August 2011 : Volume 13 : Number 7

In this edition:
Mother Baby: Newborn Issues
Homeopathy & Hair Analysis
Coughs
Bits & Pieces
Topical Items
Homeoprophylaxis

Welcome to the August 2011 Newsletter,

Well here we are in August and so far it's been extremely wet in Southern Tasmania. Good for the water tanks and the garden, but one can get a little tired of wet clothes, wet dog and mud!

We've moved offices during the month which is why the newsletter is late in coming out. Hopefully it finds you in reasonable health and fighting those nasty coughs which are around the place. See my further comments below.

This is a good time to remind you all that if we've consulted in the past, but haven't got around to doing a follow up, don't forget that the follow up is in many ways more important than the first consultation (if that makes sense!). I sometimes find that people think nothing has happened after the first remedy because they are focussing on what they wanted to be fixed. Nature works in mysterious ways and determines its own path, so the follow up, based on my meticulous initial notes, often reveals a myriad of changes which have been subtle or even forgotten. How many times do I hear people say "oh I'd forgotten about that" in relation to what had been quite a major and annoying symptom at the first appointment.

The second appointment involves assessing how the remedy worked and then either selecting another close remedy if the desired effect has not been achieved, or refining what we did at the first appointment. Often with distance consultations I lose track of time, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten you, rather that my daily deluge of emails might not have allowed me to touch base with you.

Mother & Baby

The connection between mum and baby has been so strong throughout the pregnancy and this continues to be the case during the labour and into the first days and weeks of baby's life. What the mother has experienced during the pregnancy can be imprinted onto the baby and often the remedy required by the newborn is the remedy required by the mother during the pregnancy. This situation obviously requires professional assistance, but some of the less serious issues can be dealt with using a few home remedies.

As always if you've tried some remedies without success contact your healthcare provider as treating newborns and very small children takes some skill and experience.

Blocked Tear Duct This symptom can often be easily resolved with homeopathy. If there is conjunctivis (as in green/yellow discharge) many people are inclined to use Pulsatilla, however, Silica can be a better choice and would resolve many of the cases I see quite quickly.

"Blue Baby"
I write this more for information than for home prescribing as hospital care will usually be given to a baby in this condition, but it could be worth giving remedies retrospectively to assist with shock. The main remedies for arrested respiration are Aconite, Ant-Tart, Arsenicum Album and Opium. Aconite is the first remedy to think of for a baby which is blue all over, particularly if there has been fear or fright in the mother before or during the birth. If the baby is white and cold, as if dead, Carbo Veg is the remedy and if there is tough mucus Ant Tart may be indicated. A baby which is unresponsive and red all over (rather than blue) may require homeopathic Opium. This would apply to difficult labour, cord around the neck and similar.

Consult your healthcare practitioner if you require prescribing for any of the above.

Colic The term colic covers a myriad of conditions to my mind. Some are related to the birth experience, some to the mother's diet, often vaccination is the culprit and sometimes it's just the baby's response to life! Homeopathy can be so helpful for these unsettled, unhappy babies and sometimes home prescribing can help. Apart from our Colic Combination, there are some great single remedies you can try if you prefer.

Persistent colic in a bottle fed baby which fails to respond to home prescribing (or even professional treatment) may benefit from changing formula. A very large number of children these days have some degree of lactose intolerance and I therefore recommend you don't start a very young baby or newborn on a cow's milk formula. Not only can this cause colicky symptoms but sometimes giving cow's milk before the gut has fully developed can result in lactose intolerance. Goat's milk formula is closest to breast milk and only a very small number of children are intolerant of goat's milk. Use soy (organic, whole bean is best if available) only if you can't give goat's milk formula. Some babies are better on lactose free formula but I suggest avoiding milk altogether.

Chamomilla Abdomen is distended, baby is unsettled, angry and doesn't know what it wants. May have green diarrhea like chopped spinach especially during teething. May be worse during teething and worse if the mother has been angry (also Colocynthis). May also be generally worse at night and better for being carried.

ColocynthisAbdominal pain which causes baby to pull the knees up to the chest and scream. Older children double up in pain and may dig fists into the belly. May be worse if the mother has been angry (also Chamomilla), worse from eating fruit and better for warmth.

Dioscorea Abdominal pain which cases baby to arch the back and stretch out. Worse during the morning and for lying down and better for being held upright.

Lycopodium I find this a really useful remedy in anxious babies who are windy and unsettled and are worse between 4 and 8pm. There may be lots of belching which may help and baby may feel better for being naked as tight clothes about the waist can aggravate. Baby may also be constipated with hard stool like rabbit poo (generally slightly older babies).

