Homeopathic Treatments for Children

As you hear news or read labels regarding side effects of over the counter medications for ailments of childhood, you may begin to wonder if there's a better way to handle these illnesses. You may have noticed there are also more bacteria becoming resistant to the usual antibiotic treatments.

Homeopathy may well offer some solutions for some of these minor illnesses. There are remedies employed to boost immunity as well. As with any such treatment, it's considered best to consult a trained homeopathic practitioner rather than experimenting on your own. A homeopath will need to know your child's health history just as a physician would. One important fact to remember is that homeopaths do not recommend foregoing vaccination for your child, but rather suggest you make fully informed decisions. Homeopathy can complement medical treatment and lessen symptoms from vaccination reactions.

One of the more common childhood homeopathic remedies employed is chamomile for a teething baby. For fevers, a homeopath will usually suggest gelsenium, aconite, or belladonna, if the fever is very high.

Colds and tummy problems, some of the most common childhood ailments, are treated differently depending on the individual symptoms. If much mucus is present, pulsatilla is normally given. If a child is cranky and restless with his cold, he'll most likely need bryonia. An upset stomach calls for nux vomica or arsenicum album, when diarrhea is present.

Many parents have sought the help of homeopathy when trying to deal with a child with ADHD. No doubt this has to do with observing the side effects of Ritalin and other conventional medicines, as well as the difficulty in achieving the correct dosage for the child. The homeopathic remedies found most helpful for ADHD in a 1997 double blind study were Cina, Stramonium, and Hyoscyamus niger. These treat physical aggressiveness, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, and manic symptoms, respectively.

Allergies are often treated quite successfully through homeopathy, but this is a specialty that quite definitely should not be attempted experimentally by a nonprofessional. Dosages will differ enormously depending on the individual child. However, behavior problems and allergies are two of the areas in which homeopathic treatment has achieved the best results and greatest respect in recent years.

Other childhood conditions often treated by homeopaths are colic, earache, and the common bruises, scrapes and little injuries from the falls they take. Arnica is used for the injuries, earache is treated with Pulsatilla, and Magnesium phos is given for colic.

You can see that you may be able to spare some visits to the pediatrician for some conditions by consulting a trained homeopath. Why not look into this alternative for your children?