Alternative Treatments for Children

Herbal remedies and alternative treatments that are safe and effective for children.

In a 2002 study of 142 families at Emory University School of Medicine, 80 percent of parents who used alternative therapies for their kids relied on friends or relatives for information. Fewer than half discussed the treatments with their doctor.

In the U.S., complementary and alternative medicine for children is growing (estimates of CAM use are as high as 30 percent), but studies on safety and effectiveness are few; most have been done on adults. And because the FDA doesn't evaluate herbal remedies before they hit the market, pediatricians are wary of suggesting them for the fragile, developing brains and bodies of kids. "I'm a fan of a natural approach where appropriate, but I'm still very cautious about recommending supplements for children," says Russell Greenfield, MD, medical director of Carolinas Integrative Health, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a coauthor of Healthy Child, Whole Child.

Still, there are some things Greenfield and other experts can recommend or advise against, and they've filled us in on the most promising treatments. Of course, you should consult your pediatrician before trying any method for the first time. Remember, just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it's safe. (When purchasing herbal remedies, it's a good idea to check the brands and their safety ratings at ConsumerLab.com, which offers limited information for free and full-study results for a $24 annual fee.)

Boosting Their Immune System
Most parents have the healthy child basics covered: a daily multivitamin; a balanced, nutritious diet (OK, the vegetables are tough); and making sure their kids get adequate sleep and exercise. All the doctors we spoke with about fish oils and probiotics, however, recommended these supplements for overall health.

Fish Oil
Remember the daily spoonful of cod liver oil your mother (or grandmother) was given as a child, based on the notion that it was good for growing kids? Well, now we know there's real science behind the practice. Fish oils are rich in essential fatty acids, including omega-3s, so they provide a powerful immune boost, explains Sezelle Gereau Haddon, MD, an ear, nose, and throat specialist based at the Center for Health and Healing in New York City. Studies have shown that taking fish oil can stave off colds and ear infections in children. "Doctors are now recommending it for depression, heart disease, ADHD, asthma..." she says. "I honestly think everybody should be taking it." Make sure to buy a product that indicates it's mercury-free on the label. (Also look for the words "pharmaceutical grade" and "distilled," which mean that the product does not contain mercury or other metals, PCBs, dioxins, or other impurities.)

Read more: http://www.organicgardening.com/living/alternative-treatments-children

St John's Wort “as good as Prozac”

by Michael Smith

Despite many claims made to the contrary by what one could called “standard mainstream medicine” and their representatives, especially and including the pharmaceutical industry, as regards to herbal medicines, a recent study by German scientists has found that St John's Wort (Hypericum) may be as good as an anti-depressant as Prozac.

According to this study the herbal extract is as effective as the drug and has fewer side effects. As far as my own experiences go with herbal medicines there are very few, if any, what could be called side effects, whatever claims to the contrary are being made by the ordinary practitioners mainstream medicine and especially the pharmaceutical industry.

German researchers found that St John's Wort is also a match for other old and new anti-depressant pills.

While, I am sure, we can all understand the reasons for the pharmaceutical industry poohpoohing herbal and other alternative medicine why this is being done by the general practitioners in countries such as the UK and the USA is something that should give food for thought. In other countries, such as in the Netherlands, it is common for a GP to prescribe homeopathic and herbal alongside the conventional treatments.

There is but one problem, however, and that is the fact that products containing Hypericum perforatum vary greatly. This means that some may be more effective than others. Is that a good reason, though, to take the standard drugs and to be faced with the side effects, such as those of Prozac that seem to be rather dangerous? Personally, I think not.

Many of the readers, I am sure, will not surprised as to the fact that Hypericum has been “cleared”, so to speak, and has even, to some degree, elevated above the drugs, like Prozac.

So, let's her it for plant extracts and herbal medicines...

© M Smith (Veshengro), October 2008
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