Mag Mur Crampy, sore pain sometimes with constipation (rabbit poo) or green diarrhea. Worse for drinking milk or for the mother drinking milk.

Forceps Delivery
Arnica For when the baby is shocked and in distress after a forceps delivery, especially where there is obvious bruising.

Helleborus Helpful for the baby where the head has been under extreme pressure in the birth canal, with subsequent slow or diminished reactions.

Rhus Tox For mild irritation of the scalp with redness and tender swelling of the area, irritated by heat but better for fresh air and movement.

Jaundice There are a number of remedies to assist the resolution of mild jaundice including Chelidonium, Natrum Sulph and China. Often jaundice doesn't need treating and will resolve on its own, but generally I would say that if it persists a constitutional remedy would be more helpful than a jaundice-specific remedy.

Retention of Urine in the newborn
Apis is the first remedy I think of in this situation where it happens without any particular cause and boy does it usually work well - especially if you have a baby boy!!

Aconite and Opium are also indicated, particularly where there has been a frightening or very fast labour (see below).

Shock If the birth has been traumatic for mother and baby or both, remedies may be required to resolve this situation and prevent ongoing problems such as restlessness or colic, for example.

Aconite If there has been an emergency Caesar, baby was blue or the mother has gone into shock following blood loss, use Aconite to resolve any potential issues for baby.

Arnica can be a great remedy for physical trauma where baby has been roughly treated or the labour has been long and arduous, or baby has been stuck. Even if you have been taking Labour Drops or Arnica prior to and during the birth, make sure you give baby some doses afterwards and don't rely on the remedy possibly passing through the milk.

Opium After premature labour caused by fright or shock, or where the baby is dull and unresponsive or just very sleepy. Retention of urine in the newborn after a fright or traumatic labour.

Sleeplessness There are as many remedies for this as there are many different causes. Read the remedies for shock and colic as they may be applicable. Professional help is often best in these situations and sometimes an objective view can be really helpful.

Snuffles in the newborn Again there are a number of reasons for new babies to be a bit snuffly. Sometimes it's due to a caesarean birth, sometimes its due to food intolerances passed from the mother, it can also be due to intolerance to formula if "topped up" or bottle fed and it can just be constitutional. The most frequently indicated home prescriber remedies would be Lycopodium (snuffles in anxious, clingy and irritable babies), Nux Vomica (similar to Lycopodium but angry rather than irritable, may be colicky) and Pulsatilla (snuffles with yellow/green mucous).

Giving remedies to the newborn
Crush pilules and tip a small amount inside baby's bottom lip or put one pilule in ¼ glass of water, stir vigorously and spoon a small amount into the mouth.

Homeopathy & Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

Hair analysis is a tool I've used from time to time over the years and found it useful in assessing what is going on in the background and to provide appropriate homeopathic treatments.

I've recently started using this tool again in chronic cases where I suspect there may be heavy metal toxicity or a nutritional imbalance preventing constitutional treatments from working effectively.

It is possible to use homeopathic chelation remedies to encourage the body to release the toxins and this can happen more quickly and more easily than with the conventional chelation products. This can be also be a useful tool in cases of ADHD/ADD, autism, chronic fatigue, arthritis and similar. The cost of the analysis is not excessive and the report provided is full of excellent information both for practitioner and patient. If you've had a recent hair analysis or think this may be applicable to you, you can either organise direct with Interclinical Laboratories via their website or contact me for more information. Reports are sent to me for assessment, with a copy for the patient.

Coughs

As with last winter, there has been a very nasty cough doing the rounds of most states in Australia. While some cases would appear to be Pertussis or more likely Bordetella Parapertussis (a milder strain of whooping cough), some are just a generally persistent winter cough.

All of the above situations require constitutional treatment and you will quite likely find that your home prescriber remedies won't work in these cases anyway. You can certainly try our Dry or Chesty Cough Combinations first, but do consider some professional help if they linger.

Bits & Pieces

Postal Charges
We have managed to keep our flat rate for orders under $100 unchanged for four years. However, we have now got to the point where postage has increased so much that we are actually losingmoney on smaller orders and have had to make the decision to increase our flat rate to $6.50 on orders under $120.

We thank you for your understanding in this climate of increasing costs all round, but think you'll agree our remedies are still great value even with a small increase in the postage.

Office Move
As the homeopathic practice and on-line sales grow we have had to move our office at Mountain River to larger premises. While this will impact very few of you (!!) I just thought I'd let you know that I am now inspired more than ever by the beautiful view of Buzzy Top, our very own mountain, and also our glorious garden. Very good for the spirit and more room for Dean and I to do our respective jobs.

What's (new) on the Website

Don't forget delivery is free on orders over $120 Australia wide!

