| Author |
Message |
    
Paul S.
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 14:37: | |
Is it possible/allowed to treat babies with acupuncture? How do you treat small children with acupuncture? Do they consent? If yes, what sort of illnesses you usually treat them for?
-thanks- |
Shmuel Halevi
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 21:30: | |
Not only possible and allowed, but experience shows that acupuncture is an extraordinary technique for the treatment of children. It is much safer than medication of any sort and it usually eliminates health problems from their core. Moreover, children respond extremely well to acupuncture, much faster and better than adults. Just as an example, the curing rates of asthma in children is more than 90%  if treated by the T.C.M. method of acupuncture (syndrome differentiation).
I have treated babies less than a month old with acupuncture and, in fact, my youngest patient was three days old. According to the doctors in a nearby hospital this acupuncture treatment saved this baby's life.
The treatment of babies is very simple. Both parents hold the baby lightly so that it won't move his extremities too much while the doctor inserts very thin needles into the points, quite shallowly. The needles remain in situ for a few minutes and than removed - end of story. Older children must be talked into this kind of treatment, you can not force them to doing it. It is interesting to note that even children who greatly dislike or fear this treatment, get to appreciate the benefit to their health from it. Most of them ask their parents to receive this treatment again whenever they fall sick again. |
meera
| | Posted on Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 19:11: | |
I have a 2 yr old son who has certain developement delays .He is hypotonic,very very floppy, and cannot hold himself . He is very bright but still only babbles . He undergoes physical and stimulation therapy and thouroughly enjoys it and is doing very well tho very slowly .I have been told to consult a well known acupuncture therapist in our city . But I have been given different opinions about this therapy .While most have been very encouraging some say there might be side effects. I would like to know if its possible to help this problem in anyway that wd accelerate the progress of this child whose efforts are amazing. |
Shmuel Halevi
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 12:47: | |
Greetings Meera. Absolutely yes. Acupuncture, especially very soft acupuncture such as the Japanese style, may accelerate and enhance your son's development - probably significantly. Yet, Ch.med. also uses herbal therapy for this syndrome. There are patent formulas that may be administered in the form of liquid drops that are known for their positive effect on this syndrome. The practitioner you are mentioning may be consulted about such a formula as well. Also, Indian style massage and/or Chinese Tuina meridian massage may be added. |
Yuliya
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 04:01: | |
Hello Dr. Halevi,
I just pricked Sifeng in my 15-month old baby with a lancet that I got from a pharmacy. She started to bleed and I had to use peroxide to stop it. I think I saw a little of yellowish fluid from one of her fingers but it was difficult to say since she really started to bleed. Also I did only her right hand because she started to cry and fight with us. Do you think this will have an effect or did all of that go wrong?
Thank,
Yuliya (student of Pacific College of OM) |
Shmuel Halevi
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 19:07: | |
You did not mention what condition you did it for Yuliya. I am not fond of this kind of treatment for babies and in any event this should better be done by a practitioner who has a specific training and experience with this procedure. For most afflictions, there are much nicer and gentler procedures in Ch.med. than this archaic technique. |
Yuliya
| | Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 07:37: | |
Dr. Halevi,
Thank you very much for such a quick response. I know it's almost impossible to diagnose without seeing a patient, but just to make my previous post complete. My daughter has had very poor appetite since very beginning, she's growing very fast (top 5%) but skiny (low 15%). She's very energetic and well ahead of her age-group developmental milestones, never was sick until a recent ear infection episode, but... She has dark circles under her eyes (with some puffiness from time to time), she has a pale face with reddish nose (mostly nostrils). For the past 3 months she gradually developed eczema-like patches on her bottom and raised rash on her abdomen. She was given anti-biotics for ear infection that caused severe diarrhea and secondary bacteria in her GI tract. I refused to give her second round of anti-biotics for GI bacteria, instead used large dosage of acidophilus. It stopped diarrhea, but since then her stool is on the loose end. Her diet consist mostly of boiled veggies, rice and goat milk. Her index finger vein has been always visible and dark purple-bluish color. I've seen few practitioners before, but she didn’t have any improvement after their tx's. However, after the tx that I gave her yesterday, she looked better today and ate better than normal. |
Shmuel Halevi
| | Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 17:50: | |
Yes well, hard to tell without smell, as you say. Did you run a stool culture test for her?
Red nostrils, eczema on her bottom etc. should be tested for worms.
Second, no need for antibiotics for ear infection. This is extremely easy to cure by any acupuncturist who has some experience with children. Heated olive oil drops in the ear at the initial stage will most often diminish the pain and/or some paracetamol. Acupuncture usually takes for this 1-3 days of daily treatments.
