Published March 9, 2002 in
the North Island Weekender
In my last article I talked about Echinacea, Reckeweg #1, pulsatilla and garlic
oil. In this article I would like you to add to your first aid kit colocynthis,
colubrina, chamomile, belladonna, peppermint and ginger.
James is a colicky baby from birth. His mother Jackie brought him in when she
was at her wits end. She hadn’t had a good night sleep for six months! The
first thing I did was examine Jackie’s diet as she was breast-feeding and
supplementing James’ diet with rice Pablum. She was unaware that food allergens
can pass through the breast milk and affect babies. Even though she was not
aware of any allergy symptoms it became very clear that she was intolerant to
dairy. She was blood type 0 which are known to not tolerate dairy well. She
also constantly complained of nasal congestion and drippy nose called rhinitis.
She had no other bothersome symptoms except that she got at least four colds per year. I find that if
patients get colds more than once per year their immune system could be
improved! Dr. Linus Pauling took 15-25 grams of Vitamin C per day and didn’t
have a cold for the last thirty years of his life!
I took Jackie off cow’s milk and the baby’s colic became noticeably better
within days. Other foods that aggravated the baby were chocolate and
garlic. The homeopathic remedies that
worked well were colocynthis and colubrina. I am also very strict on food
introduction in babies. The rice Pablum and other grains are very difficult for
their immature digestive system to assimilate so I start babies off with pureed
fruits and vegetables. You can call the office for the complete list. Grains
are one of the last foods to be introduced. Another food I don’t want children
getting used to is fruit juices. I feel this creates a sweet tooth in children.
If you think about it how many pieces of fruit does it take to make a glass of
juice? Even though this is natural sugar it is too hard on the pancreas. The
alarming increase in Type II diabetes amongst children beginning as early as
age 12 is even more reason to avoid the
overload of carbohydrates and sugars that children are getting in their diets.
Alternatives to juices are of course water! Some children like lemon or lime
flavoured water. Others enjoy flavored herbal teas either warm or cold. These
make great Popsicles in the summer too! Snack foods should be primarily
vegetables, fruits, nuts and proteins rather than carbohydrates foods such as
crackers and breads.
James also benefited from taking Lifestart acidophilus to put back some healthy
bacteria into his intestines.
As James got older he tolerated the dairy free foods such as Soya loaf, soy
salami (Yves makes good meat substitutes from soy) soy milk, rice milk and
desserts made from them as well. He did fine with eggs and goat milk but had to
avoid the milk-based dairy. As I said in the previous article calcium and
magnesium supplementation was important.
As James began teething the homeopathic remedy and herbal tea, chamomile,
worked wonders. He learned to enjoy peppermint tea which settled his stomach
whenever he complained of a stomachache. He even learned to enjoy ginger which
Jackie made up into a tea and occasionally bought as candied ginger for a
treat.
Belladonna, another remedy to have on hand, worked very well for those fevers
that came on suddenly.
Although natural remedies may not work every time, it is great to have on hand
so that in the middle of the night you have something to give your screaming
child. Try it. You will be amazed at the speed with which homeopathic remedies
can work.
Dr. Pincott has been practicing naturopathic
medicine since 1985 and is currently practicing in Campbell River. She can be
reached at (250) 286-3655 or www.DrPincott.com