Homeopathy for babies: Gentle medicine for gentle beings.

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http://www.drluc. com/baby. htmlGentle Medicine for Gentle Beings :Homeopathy for babiesby Luc de Schepper MD, Ph.D.,C.HOM. , DI.HOM.,Lic. AC.Look at any baby and whose heart does not melt. Babies bring out our mostgentle behavior. We want to cuddle them, hold them, kiss them, and caressthem. We fuss over them, want to protect them, and squirm each time ourlittle loved ones produce so much as a sneeze. They are fragile, gentlelittle beings, born with an immature immune system. In this article I justwant to give some gentle homeopathic remedies for commonly encounteredconditions in babies and toddlers. Try homeopathy with common sense, talkto your physician about it, form a unit with your trusted doctor, and toyour pleasure, both of you will learn from your experience. And the

child’sVital Force will be grateful to you for employing such a gentle stimulus toits natural healing action. I want to accentuate here that homeopathicremedies are very safe to use even in a one-day-old baby. Let’s jump onthis wagon of joy and see how we can help these little beings who have justarrived from the warm cozy environment of the mother, suddenly pushed withgreat force through the birth canal to a cold and frightening world. I might as well start with this rough ride through the birth canal. Can youimagine what such a little being must feel after swimming for nine monthsin perfect water temperature with plentiful nourishment, then to besuddenly pushed out through a narrow tunnel, getting squeezed, molded andbumped against hard bony structures? The experience must be traumatic,physically and emotionally. This roller coaster ride is frightening and cantake the baby’s breath away, especially when it took a

long time to comedown and out. Aconite is a great revival remedy after a fright, when thebaby shows its typical symptoms: high fevers, restless sleep, greatanxiety, sometimes nightmares, not to mention recurrent infections. After along, hard labor not only the mother will be out of breath; the baby aswell might be limp all over, with pale or bluish limbs, breathing too fastor not at all, creating a low Apgar score (a measurement of the baby’svitality at birth, based on skin color, breathing, pulse, etc.). If youfeel that the baby needs some extra oxygen, a dose of Carbo vegetalis 200Cwill help it use oxygen more effectively. What a great step forward itwould be if every obstetrician had this little remedy at hand. Maybe thephysical trauma to the baby was also too much to bear: the baby may havebruises or a funny-looking “hat” on the its head from the suction cup of avacuum extraction. Arnica 200C should be given almost

automatically to anybaby: it ensures the rapid absorption of blood that has leaked out underthe skin. (It will also help the delivering mother with bruising in thebirth canal and perineum; Bellis perennis is even better for this.)“O.K.,” says the baby, “I finally made it. It’s time to get me some food!”And the mother is quick to oblige. Breastfeeding has made a comeback,rightfully so, since no formula can replace Mother’s secret milk. (It isalso cheap—there is no middle man, and as an added advantage, the cat can’tget to it!). The natural antibodies (especially in the colostrum, the firstmilk) are a blessing to the baby’s health.To the horror of mothers, some babies vomit their milk (whether breast orcow’s milk) as soon as it is swallowed. Sometimes there is a mechanicalreason for projectile vomiting, such as pylorus stenosis (a narrowing ofthe exit or pylorus of the stomach), which necessitates a simple

lifesavingoperation. But often this is not the case. This incessant vomiting of themilk, sometimes accompanied by a greenish diarrhea, is followed by totalexhaustion and sleepiness of the baby, to the alarm of the mother andphysician. A great remedy can work miracles here: Aethusa cynapium orfool’s parsley stops this vomiting, allowing the baby to absorb itsnutrients and to gain weight and health.“Great!” says the baby. “I am enjoying my life now, I can keep in my food,but for some reason I want to keep everything in, even my stool: I amconstipated!” While you should consult your homeopathic physician forsevere cases of constipation, for an occasional bout of constipation (oftenfood-related) Nux vomica 200C is a great rescuer. Don’t give laxatives,which will require more and more to keep on working. Why? Because Nature’sLaw tells us: “Every action is followed by an equal and opposite reaction.”A laxative’s initial