Creams on Special: Our range of 65g creams are on special for the month of August and September at $10 each. This is a great opportunity to restock your medicine cupboard or try one of our creams. The base is a great favourite with many clients because of its all natural ingredients and its gentle effect on wounds and sore bottoms!

Home Remedy Kits on special: If you've been thinking about buying a home remedy kit we have $20 off our standard 28 and 46 remedy kits for the months of August and September.

Mini Kit x 8 Children's Remedies - Zip around Wallet A collection of our all time favourite combination remedies for children, now available as a great little kit. Includes A.B.C., Colic Combination, Tissue Salt Combx K (the good old Kali Mur/Ferrum Phos/Nat Mur 6x for the start of any illness), Cough - Chesty, Gastro Combination, Immune Boost, Kalm Kids, Teething Combination supplied in 5g pilules.

Retails at $89.95 - a great saving on the individual remedies.

Topical Items from naturalnews.com, wddty.co.uk, etc

Here are some items from these very informative websites and more. As always I do not warrant this information to be correct or accurate but provide the links so you can investigate for yourself.

Scientists say forget osteoporosis drugs - Natural approach builds strong bones safely

5/5/2011 - For countless years, natural health advocates, who suggested caution at the near hysterical and highly advertised push to put women on anti-osteoporosis prescription drugs, were looked at as unscientific health "nuts". But now some mainstream scientists are in total agreement.

Learn more: Vitamin D news and articles http://www.naturalnews.com/vitamin_d.html#ixzz1U19AH0PK

WDDTY e-news: DNA in vaccines linked to rise in autism

A former drug company researcher has found a possible link between the MMR vaccine and autism. She has discovered that autism cases rose dramatically after human tissue was added to the vaccines.
http://www.wddty.com/dna-in-vaccines-linked-to-rise-in-autism.html

GM Foods Can Cause Liver Poisoning, Say Scientists

GMOs (genetically modified organisms) - which may soon be available in meat throughout Europe following 'back-door' pressure from the US - could cause kidney and liver poisoning, leading biologists have revealed.

http://www.wddty.com/gm-foods-are-poison-say-biologists.html

Homeoprophylaxis (HP or Homeopathic Immunisation) - Adding new babies to your program

Changes to the HP Program

I have recently updated two components of the HP program.

Morbillinum (Measles) and Rubella: which were removed from Isaac Golden's program but which I retained in a 1M potency, have now been changed to fall in line with the rest of the program.

They are now supplied in all new kits as 200c/10M. We know from the research that the 10M potency extends the duration of cover. If you have only given the 1M potency of Rubella you may wish to now consider giving the 10M potency as a "booster" dose.

If you are not using Morbillinum as part of your program, but have retained it in case of an epidemic you do not need to update your potencies, but can use the 1M potency as per the card.

Parotidinum - Mumps: If you have not given any prophylaxis for mumps but your children are nearing puberty, now is the time to consider whether you wish to protect against mumps, particularly in boys.

Tetanus, whooping cough outbreaks and similar situations

I've had a number of phone calls from worried parents with a child who has stood on a rusty nail or similar wanting to know what they should do, particularly if the child has to attend the GP or hospital.

Do remember that on the back of your program card there are instructions for a variety of situations including where there is a risk of tetanus. Your program contains Ledum 30c which is the anti-tetanus remedy to enhance the protection of the Tetanus Tox 200c/10M you administer during the program. Whether you choose to get a tetanus shot or not, at this stage it is recommended you give the Ledum as per the card.

Similarly, if Whooping Cough is closing in on your area and you feel the need for additional protection, instructions are on the back of the card.

I am always happy to talk to you if you are concerned, but it is important you know what to do and that you act as soon as possible since many of these events seem to happen on a weekend when I'm not always immediately available.

Adding a new baby to an HP program

If you have a new baby and want to use your homeopathic immunisation program for this child ask me to sent you a questionnaire and organise a phone consult (if appropriate), after which I will send you out a record card and offer the usual support. There is a small fee to cover the cost of the paperwork and the consult. Your new baby will then be added to the register I hold in the clinic of all children who are currently using an HP program.

Clinic Hours

I am now consulting in Hobart all day on both Tuesday and Friday. Saturday mornings are now by arrangement only. Consults (including phone consults) are available at Mountain River all day Wednesday and some Mondays if I have time.

Distance/Skype Consultations - I offer consultations by phone or skype, if you have it available. Skype can be very useful for treating children and just for having a face to face chat if you are not local to the clinic.

You can email melanie@elementsofhealth.com.au for appointments or phone 0409 089965. Please note the clinic is closed on Thursdays - emergency calls only.

Until next time,
Warmest wishes

Melanie Creedy