To Consider Homeopathic Teething Gel Appalling?

[UncleT]

It's being advertised on the telly at the moment. It 'contains' 12c dilutions of herbs. Look up 12c and you'll rapidly find out that this means none of the substance remains in a sample. Other ingredients are water, ethanol, a sweetener and gelling and lubricant agents. There is nothing that will help with teething pain.

[Minifingers]

Merci - children did used to die from teething, because they had infected gums caused by scurvy. Fruit and veg was considered inappropriate food for babies because it caused 'the flux' (squits). Hence some children whose diets were poor had terrible problems with their gums when teething, and with some it was enough to kill them.

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

This study shows a temperature rise for some babies, although they had no explanation for it.

This one is interesting too, and more recent.

It finds statistically significant differences in temperature on the day of eruption, and some other symptoms too.

TheScience, it also mentions "Some of these signs and symptoms may be explained by the increase in inflammatory cytokine levels in the gingival crevicular fluid surrounding the teeth".

[FreudiansSlipper]

was that not in times when many children died and how many would have had fresh fruit and vegetables in their diet so it was blamed on teething. but just general ill health and poor living conditions more likely to blame. it is surprising how many did survive

[BackOnlyBriefly]

does everything have to be proved by science for it to work

No, but homoeopathy has been proven not to work. which is another matter entirely. It's as much a fake as a Nigerian email.

and the worst thing about it is that people don't just use it for themselves, but for kids who don't get a choice. Which is what this thread was originally about.

[FreudiansSlipper]

I thought Nelsons powders were homeopathic remedy

have seen them mentioned many times on here, worked for ds and other I know

[Minifingers]

Back - homeopathy is a very useful placebo for many people. What's wrong with a good placebo, if it brings relief and has no side effects? People who use homeopathy aren't generally so stupid that they will use it for degenerative, serious conditions in preference to more effective conventional treatments.

[SunshineBossaNova]

People who use homeopathy aren't generally so stupid that they will use it for degenerative, serious conditions in preference to more effective conventional treatments.

I beg to differ.

whatstheharm.net/homeopathy.html

[fisherpricephone]

Even if every child that's being a pain isn't teething I still think it's a useful explanation that maybe gives the parent a bit more patience than if there wasn't an 'explanation' for their awkwardness. 2 of my 3 were very difficult to tell if they were teething or not, they were more variable in their moods generally. My middle child was the calmest easiest baby in the world who slept and smiled and was a delight to have around, except for the week before a tooth would appear when she would become clingy, miserable, and desperate to BF all night (and her latch was terrible in that week). Soon as the tooth (or more usually teeth, she always had sets of teeth come through together) appeared her mood would transform, she would STTN again and her latch would improve. No temperature or drooling particularly, just a personality change for a week. My 6 year old is now getting teeth and is complaining a lot about how sore her mouth is.

My most favourite thing ever about amber teething necklaces is that you 'recharge' them in moonlight. I would love an explanation as to how that works at a chemical level.

[MaidOfStars]

My most favourite thing ever about amber teething necklaces is that you 'recharge' them in moonlight. I would love an explanation as to how that works at a chemical level

I would love to know what 'moonlight' is.....

[BackOnlyBriefly]

Minifingers yes, the placebo effect can make it seem as though homoeopathy is working. This effect has been mentioned so many times now that people may have the idea that placebo only happens with homoeopathy. That it counts as an exclusive advantage for homoeopathy.

The placebo effect applies to any treatment, including ones that are not fake. So taking an aspirin for a headache actually has an effect, but also benefits from the placebo effect.

Made up cures like homoeopathy or rubbing the affected part with a copy of the Radio Times are equally effective.

If someone tries to sell you a special, very expensive, copy of the Radio Times (perhaps recharged by moonlight, I love that one too) then they are cheating you, and the fact that the placebo effect might make you feel a little better doesn't excuse them.

And sadly people do use homoeopathy for serious conditions and not simply because they are stupid. The blame there goes partly to ordinary people who talk about it as though it works and recommend it to friends or on internet forums.

This is why it it vitally important to take every opportunity to reveal that it is a con.

