Page 89 - Special Issue: Healthy Baby

My father is a doctor. He was an old-time for children but is now prescribed for children— Home
country doctor who would make house calls in something that happens often these days. care also
the middle of the night with his black bag. He Home remedies work with the immune
was the kind of doctor you could call at two in system rather than suppressing it. Acute illness— strengthens
the morning if your child had a fever of 105, and diarrhea, runny nose, vomiting, headache, and so the bond
he would come over. Those doctors don’t exist forth—is actually good for your child. Managed between
much any more. I grew up watching him practice properly, acute illness can give your child more
medicine in a traditional way. Even though he vitality and prevent chronic illness—which is not parent and
was a conventional doctor, he still practiced very good for your child. child.
traditionally. When I was a little girl, I would Home care also strengthens the bond between
often go on house calls, go to the hospital with parent and child. When my nine-year-old son is
him and make his rounds. A lot of my expertise not feeling well, he comes to me and tells me how
comes from the wisdom I observed growing up he feels. He trusts me, he knows I can make him
watching my dad in his medical practice. feel better. He is not afraid of me. Most children
are afraid of doctors. But they have a relationship
ADVANTAGES with their parents and when their parents are able
On reflection, the advantages of home rem- to make them feel better at a time when they are
edies are obvious. First of all they are non-toxic. at their weakest and most vulnerable, the bond
Recently, we have been hearing about cold with their parents is strengthened.
remedies pulled off pharmacy shelves. Some of With these advantages in mind, let’s turn to
them have been on sale for decades and then we some traditional remedies for common childhood
learn that these should not be given to children illnesses.
under six years old. That news was a shock even
to myself, jaded as I am about over-the-counter EAR INFECTIONS
medicines and pharmaceutical drugs. At least Childhood ear infections are intimately con-
with home remedies, you know you are not going nected to diet. Well-fed children do not get ear
to poison your children. infections and breastfed children whose mothers
These remedies are also low in cost. Many have a good, traditional diet simply do not get
of the best home remedies don’t cost any money ear infections. If you are breastfeeding and your
at all. baby is getting ear infections, then you need to
Another advantage concerns speed of treat- reexamine your own diet.
ment. You don’t have to call anybody or wait for The most common dietary culprit is pasteur-
a call back. ized milk—both in the infant and in the breast-
Home remedies prevent your child from feeding mother.
being used as a guinea pig. With home remedies, If, despite your best efforts, an ear infection
your child is not going to be one of the statistics occurs, a warm wheat bag on the ear provides
from a toxic over-the-counter medicine or a enormous pain relief. A warm wheat bag is
pharmaceutical drug that was never approved made of fabric filled with plain unground wheat

WHEN HOME REMEDIES ARE NOT APPROPRIATE
TRAUMA: If your child has a serious injury, head for the emergency room. Our trauma doctors are wonderful gifts to
our society and we need to make use of them when bad things happen. When your child falls out of a tree and a bone
is sticking out through his skin, you don’t want to treat that at home.
EXTREMELY HIGH FEVER: Most fevers play a beneficial role in your child’s health but an extremely high fever (over
104degrees) can be a dangerous situation for a young child and you may need to get emergency care.
TROUBLE BREATHING: This is another situation that calls for quick action. If a child is unresponsive, limp in your arms,
or has glazed eyes, you need to get help. Dial 911 or hurry him to the emergency room.

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