For her diarrhea you need to change her diet. Exclude the goat and other milks and make her almonds milk at home. Very nutritious and rich with CA. Then, if the diarrhea is a hot type (seems to me) puncture daily her Li-4/ Li-11/ and St-44. This will eliminate the heat, fever and diarrhea. If the fever is stubborn, use also Du-14. But best, take her to one of your teachers who is known for his/her results with children. |
Bun
| | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 03:29: | |
In response to Meera, I saw a similar case in China, a three year old boy had severe developmental delays, he couldnt speak or even move his limbs very much against gravity. I think that he may have had some degree of intellectual disability as well. He recieved acupuncture treatment nearly every day, firstly most of thr special paediatric points on the body would be needled with quick insertion and withdrawal without retaining the needles, then many cranial acupoints would be used and the needles retained for half an hour to an hour. In the 4 weeks that I could follow the case for, the little boy definitely improved, he was more active and would kick his legs and vocalize and started to look around more with brighter eyes. I have the email address of the doctor who treated him and he speaks good english if you wanted more information on this type of treatment or want to know how the patient eventually responded. |
Dr. Ved Prakash Banga
Username: Parkash
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 04:09: | |
This is regarding Meera's son condition.Acupuncture has definite role for such achild.PlanningincludesSishencong,identification of defficient Extraordinary Meridian ,involved main meridians/organs.Based on this planning I have treated few such children with varying degree of success. |
Peter1
Username: Peter1
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Monday, September 18, 2006 - 07:19: | |
In regards to your reply on top of this thread to Paul, what kind of needles do you use for treating babies, do you use manipulation at all, how do you tonify or disperse...
and, how do you treat recurrent cough in a small baby - 6 months old?
Thank you for this invaluable information. |
Shmuel Halevi
| | Posted on Monday, September 18, 2006 - 19:01: | |
Treating babies or vaery small children is a wide topic that covers many aspects. In general, I always insist that two adults will accompany the baby, preferably both parents. I usually leave the needles in situ for 5-15 minutes, depending on the baby's tolerance and reaction. There are some babies, for instance, that kind of falling asleep or entering a hypnotic state if you leave them too long with the needles. Many of them cry, especially on the insertion of needles, and then cease crying while the needles are still in situ. Some babies do not cry at all and keep smiling throughout the whole session.
The needles are usually quite thin and short. Usually 2 cm long, gauge: 30-32. When the child comes in an acute syndrome, like high fever, severe cough, acute inflammation and the like, I usually choose slightly thicker needles, especially those that are inserted on the upper back. Dispersing or tonification is usually done the same as with adults, only on a much much lower amplitude and duration. Inserting with or against the flow of Qi, and even rotating the needles, but very very mildly.
As for your last question, If you ask about acupuncture treatment, I usually treat points:
Du-14/ B-12/ B-13 with short needles gauge 30 and points: Li-4/ L-7 with the Korean Soojuk needles. In older children I usually add St-36/ K-3. |
Naomi Willems
Username: Naomiwillems
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, April 28, 2007 - 21:17: | |
Dear Shmuel Halevi
Hi, I would like to know if you have had any experience with Down Syndrome babies and hypontonic
(very low muscle tone)
How do you think acupuncture could help, how long and would it be something continuely ongoing.
I have a baby of 14 months (downs) and would like to know if acupunture could help improve her muscle tone.
Thank you |
Shmuel Halevi
| | Posted on Sunday, April 29, 2007 - 14:58: | |
Yes Naomi, it actually can. Don't expect miracles though. There are herbal tinctures as well as gentle acupuncture that can enhance development as well as improve muscle tone. Just make sure you make an appointment with an experienced practitioner who practices both acupuncture and herbal medicine. |
Jan Jedryka
Username: Jan
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 12:56: | |
Because of the very close bond between mother and child don't forget to check out and mother and treat the mother. I consider that very important, especially where the Qi is empty. Earth energy, nourishing sun, sea and sand as much as possible. Warm oil massages Avocado and Almond oils. Shmuel's recommendations are excellent you need a log term perspective on this. |
Ricardo Baptista
Username: Rica
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 22:48: | |
During my course in TCM (5 years course with nanjing university colaboration), we briefly touched acupuncture in children, and I was told that the meridian system is not in place until around 12 years old fully, meaning that you cant really use the "normal" points. After reading some things here, I wonder if this is in fact correct? |
Shmuel Halevi
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 - 15:59: | |
 It is probably not. I have heard this "urban myth" before, and I have met young practitioners who were reluctant to treat infants because of that myth, thereby giving up an extremely effective tool for their success as clinicians. The meridian system is completely formed when a baby comes out to the world, as much as all of its other systems have finished developing in the womb. |
|
»
Little children/babies and acupuncture