[MaidOfStars]

And sadly people do use homoeopathy for serious conditions and not simply because they are stupid. The blame there goes partly to ordinary people who talk about it as though it works and recommend it to friends or on internet forums

Have you seen Sam Harris' argument that religious extremists are propped up by the religious moderates who will not (and indeed, cannot) speak out against the fundamentalist beliefs? Strikes a chord here, methinks.

What harm? I will repeat an old post of mine:
Because the world is just so full of bullshit, it infuriates me. It's everywhere, speaking to dead people and medicating yourself with sugar and planning your day around what Saturn is doing. Just so much nonsense, pervading society and doing very real damage, perhaps not at the level of you chatting with your mates about it, but on a global scale. Every time someone utters "it's not doing any harm", they unwittingly feed into the system that sees virgins raped to cure men of HIV, that sees children die because parents don't seek formal medical treatment, that sees the vulnerable counting their few remaining pennies because they've been conned by someone so disgustingly amoral to take their cash in return for fake messages form their dead family.

[javotte]

YANBU.
So many French people believe in it, it is surreal.

[FreudiansSlipper]

but that us what you feel is bullshit

do you not think we are conned every day of our lives into believing what is society's norm a norm that is forever changing

you can not lump what you perceive as bullshit with so many wrongs in the world

have people not been damaged by conventional medicine that has progressed, do we in this country not benefit from others suffering in the world, we are all part of it

[SunshineBossaNova]

Many more people have been saved by conventional medicine than damaged, Freudian.

The reason homeopathy doesn't directly harm people is because it has no active ingredients at all. It is merely sugar pills.

[MaidOfStars]

but that us what you feel is bullshit

That homeopathy is bullshit isn't really my own subjective opinion.

[SunshineBossaNova]

That homeopathy is bullshit isn't really my own subjective opinion.

This can't be repeated enough.

[FreudiansSlipper]

I am not at all suggesting that people should ignore conventional medicine or that it does more harm

What I am saying is that people have different beliefs, at times all can cause harm but the power of believing is very powerful

I work in a professional that is based on a theory, a theory when first put forward was dismissed now seen quite differently but there is still no actual proof or a way to measure it (the unconscious) still some will say it is a load of rubbish can be measured and others will disagree and say well here are our facts of the people who have been through the therapeutic process

[FreudiansSlipper]

can't be measured ....

[sashh]

oooh,how dare anyone challenge what our precious mainstream science says

Utter bollox.

Science is constantly being challenged and retested.

For centuries willow bark was known to help with pain, we still know it works for pain, now we manufacture it, understand its chemical composition and know that it also helps to reduce fever and act as an anticoagulant.

am sure its not just sugar as I tasted them and they weren't sweet at all

Have you had baked beans? Or tomato ketchup? Or carrots? All contain sugar but don't taste sweet.

[SunshineBossaNova]

As I've heard said, you're entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts.

[Minifingers]

I repeat, what is wrong with a good placebo?

One with no side effects?

[Minifingers]

Can I also ask those people who are rampaging around on this thread bellowing about homeopathy being utter shite, would you be as disrespectful about prayer? Because there have been large clinical trials of the efficacy of prayer to improve outcomes for the sick, and these have found that not only is prayer ineffectual but that it doesn't even appear to have a placebo effect.

[BackOnlyBriefly]

FreudiansSlipper bringing up the unconscious and saying it can't be proved and trying to equate that with homoeopathy won't work. We know what homoeopathy is and we have proved that it doesn't work. There is no mystery there and it's not a matter of opinion.

MaidOfStars Yes, it's been my position for a while now that without the 'nice' believers, the seriously dangerous ones wouldn't be a significant problem. They'd just be criminals and/or in need of treatment.

[BackOnlyBriefly]

would you be as disrespectful about prayer?

Absolutely! Faith Healing/prayer is just as bad as homoeopathy. Just as dangerous if you convince people it works and just as dishonest.

You may have noticed that I keep bringing up MNers who have claimed that god makes sure they get a parking space in town. They don't see how ludicrous that is.

[BackOnlyBriefly]

Charged With Murder For 'Faith-Healing' Death of 8-Month Old Son

but surely prayer is harmless blah blah