Health risks: Endocrine disruption from plasticizers like BPA and phthalates, reduced fertility, asthma, altered brain development
- Prevention tips: Opt for toys and containers made from natural materials like wood and glass, avoid heating food in plastic, choose BPA-free products
Unhealthy Oils and Fats
- Found in: Processed and packaged foods, restaurant meals, some cooking oils
- Health risks: Inflammation, impaired brain development, increased risk of allergies and autoimmune conditions
- Prevention tips: Cook with healthy fats like olive oil and coconut oil, read labels to avoid partially hydrogenated oils and vegetable oils, limit fried and processed foods
Heavy Metals
- Found in: Contaminated water, certain fish, old paint and pipes, some toys and jewelry, air pollution
- Health risks: Brain damage, lowered IQ, behavioral and learning difficulties, organ damage
- Prevention tips: Filter tap water, check for lead hazards in older homes, choose low-mercury fish, avoid cheap metal jewelry and toys
Flame Retardants
- Found in: Furniture cushioning, crib mattresses, car seats, carpet padding, electronic casings
- Health risks: Endocrine and thyroid disruption, impaired brain development, cancer
- Prevention tips: Look for products labeled as free of flame retardants, choose natural fiber furnishings, and vacuum regularly to reduce dust
While not a comprehensive list, these chemicals represent some of the most widespread and well-studied threats to children’s health. It’s important to remember that, from a total load perspective, even low-level exposures to these chemicals can contribute to the cumulative burden on a child’s body.
In the face of such pervasive chemical exposures, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But by focusing on the things we can control and working towards systemic change, we can make a meaningful difference in our children’s health and well-being.
Health Impacts Seen in Clinical Practice
As rates of chronic health conditions in children continue to rise, more and more parents are seeking answers beyond the standard “it’s just a phase” or “let’s try another medication” responses. In our clinical practice, we’ve seen countless children struggling with issues like:
- Neurodevelopmental delays and conditions like Autism, ADHD, and sensory processing issues
- Asthma, allergies, and other atopic conditions
- Digestive disturbances like chronic constipation, reflux, and food sensitivities
- Recurrent infections and lowered immunity
- Sleep disturbances and mood imbalances
While many factors can contribute to these challenges, the cumulative impact of environmental toxins cannot be ignored. Heavy metals like lead and mercury are well-known neurotoxins, but even low-level exposures to pesticides, plasticizers, and other chemicals can disrupt brain development and function. Toxins can also alter gut flora, impair detoxification pathways, and trigger inflammation, setting the stage for allergies and autoimmunity.
Often, children present with a complex array of signs that don’t fit neatly into a single diagnosis. This can be frustrating for parents who feel like they’re not getting the full picture or bouncing from one specialist to another without seeing lasting results.
The “Perfect Storm” of Factors Impacting Children’s Health
At PX Docs, we often refer to the convergence of factors that can derail a child’s healthy development as The “Perfect Storm.” This concept illustrates how various stressors and exposures, often beginning very early in life, can accumulate over time and overwhelm a child’s delicate systems.
The “Perfect Storm” typically starts with maternal toxic exposures and stress during pregnancy, which can disrupt the developing nervous system and set the stage for later health challenges. Birth trauma and interventions can add further insult, causing physical strain and subluxation in the spine and nervous system.
Other common aspects of “ThePerfect Storm” include poor nutrition, overuse of antibiotics causing symptoms like nausea and disrupting the gut microbiome, chronic infections, and unrelenting psychological stress. These insults can intersect and interact, compounding their effects over time.
The end result is a state of profound physiological dysregulation that can manifest in diverse ways—from neurodevelopmental delays to allergies to behavioral challenges. By the time signs emerge, there is often already a long history of foundational stressors that must be addressed for true healing to occur.

While The “Perfect Storm” may seem daunting, the body has a remarkable capacity to heal when obstacles and interferences (subluxation) are removed, and innate processes are supported! This is the paradigm shift and the message of hope we aim to share with every family we serve!
Limitations of Conventional Medicine
For parents seeking answers to their child’s complex health challenges, the conventional medical model can often feel like a dead end. Despite the best intentions of individual practitioners, the system itself is not set up to address the multifactorial nature of chronic disease. Some key limitations include:
- A focus on sign suppression rather than identifying and addressing root causes
- Lack of training in environmental health and the impact of toxins on development
- Over-reliance on pharmaceutical interventions, often with significant side effects
- Limited time and resources for in-depth exploration of each child’s unique history and circumstances
- Siloed care without integration between different specialties and modalities
This approach fails to account for the complex interplay between genes, environment, and lifestyle that shapes each child’s health trajectory. It also leaves parents feeling disempowered and dependent on external fixes rather than supported in taking proactive steps to optimize their child’s well-being.
