Paediatric

Autism is a neuro-biological pervasive developmental disorder identified by severe deficiency in social skills, behaviour and reciprocal social interactions. It becomes visible in early childhood and affects major aspects of a child's development.

Causes:

1. Genetic factors
2. Advanced age of parents
3. Exposure of pregnant ladies to certain substances like alcohol or drugs
4. Exposure to heavy metals and environment toxins and viral infections

Symptoms:

1. Improper social behaviour
2. Impairment in eye contact, body postures
3. No or little social smiling and other emotions
4. Childs prefer to be alone
5. Difficulty in communication
6. Delay in language development, unable to combine words and make sentences inability to concentrate.
7. Stereotypic movements and patterns of behaviour
8. Hyper activity
9. Specific routines
10. Lack of coordination
11. Repetitive behaviour like moving hands or fingers

Ayurvedic Approach: In Ayurveda, Autism is defined as the role of disarrangement in brain nerves and cells which cause impairment and functioning of the mind. Ayurveda understands autism as a gastrointestinal pathogenic infection which results in endotoxins and microbial infection. These microbes migrate to the brain and hamper the brain cell functioning.

Many Ayurveda options are available depending on the individual symptoms of the children. Ayurveda gives new hope in the management of autism spectrum disorder(ASD) with its holistic and authentic approach. Combination of

1. Panchakarma therapies
2. Applied behavior analysis
3. Medhya rasayana therapy
4. Nutritional diet modifications
5. Internal Medications
6. Gut brain communication

Treatment have shown improvement in the quality of life of autistic children upto a great extent.

Asthma is one of the most chronic disease of childhood. It is a lung disease characterized by difficulty in breathing. Asthma is a respiratory condition that causes shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. This condition is caused because extra mucus os produced in the respiratory tract, which narrows the path for air to flow in the respiratory system.

Causes:

1. Cough with sputum
2. Fever
3. Wheeze

Symptoms:

1. Shortness of breathe
2. Difficulty sleeping
3. Continous cough
4. Tightness in the chest
5. A whizzing sound while breathing

Treatment: Panchakarma treatment options tend to be systematically designed for patients so, all of the harmful toxins and bacteria get flushed out of the particular physical structure.

• Vamanam
• Virechanam

Rasayana therapies facilitate in rejuvenating the entire body and mind immediately after Panchakarma treatment methods.

Ayurvedic Approach: Ayurveda offers great natural approaches to those who suffer from allergies and asthma, especially children.

The Medicines are recommended to pacify Kapha, detoxify the body and boost one's immunity.

What is ADHD?The term ADHD refers to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A condition that makes it difficult for children to pay attention and/or control their behavior.

Symptoms:

1. Inattention
2. Hyper activity
3. Impulsivity
4. Shortness of breath

The condition often becomes apparent when children are in pre-school or when they are in their early school years.

What does Inattention look like?

• A child who has difficulty keeping their mind on a task, or who gets bored of a task easily.
• A child who jumps from one task to another without completing the first task.
• A child who is easily distracted or doesn't follow instructions carefullly.
• A child who forgets and loses things that they need to complete a task.

What does Hyperactivity look like? A child who can't seem to sit still and who is constantly moving, roaming things, squiming or fidgeting.

What does impulsivity look like?

• A child who speaks or acts without thinking about the consequences of that act.
• A child who blurts out inappropriate comments, has difficulty waiting their turn, and displays their emotions without resistant.

Diagnosis:A child who is inattentive, hyperactive, impulsive does NOT necessarily have ADHD. Many normal children have some of these symptoms. And, the symptoms could be caused by Another Disorder entirely.

What causes ADHD?The causes of ADHD remains unknown, but most research suggest that the cause lies in Neurobiology. Although environmental & social factors can influence the severity of the disorder, they do not cause the disorder.

ADHD & Ayurveda: According to Ayurveda the main reason dor ADHD is vitiation of,

1. Dhee (Rational thinking)
2. Dhriti (Retaining power of the mind)
3. Smritis (Memory)

which causes abnormality and abnormal conduct resulting into improper contact of the senses with their objectives and gives rise to inattention, Hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Psychological problems starts when fundamental imbalances develop in the biological intelligence that controls all bodily processes.

• Vata imbalance contribute to anxiety, fear, mental instability and insomnia.
• Pitta imbalance gives rise to anger and irritability.
• Kapha imbalances may lead to lethargy and depression.

Effective principle involved to treat ADHD:

1. Deepana and pachana- This principle corrects digestive fire and Ama. It corrects the appetite, clears the channel abstruction by removing and nourishment.
2. Srotoshodhana(Cleaning channels)
3. Improving Brain functions with Medhya Rasayanas
Role of Medhya Rasayanam particularly work on mental development and Rejuvenates nervous system. They improve Memory, Learning, Enhances concentration and intelligence.

