Miasm Research - Case

Delayed Development

 

(August 2007)
Case by Grant Bentley

 

This two year old boy is brought to the clinic in November 2006. He is two months short of his third birthday. His mother is concerned because the maternal child care nurse is suggesting that he is delayed in his development. She has taken him to a paediatrician who has confirmed this assessment and he is suggesting tests for autism. The mother is unhappy with this direction and wants a Homœopathic remedy to help him. She says he talks a lot at home but no-one can understand him and generally he doesn't talk with other people very much nor make any contact with them.

He has been given remedies such as Calc Phos, Silica, Belladonna (acute), Arnica (acute), Tuberculinum, Sulphur and Psorinum.

He is obsessed with fans and carries magazine clippings of them and loves anything that spins around such as wheels. When he is excited he flaps his hands. His teething is now finished but when he cut teeth he was completely different - dramatic over every little thing and throwing temper tantrums. His skin is very dry and is worse in winter but generally ok in summer. His mother describes him as an independent boy.

He is the older of two children and his mother thought she was infertile - it was an unexpected and happy pregnancy. He was two weeks late and so she was induced only to end up having an emergency caesarian (she says that the child was resistant and so was she - she argued with her obstetrician). For four days after birth he had sepsis and antibiotics.

The first four months were fine and then he cut teeth and suffered with insomnia. She says he didn't need sleep then and he doesn't now. He has occasional catnaps but at its worse he needs amusing throughout the night. During these times he would scream with rage as he desired company. He could play through the night.

His development was early - he crawled at 5 to 6 months and was walking well by one. His language seemed to develop properly too. His skin has always been itchy, dry and scaly and will fester in the creases - he sometimes scratches the sores open.

Dairy aggravates as does citrus (he loves lemons and oranges) - he loves anything sour and also fruit. His face will become bright red and pimply if he eats strawberries (which he loves). When he has dairy he gets horrible smelly diarrhea. He has a good appetite but is very skinny. His mother says he eats a lot of food but doesn't put on weight. She gave him some worming treatment and his appetite decreased a bit.

At the moment he needs a nap by 2pm and occasionally wakes at night between 11 and 3. A few months ago he had severe night terrors often twice per night 5 days out of the week. This was worse when his mother was pregnant with his brother and then they stopped suddenly. When he had a night terror he would wake and still be living it. He loves white food (his mother's interpretation is that he thinks it won't be poisoned) and he loves meat. He has tinea on his feet and will rub his soles till the skin peels from them. Occasionally he has fevers and had one last night - he will be in a daze. He is very awkward and won't stand still - he often hurts himself through falling and bumping into things.

He loves music. When he is in public he gets a lot of attention as he is very blonde and he entertains people. His mother says he doesn't seek it but he is famous at the shopping centre. He likes to line up things in rows - blocks and cars especially. He also loves to draw and he loves water. His understanding is fine - he can listen and follow instructions and seems to have a good memory. She says he is fun loving and laughs and is vibrant and energetic however when his good he is very good but when he is bad he is horrid. Horrid means that he screams in a high pitched blood curdling manner. In the past he would bang his head - especially between one and two (this improved on Tuberculinum). The Psorinum improved his language a little and calmed down his skin for a short while.

 

RUBRICS CHOSEN

MIND; SLOWNESS) (90)
MIND; GESTURES, makes; involuntary motions of the (42)
TEETH; DENTITION; (85)
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; milk; agg (82)
GENERALITIES; RESTLESSNESS, physical (128)
SKIN; DRY (204)
STOMACH; APPETITE; ravenous, canine, excessive (235)

Remedies coming though on these rubrics are
Sulphur, Arsenicum, Bryonia, Sepia, Nux Vomica, Pulsatilla, Mercury, Nat Mur, Aconite, Nux Mosch

 

FACIAL ANALYSIS

YELLOW (psora)

RED (sycosis)

BLUE (syphilis)

Mouth
Front teeth

Forehead
Nose

Bridge of nose
Ears
Chin
Eyelids
Teeth
Hairline

 

REMEDY AND DOSE

As this boy has dominantly syphilitic features a syphilitic (blue) remedy must be chosen. From the repertory the only choice is Mercury. A single dose of Mercury 200C is given

 

FOLLOW UP - Feb 2007

He returns to the clinic in February 2007. His mother says he has shown steady improvement over this time. His language in particular has improved a lot and he is talking to those around him. She has also noticed how he is grasping more sophisticated concepts such as size and time.

His sleep has improved markedly too and his skin is soft (this was apparent two weeks after the remedy). The only time it still becomes dry or scaly is if he eats citrus. She says is appetite is reduced and is now what she would describe as normal and he has put on weight - he even has dimples on his elbows. He has had no fevers and has stopped lining up objects.

The tinea on the feet is all cleared and although still a bit awkward he is falling much less. She says he is as excited and restless as ever (positive aspects of character are not expected to change)

In the last week his sleep is slipping back so he is given another single dose of Mercury 200C.

One month later he is still doing well in all areas but he is bedwetting. A further single dose of Mercury 200C is given.

In March 2007 he returns again. The last dose helped the bedwetting but he is slipping again. Mercury 200C

July 2007
His mother reports he is bright and well and the maternal health nurse has commented on his progress. Overall his behaviour and his development is normal and his mother says he is "helpful and wonderful". Occasionally when he is overtired he will have a tantrum (normal for an overtired child). None of the physical symptoms have returned. She is very pleased with his progress.

 

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