Safe and Effective Approaches for Whole-Child Care

(September 2010)



The Raby Institute for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern is now offering Integrative Pediatrics. This comprehensive approach to children's health care combines the best of western pediatric medicine with other safe medical approaches such as acupuncture, imagery and hypnosis, carefully selected supplements or herbs, and homeopathy.
Integrative Pediatrics is used to treat a particular problem, collection of problems and for health maintenance and wellness. In many instances, an integrative approach may minimize and even eliminate the need for medicines.

Many people are not as familiar with homeopathy and how it can be used to complement conventional pediatrics. Developed into a medical system 200 years ago, it uses ultradilutions of botanical, mineral and animal elements. In full potency, many of these substances can have toxic effects on the body, but when used in their ultra diluted (homeopathic) form they can treat many of these same effects. Properly created homeopathic remedies are safe and gentle enough in their diluted form to prescribe to children for a variety of common conditions and have fewer side effects than conventional medication.

 

Homeopathy can help with many different medical problems in almost every specialty of medicine including eczema, irritable bowel syndrome, motion sickness, teething and even some behavioral issues. The homeopathic system defines specific symptomatic remedies to treat particular acute problems as well as "constitutional" remedies that may be used to treat a person's tendency to develop certain types of chronic medical problem. Ipecac is a good example of how these medicines can be used for an acute problem. Most people recognize Ipecac as a medicine to be taken to induce vomiting in cases of accidental poisoning. In its diluted homeopathic form, however, it is one of several homeopathic medicines that can be used to treat nausea and vomiting that may occur with a stomach flu, sometimes in a matter of minutes.

Like nonprescription drugs, homeopathic medicines are regulated by the FDA. Homeopathic medicines are usually so diluted that they likely do not contain even a molecule of the original substance. Because of the high level of dilution, there are no drug reactions and in drug interactions, making homeopathy exceptionally safe, even for the young child or infant. Homeopathic remedies are also easy to administer to children as they are often in tablet or pellet form that are mildly sweet and can be taken under the tongue or dissolved in small amounts of water.

Homeopathy, like other forms of energy work, is still being fully defined by science and the positive outcomes achieved through this modality are not yet fully understood. However, there are many clinical studies supporting its effectiveness for various health problems among children as well as adults.

Although homeopathy has many applications and benefits, there is no one perfect solution for all health problems. Each child is different and homeopathy is just one of many treatment options available within Integrative Pediatrics. Our goal at the Raby Institute is to determine the best solutions from among all medical systems to provide the most safe and effective treatments that help to bring our children back to the road of vibrant health.

To schedule an appointment with our Integrative Pediatrician, Dr. Chuck DuMont, call the Raby Institute at 312-276-1212 or email us at info@rabyinstitute.com.
"My relationship with my doctor is one of the most important that I have. At the Raby Institute I don’t feel like a patient – I feel like a part of a community, a family."
- Raby Institute patient