reaction (causing looser stools) will inevitably befollowed by a secondary opposite reaction: more constipation. And then toobtain the same result (a bowel movement) we need to keep increasing thedose or repeating it more often. Not so with Nux-v 200C which works withthe body’s own healing energy.Certain babies have a tendency to constipation. You can recognize babies ofthis Calcarea carbonica constitutional type: a little fat and flabby withthose great rosy cheeks, always wanting to eat (they hang at your breastbecause this is the great pacifier for them and they like snackingcontinuously) , they sweat easily especially on forehead and in the hair,and they often have nightmares. (For a full description of this and otherhomeopathic types, see my book The People’s Repertory.) They often hold intheir stool for days, apparently without any discomfort, but when they go,they fill the diaper with their massive hard stools.

A homeopathicphysician is needed in this case to administer the constitutional remedyCalc-carb. in a professional potency. Then this chronic constipation willgo away.“Allright, I have no more bruises, I am liking my breast milk now, and Ihave the diaper trick under control. But now you attack me with thoseinjections at my tender age of three months. How do you call them: ah, yes,vaccinations. They are for my good, you say, to ward off all those awfuldiseases, polio, croup, diphtheria, measles and mumps. I know you meanwell, but I know too many of my friends who react to these shots withfever, crying spells, and restless nights. I don’t want to mention the moreserious rare consequences: deafness, blindness, and seizures.” Well, baby,we have something for you. After every injection with a vaccination, wegive a dose of Ledum 200C and most of these unwanted uncomfortablereactions will be avoided. Ledum is a universal

remedy for allvaccinations, while Silica 200C is a specific to be administered after eachDPT.Somehow, most babies nowadays seem to be attacked by one illness: earinfections! It is the most frequently diagnosed condition in babies andyoung children, responsible for the outpouring of tons of antibiotics (andcreating antibiotic-resistan t bacteria). But are these antibioticsnecessary? According to medical research, 85% of those ear infections areviral, not bacterial. In these cases not only do antibiotics fail to do anygood, they actually delay the cure because they bring down fever. Fever isnothing but a fight between our white blood cells (our immune system) andviruses. For each degree of fever, millions of white blood cells aredirected to the place of infection. By decreasing the fever (either throughTylenol or antibiotics) we stop that rescue mechanism and delay the cureaccording to own allopathic

studies.Often pediatricians say, “Your child has a mild ear infection.” I am verysuspicious of this diagnosis. It often means that the ear drum does notlook quite right, the parents are anxious, the doctor feels pressured toprescribe something, and so a diagnosis of “mild ear infection” is used tojustify treating the child with antibiotics. A doctor examining a child’sear with an otoscope looks like one of life’s last great mysteries. Butwhat does he see? It’s so simple. A normal ear drum is pearly white. Aninfection in the middle ear (behind the ear drum) turns the ear drum red.But there are many shades between white and red. And the ear drum alsoturns red from other causes—fever, or the baby crying. And what childdoesn’t cry when that otoscope is poked in his ears? Often the doctorcannot tell just by looking at the ear drum for a brief moment whether anear infection is actually present. In a recent article, doctors

saidthemselves said, “We are only sure of the diagnosis in 15% of the cases,the rest is hoping and praying!” Sounds like a very low batting average—andyet in almost 100% of the cases an antibiotic is prescribed. Physicians andparents would do well to learn some of the great homeopathic remedies forear infections. I will cite some of the most common ones.Pulsatilla is our number one remedy, especially for right-sided earinfections. The temperature is less than 103F and the child is thirstless(which is very unusual for someone who has fever). The child shows veryclingy behavior, wants to be consoled, kissed and carried around, but isless contrary and capricious than the child who needs Chamomilla.Chamomilla is popular remedy for teething and is also a top remedy for earinfections (mainly in the right ear). The child is besides himself withpain, wants to be rocked or carried, and shows a typical

