If your child’s height or weight lies outside the acceptable range for his or her age, consult your medical doctor. Transient fluctuations in height and weight are common, since growth tends to take place in little spurts. Some weight loss after illness is also quite usual. Weighing your child once a month or once every 2 months should enable you to keep tabs on his or her development.
The causes of abnormal growth range from the hormonal to the congenital. Excessive growth may be diagnosed as Obesity or gigantism, stunted growth as dwarfism, hypothyroidism, (see Thyroid Problems), cystic fibrosis, coeliac disease, Still's Disease, Thalassaemia, sickle cell Anaemia, or a congenital heart defect (congenital disorders). Conventional treatment is by surgery, hormones, or anti-hormone drugs. Homeopathic treatment is constitutional, although the remedies listed below may produce some improvement.
Specific remedies to be given every 12 hours for up to 10 days, then keep child under observation for 1 month; if no improvement, consult your medical doctor
- Child stunted, suffers from chronic catarrh, improves markedly at seaside Medorrhinum 30c
- Immaturity associated with constant tonsillitis, swollen neck glands, and emotional insecurity Baryta 30c
- Child flabby and overweight, prone to sour-smelling head sweats, late in walking, fontanelle late in closing Calcarea 30c
- Child thin, with a large head, sweaty head and feet, sweat very pungent Silicea 30c
Self-help: Extra zinc may produce some improvement. |