At PX Docs, we strive to fill these gaps by taking a whole-child, whole-family approach that honors the interconnectedness of all systems in the body, and the foundational importance of nervous system health and development above all else.
The Neurological Connection
The nervous system is the body’s master controller, linked to autonomic functions managed by the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS regulates involuntary processes such as heart rate, digestion, and stress response. The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) triggers the “fight or flight” response, preparing the body for immediate survival. In contrast, the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) supports “rest, regulate, and digest” functions, aiding in detoxification and healing.
Environmental toxins can disrupt the Autonomic Nervous System by overactivating the Sympathetic Nervous System or suppressing the Parasympathetic Nervous System, leading to chronic stress, impaired detoxification, and inflammation. Subluxations and toxins can worsen this dysregulation, affecting the body’s homeostasis.
This is where the concept of subluxation comes in. Subluxation refers to physical, chemical, or emotional irritation of the nervous system that disrupts its ability to transmit vital messages between the brain and the body. This can happen due to physical traumas like birth interventions, inflammatory responses to allergies or infections, overuse of antibiotics, or toxic exposures that directly impact neurons and glial cells.
Dysautonomia is a dysfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System that often arises due to these disruptions, making it harder for the body to regulate essential functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion.
The result is a state of nervous system dysregulation that can manifest in a wide range of signs depending on the individual’s unique vulnerabilities. Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care identifies and adjusts subluxations, reestablishing proper brain-body communication and helping the nervous system to heal and regulate optimally.
The Neurologically-Focused PX Docs Approach
At PX Docs, we take a proactive, multifaceted approach to help children thrive in a toxic world. This includes:
- Detailed health history and examination to identify potential subluxation patterns and environmental risk factors
- Chiropractic neuro-tonal adjustments to optimize nervous system regulation
- Referrals to trusted practitioners for co-management as needed, such as functional medicine testing, nutrition and lifestyle recommendations to support detoxification and reduce ongoing exposures, or supportive therapies like PT, OT, and Speech Therapy
- A collaborative relationship with parents to implement sustainable changes and build resilience
Through these specialized chiropractic adjustments, we restore balance to the nervous system, targeting areas of subluxation and promoting optimal function of the vagus nerve and other vital structures. Our care plans are highly customized, taking into account each individual’s specific results, signs, and goals through INSiGHT Scans.
We also believe strongly in the power of education, empowerment, informed choice, and advocacy. By empowering parents with knowledge and practical strategies, we aim to create a ripple effect of positive change that extends beyond the walls of our practice.
Empowering Parents as Advocates
While the challenges may seem daunting, there is so much parents can do to protect and nurture their children’s health in the face of environmental toxins. Some key strategies include:
- Choosing organic, whole foods and filtering water to reduce pesticide and heavy metal exposure
- Reading labels carefully and avoiding products with harmful ingredients like phthalates, parabens, and flame retardants
- Creating a non-toxic home environment with natural cleaning and personal care products
- Supporting detoxification through chiropractic care, regular exercise, stress management, and nutrient-dense foods
- Advocating for safer policies and regulations at the local and national level
Above all, trust your instincts as a parent. If something doesn’t feel right with your child’s health or development, keep searching for answers. Build a team of supportive practitioners who see your child as a whole person, not just a collection of signs. And remember, even small changes can have a big impact over time!
A Brighter Future for Our Children
The rise of chronic childhood illnesses in the face of pervasive environmental toxins is a daunting challenge. But there is hope! Globally, parents, practitioners, and policymakers are realizing the need for change.
By understanding the concepts of Total Load and Perfect Storm, and taking a holistic approach to children’s health, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of the next generation. We’re witnessing increased awareness and action, from grassroots campaigns led by both influential political leaders like RFK Jr. and powerful groups of moms, working on things like banning toxic chemicals in our food and other significant legislative changes and market forces.
At PX Docs, we’re honored to be part of this movement towards a safer, healthier world for all children. Every day, we witness the incredible resilience and transformative power of supporting the body’s innate capacity for natural health and well-being. We see children overcoming challenges that once seemed impossible and families finding hope and healing beyond what they ever thought possible!
If you’re looking to take the next steps in Raising Healthy Kids Naturally and making sure your entire family is living as natural and toxin-free as can be, download our incredible PDF Guide that walks you through some of the key steps and strategies you can deploy to do just that!
Then you’re ready to take the next step and get started with Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care for your family, we encourage you to visit our PX Docs directory and find a practitioner near you.
This is the future we believe in – a future where every child and family lives a well-adjusted, toxin-free lifestyle that focuses on building resilience, adaptability, and true health from within!