Erin - posted on 11/22/2010 ( 22 moms have responded )
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A lot of my parenting choices fall outside of the mainstream, to varying degrees. And even apart from my role as a mother, I consider myself to be pretty open-minded. This extends to our health. I believe in acupuncture (one of the doctors I work with is a certified acupuncturist as well as a GP) and hypnosis (I have several friends who have successfully quit smoking after a single session, not to mention Hypnobabies). I believe a hot lemon drink is just as likely to soothe a sore throat as paracetemol. And I would rather see a chiro for chronic headaches than go on heavy duty pain-killers.
BUT..
..today I read some advice from some natural mummas that made my head spin. A 15mth old boy had been bitten by a dog on the face. The parents had taken him to the doctors on the day, and it was not stitched (not uncommon in animal bites as the bacteria needs to get out). This child is unvaxxed, so has no tetanus cover. They also didn't give him any antibiotics.
The mother posted the next day, saying the site was red and swollen, and asking what to do. She was met with suggestions of everything from peroxide (on a baby's face!!) to aloe vera, Vitamin E to colloidal silver. And then there was this gem: 'Just let his body do it's job. It knows how to heal this.' A few other mothers told her to get him back to the doctor, but the overwhelming majority advised her to treat it at home.
How much faith do you put in alternative therapies and natural remedies? Do you think it's acceptable to attempt to treat a potentially very serious condition in a child in this way?
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