You may know hay fever as a seasonal annoyance. But its proper name — allergic rhinitis — signals something more significant: chronic inflammation of the nasal airway. In this episode, we look at what allergic rhinitis actually does to a child's development, and how to spot it.

In this episode:

• Why "hay fever" undersells what allergic rhinitis is and does

• The impact on sleep, eating, mood, and regulation

• Signs and symptoms to look for in your child

• The allergic march — how eczema, food reactions, asthma, and enlarged tonsils and adenoids connect to the bigger picture

Work with Mel at The Face Place:

Nasal Breathing for Kids free guide: https://www.thefaceplaceofm.com.au/nasal-breathing-for-kids

Oral Function Deep Dive: https://www.thefaceplaceofm.com.au/oral-function-consultations

Foundations for Growing Faces Masterclass: https://www.thefaceplaceofm.com.au/foundations-for-growing-faces-masterclass

Instagram: @thefaceplace_oht

If your baby had a cow's milk protein reaction and you were told they grew out of it — this episode is worth a listen.

This episode's guest is Laila Helena from Oh Healthy Baby, a Naturopath and Nutritionist who specialises in babies and infant gut health. Laila and I dig into a connection that we both see often: the link between early dairy reactions in babies and the enlarged tonsils and adenoids that show up a few years later.

In this episode, we cover:

• What CMPI and CMPA actually are, and why babies are more vulnerable

• The gut-immune connection that links early food reactions to later ENT issues

• What gut repair looks like, and why the early years are so impactful

• Other patterns Laila commonly sees alongside dairy reactions and enlarged tonsils

Work with Laila at Oh Healthy Baby: https://ohhealthybaby.com/ | @ohhealthybaby

Work with Mel at The Face Place:

• Free guide written in collab with Laila: Infant Oral Health 101

• Book an Oral Function Deep Dive: https://www.thefaceplaceofm.com.au/online-oral-health-services

• Foundations for Growing Faces Masterclass: https://www.thefaceplaceofm.com.au/foundations-for-growing-faces-masterclass

Instagram: @thefaceplace_oht

You've probably heard that resistive, chewy foods are good for jaw development. That's true — but it's not always that simple. In this episode, we talk about why chewing matters no matter what your child's diet looks like right now, and what you can do to increase their chewing, without changing what's on their plate.

In this episode:

• What thorough chewing does for digestion

• Why chewing is a nervous system regulation tool

• Practical strategies: modelling, slowing the meal down, and more

• Signs that chewing difficulty might point to something structural worth looking into

Work with Mel at The Face Place:

Oral Function Deep Dive: https://www.thefaceplaceofm.com.au/oral-function-consultations

Foundations for Growing Faces Masterclass: https://www.thefaceplaceofm.com.au/foundations-for-growing-faces-masterclass

Instagram: @thefaceplace_oht