HOMOEOPATHY FOR CHILDREN

[MadameSin]

Any of you used homoeopathy for their children rather than conventional meds?

[Spero]

Parents who have failed to seek medical attention for serious illness/accidents relying instead on 'alternative' medicine have been prosecuted. To which I say 'good'.

[MadameSin]

Spero Are referring to the mum who tried to prevent her child from having radiotherapy ...? ADHD isn't life threatening thank god and I would not dream of seeking a homeopathic remedy for cancer ....

[curlew]

Obviously parents using homeopathy when proper medicine is needed are criminals and should be treated as such. But I have friends who give their children homeopathic pillules for all sorts of things-being nervous, not going to sleep straight away- all sorts of perfectly normal life events that you should learn how to deal with as part of growing up. Which you won't if your first thought is to reach for "medication". Of whatever form.

[Spero]

No. There was a link n other thread about an Australian couple whose baby died from severe infections from excema. The dad was a homeopath. Parents were convicted.

I recall others but would have to google for full facts. But there are others.
Parents simply do not have the right to foist their weirdness on their children if it would cause child significant harm.

Mess about with sugar pills all you like. But to cause a child's death or serious harm due to reliance on 'alternative' treatment is quite rightly a criminal offence.

[MadameSin]

Actually, thinking about it, we'll take the placebo effect thanks very much, that'll do us! Am checking out of this thread btw as I can see it turning into one of those MN 'let's get er' kind of thing. Thanks for all your personal 'experiences' though ....

[Spero]

The placebo effect is real. I accept that exists.

Homeopathy is the practice of dangerous charlatans.

[PacificDogwood]

Hey, I think the placebo effect is very underused.
But apparently it's unethical... .

As I've said before: good luck!

[incywincyspideragain]

op I have a 7 yr old with diagnosed ADHD, we refused medication at 6 yrs, adjusted diet and use homeopathy, his behaviour has improved on Connors scale

[curlew]

maybe it was the diet and the attention?

[incywincyspideragain]

maybe but boy am I glad we don't medicate - if homeopathy gives you a route to try I say go for it

[Spero]

it was the diet.

Not the water. But glad he is doing better.

[curlew]

"Am checking out of this thread btw as I can see it turning into one of those MN 'let's get er' kind of thing. Thanks for all your personal 'experiences' though ...."

This sort of thing is soooooooo frustrating. Are people supposed to say "Well, homeopathy is scientifically proven to be complete rubbish, but you carry on, if "it works for you"?" Is that what people want?

[Spero]

Ah yes. Remember a while back I tried to have a genuine conversation with someone about flower remedies. I was honestly interested in how she thought they worked. She instantly shut down, said 'I don't have to take this' and walked off.

If your beliefs cannot stand up to even the politest challenge, worry about your beliefs and what you think they are based on.

[BOF]

The placebo effect is not at all unethical. Pretending that homeopathy has active ingredients, however, is.

[PacificDogwood]

I agree with you, BOF.

"The widespread acceptance of placebo within the global medical community has been established in previous studies abroad. However the use of such treatments still conflict with the General Medical Council?s ethical codes, Dr Howick explained: ?Current ethical rulings on placebos ought to be revisited in light of the strong evidence suggesting that doctors broadly support their use." The GMC does not.

Full Independent article

[MadameSin]

Oh no curlew, see what you've done ... lured me right back in just when I was about to log out and go to bed. OP asked "Any of you used homoeopathy for their children rather than conventional meds?" ... sooooo frustrating as it didn't read "What do you all think of homeopathy?" I know what people think, I just wanted any experienes of the others. Gawd blimey, some people ah, nowt better to do? Nite

[BOF]

Pacific, I think it's Ben Goldacre that describes doctors being able to explain to patients that some people feel better with these sugar pills, that seem to harness a powerful mind-body connection and make them feel better, and they are chemically inert, but do appear to help in many cases. They are then able to decide whether they want to try them or not. That sounds ethical to me.