capriciousbehavior (“give me that” and then when you give it they throw it away).Nothing that the parent does can satisfy the child. The child is likely tohave a red face and a fever below 103F.Aconite is commonly used in the winter when a child has been exposed to adry cold northeast wind (or a baby is taken out on a blustery day). Thechild feels fine when going to bed but wakes up screaming with pain aroundmidnight, with a very high fever (up to 105F), very restless, thirsty hotall over the body. The pains are violent and burning and there is extremesensitivity to the touch. Aconite stands for the F’s: “Fast onset,Fulminant (strong picture), Fever, and Fright.” Aconite can be used for anycondition with these symptoms, not just ear infections (for example,fevers, colds and sore throats).We may not forget Belladonna for right-sided ear infections with a suddenonset of great pain either at 3 p.m. or 3 a.m. There is

a high fever(105F), the face is flushed beet red and hot while the extremities are cold(unlike an Aconite condition, in which the whole body is hot). The baby isrestless and agitated. Another remedy, for left-sided ear infections, isFerrum Phos, with a high temperature, not agitated behavior. It is anexcellent remedy in beginning stage and will prevent the formation of pus.These are just some of the most common remedies for ear infections. Asusual ask for a 200C potency if you can (otherwise 30C) and put one pelletin 4 oz of water, let it dissolve and give a tablespoon as needed. If thechild falls asleep after one dose, don’t wake it up. Sometimes that onedose is all the child needed. But if the child is still suffering, the dosecan be repeated as often as every 15 minutes.There are so many more instances where children can be helped by a singlehomeopathic remedy. For instance, chicken pox is helped by

Antimoniumtart., German measles (rubella) by Pulsatilla, whooping cough by Drosera,measles by Bryonia. Don’t forget Chamomilla for your teething child,Argentum nitricum and again Chamomilla for the colicky baby, Arnica for anyfall or bruising, Calendula for any cut or open wound, Cantharis for aburn, even second degree, Borax for thrush, and Graphites for theinflammation of the eyelid with those little yellow crusts that stick theeyelashes together in the morning. I would advise parents and professionalsalike to learn as much as possible about this gentle, effective andscientific medicine. You will see the magic of Homeopathy, and a rested,smiling child will be your reward!Luc De Schepper, M.D., Ph.D., D.I.Hom., C.Hom., Lic.Ac. is a Westernmedical doctor, acupuncturist and homeopath with over 200,000 patients in27 years of practice. He is the founder of the Renissance Institue ofClassical Homeopathy in Cambridge,

MA and the author of eleven books onhomeopathy, acupuncture and holistic health care, including The People’sRepertory (a how-to guide to homeopathy) and Human Condition Critical (anintroduction to the laws and principles of homeopathy in chronic diseases).He has been a popular guest on numerous television shows in the UnitedStates and abroad as well as being interviewed on dozens of radio shows.Dr. Luc has a practice in San Diego, CA . His books are available atCambridge Natural Foods, Bailey’s Pharmacy in Allston,Natural LivingProducts at 1-888-624-8590 and from Full of Life Publishing: . Dr. Luc’sprevious articles for Earth Star are available on his website: www.drluc.com. ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK$$ Donations to help in the work - accepted by Paypal account

earthmysteriestours @tesco.net voicemail US 530-740-0561(go to http://www.paypal. com) or by mailVaccines - http://www.nccn. net/~wwithin/ vaccine.htmVaccine Dangers On-Line course - http://www.nccn. net/~wwithin/ vaccineclass. htmReality of the Diseases & Treatment -http://www.nccn. net/~wwithin/ vaccineclass. htmHomeopathy On-Line course - http://www.nccn. net/~wwithin/ homeo.htmIt seems that we may almost have a double standard as far as medical theories are concerned. As long as man does something, it's science. When nature does something, it's quackery. - Dr G E Poesnecker, (Nature Cure 2000).

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