These days, home remedies are all the rage, especially with a lot of people sharing simple and cheap remedies for common ailments.
But sometimes, it's better to skip the home remedies, and take your child to a proper doctor so that they can be treated for whatever illness they might have. So, when are home remedies okay to use for your children?
When are home remedies okay?
Dr. Joseph Gigante, a professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University and Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's hospital shares his take on when are home remedies okay to use for kids:
"My philosophy regarding home remedies and homeopathic treatments is "first do no harm," which echoes the Hippocratic Oath. There are many home remedies that might have minimal if any benefit to the child. However, if the parents feel like they want to try something and the treatment will not harm the child, then I don't have a problem with the treatment. A second situation is one that is more worrisome and dangerous. This is when parents choose not to use a traditional medicine therapy that is known to be effective and instead opt for a homeopathic treatment that is ineffective, resulting in a delay in treatment and harm, and possibly death, of their child, as we have seen in a few cases recently."
When should you take them to a doctor?
He adds, "A fever that's equal to or greater than 100.4 Fahrenheit in an infant less than 3 months of age should not be treated at home. The fever may be a sign of a serious bacterial infection. Fever associated with a severe headache and a stiff neck should also not be treated at home as these may be signs of meningitis. A parent should have their child evaluated if a fever lasts more than 5 days. A child who is having difficulty breathing, which may result in a blue color to their lips/mouth should also be seen immediately. Children who have had vomiting and diarrhea and now are not drinking at all, have decreased urination or are not acting like themselves may be severely dehydrated and need IV fluids."
What does a natural health doctor have to say?
Dr. Jamie Oskin, a naturopathic doctor at Arizona Natural Health center, echoes the same sentiments:
"Any condition that is acute and intense, such as a high fever, delirium, unresponsiveness, neck stiffness, strep throat, excessive vomiting or diarrhea, dehydration, difficulty breathing as in pneumonia or asthma, should be treated with the help of a physician. Any condition which is chronic and ongoing that does not resolve with simple over-the-counter treatments should be treated with the help of a physician, example, recurrent ear infections, chronic eczema or psoriasis, ADHD, autism, PANS, tic disorders, asthma, autoimmune disease, etc.
If a patient has an acute life-threatening condition, such as meningitis, appendicitis, etc., then they must be treated in the emergency department or at a hospital. Safety and "first do no harm" always come first."
The most important thing for parents to consider is the health of their children. No matter what their philosophy when it comes to health and wellness is, the health of their children should always come first before anything else.
Modern medicine has made leaps and bounds when it comes to treating illnesses, and parents should learn to trust modern medicine since these treatments have been proven to be most effective, and doctors are constantly looking for new ways to improve those treatments.
Source: parenting.com
READ: The best all-natural remedies for common family ailments
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