[Spero]

Then you should have been much more explicit in the wording of your op. as you phrased it, it is perfectly legitimate for those of us who have not to explain why not.

Perhaps next time you could try - I use homeopathic remedies with my children and find them helpful. Would like to know of the experiences of other like minded parents. Please don't comment in a negative way about homeopathy because then fairies may die.

[MadameSin]

Spero I've never used homeopathy remedies for my children and now you're jusy being silly and a bit rude.

[Crumbledwalnuts]

MadameSin: that's mild

I don't use homeopathic remedies. But I think one of the ways they help is to keep parents away from "actual" medicine which may be more harmful in the long run. I'm thinking of the overuse of paracetamol and anti-biotics in children. Ear infections for example are often largely self-limiting, and many GPs will say (in fact I think there was a study) that use of anti-biotics shortens the infection length by approx 24 hours. That's not really worth a trip to the doctor and five days of wobbly anti-biotic use - much better to let the child beat the infection without them. Similarly Calpol: a raised temperature is often, if not usually, beneficial rather than dangerous. Calpol and ABs together can lead to a debilitating cycle of antibiotics, poor nutrition absorption, reinfection, more calpol, reduced temp so the body can't fight the infection, more ABs, more diarrhoea, etc.

Homeopathy and a watchful parent would be much better here - it just allows the body to get better on its own, a tremendous boost.

[exexpat]

Or just a watchful parent. Homeopathy adds nothing to the mix - it doesn't 'allow the body to get better on its own' any more than doing nothing or offering tea & sympathy would. It has no effect, just costs money, and perpetuates the idea that there is a pill for everything.

I don't go running to the doctor when I or the DCs have minor illnesses, and I rarely give them paracetomol etc, because I am perfectly well aware that most childhood diseases are self-limiting, and they are vaccinated against the worst ones. I can't remember when any of us last had antibiotics for anything - I think it was probably at least seven or eight years ago But if any of us were seriously ill I would make full use of proper doctors and rigorously tested real medicine.

[Crumbledwalnuts]

It obviously does actually. Parents want to do something. Note the continued overuse of paracetamol, even though it's often useless and may be harmful. Use of a homeopathic product might stay the parent's hand as it reaches for the Calpol. I should think it often does. That is an addition to the mix, and it's a good one.

[Crumbledwalnuts]

In fact given the apparent "transferred placebo" effect (which I'm prepared to believe in though I have really no clue how it's supposed to work) it has the potential to do more than stay the parent's hand.

[curlew]

"I don't use homeopathic remedies. But I think one of the ways they help is to keep parents away from "actual" medicine which may be more harmful in the long run. I'm thinking of the overuse of paracetamol and anti-biotics in children. Ear infections for example are often largely self-limiting, and many GPs will say (in fact I think there was a study) that use of anti-biotics shortens the infection length by approx 24 hours. That's not really worth a trip to the doctor and five days of wobbly anti-biotic use - much better to let the child beat the infection without them. Similarly Calpol: a raised temperature is often, if not usually, beneficial rather than dangerous. Calpol and ABs together can lead to a debilitating cycle of antibiotics, poor nutrition absorption, reinfection, more calpol, reduced temp so the body can't fight the infection, more ABs, more diarrhoea, etc.

Homeopathy and a watchful parent would be much better here - it just allows the body to get better on its own, a tremendous boost."

Absolutely. I agree with ALL of that-apart from the addition of homeopathy. If you give a child a pill, whatever it is, you are not telling a child that its body is a fantastic thing that usually knows how to fix itself- you are telling it that it needs pills to mend it. And parents who use homeopathy, in my experience, use it for a wide range of what I would consider normal parts of the human condition that users of conventional medicine wouldn't dream of "medicating" for.

[Crumbledwalnuts]

Curlew: you seem to overlook the human need to do something, rather than nothing. How nice if we could all be as marvellous as you and sit on our hands and do nothing (actually I have done nothing for a bad ear infection and I'm very glad about it, though it was extremely hard and very nerve-wracking at the time). How much better for the "something" not to be a potentially harmful medication.