Effective Panchakarma Therapies:

1. Abyangam
2. Shirodhara: It calms mind, improves concentration, relieves sleeplessness, depression, etc...

Children become overweight and obese for a variety of reasons. The common factors for childhood obesity are lack of ,

• Physical activity
• Unhealthy food regimens
• Genetic factors

Only a rare cases obesity is caused by hormonal imbalance. Obese children are at a risk for number of conditions:-

1. High cholestrol
2. High blood pressure
3. Early heart Disease
4. Diabetes
5. Bone Problem
6. Heat Rash
7. Fungal infections
8. Acne

Ayurvedic Approach: In Ayurveda through proper Shodhana(Detoxification), the dosa imbalance can be bought back to normalcy. The child can be given mild massages which helps in diminishing the fat content of the body.

Kapha and Medohara drugs and treatments are beneficial for obesity wellbeing through Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity.

The most common metabolic disorder encountered in clinical practice. Type 1 is due to auot-immune pancreatic islet cell destruction. Type 2 Due to tissue insulin resistence associated with increasing age, obesity, family history and pregnancy.

Symptoms:
Hyperglycemia - Frequent urination, Always hunger, Thirsty, Debility, Genital Tching, Excess of sweat, delayed healing of wounds.
Hypoglycemia - Excess of sweating, confusion and anxiety, heart palpitations, fainting and shakiness.

Complications: Diabetic retinopathy, Diabetic rephropathy, Diabetic neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, diabetic foor ulcers, cognitive deficit.

Management in Ayurveda:

1. Diet is an essential part of the management of diabetes.
2. Diet is based on healthy eating principles

Reasons for diet:

1. Weight control.
2. Blood glucose control
3. Prevention and management of short term and long term complications of diabetes.

Benefits of panchakarma:

1. Helps to reduce sugar levels.
2. Helps to increase functioning and secretion of pancreas.
3. Prevention and management of short term and long term complications of diabetes.
4. Increases fat metabolism.
5. Correctional of hormonal imbalance.
6. Activates digestive system.
7. Best way to help high sugar is balanced diet, proper exercise, planned detoxification process with panchakarma.

What is Underweight? Underweight is the condition when Body Mass Index is below than persons normal age and height.

Causes:

1. Nutritional Deficiencis
2. High Metabolism Rate
3. Debilitated immune system
4. Constipation
5. Eating Disorder
6. Genetic factor

Ayurvedic Approach: To resolve the underweight problem Ayurveda emphasis on the balancing agni, so that deep tissues can absorb the nutrition which is given to body. So Ayurveda helps to increase the body's ability to absorb nutrition.

Ayurveda Acharyas recommend a special therapy called "Brimhana Therapy" to increase body weight naturally, boost immunity of the body and rejuvenate body tissues. This Therapy helps the individual to gain healthy body weight and enhanced immunity.

Benefits of Brimhana therapy:

• Children Gain Energy
• Healthy Body Weight
• Easily Digest the food consumed
• They become more resistant to common diseases like cough, cold, fever.

Common Eye problem in children include,

1. Small swelling of the eyelid
2. Conjuctivitis
3. Lazy eye
4. Dry eyes
5. Need of strong glasses at an early age
6. Strabismus

Our eyes are the most important organs we have in contact with the world around us. May believe that eyes are the window of our soul. We need to protect them and take care of these Delicate organs.

Ayurvedic Approach:Some special Ayurvedic Therapies can also help you to Eye care and treat your Eye problems. Ayurveda offers various Therapies for a proper eye care.

• Various Oils
• Herbal paste

Ayurvedic Eye care Treatment:

1. Netra Tarpanam
2. Pada Abyangam
3. Nasyam
4. Rasayana Therapies
5. Netra Dhara

Speech Disorder can affect the way a person creates sounds to form words. One of the most commonly experienced speech Disorder is Sluttering

Causes:

1. Brain Damage
2. Vocal card Damage
3. Muscle Weakness
4. Respiratory Weakness
5. Autism
6. ADHD

Symptoms:

1. Repeating sounds
2. Adding extra sounds
3. Jerky movements while talking
4. Taking frequent pause when talking
5. Distorting Sounds
6. Stress

In present era Speech Disorder is one of the burning problems in childhood age. Speech Disorder make the child physically, psychologicaly,emotionally and socially handicapped. Due to communication problem all round development of child will be badly affected. Further this creates low self esteem, less confidence and Depression.

A safe and Holistic Approach with Ayurveda:

Internal Medications:-

• Calm your mind
• Boost the functions of the brain
• Increases Memory

External Therapies:-

• Mukha Lepa
• Nasya
• Murdha tailam

Krimi or Worms is one of the most common and important aspect causing health problem in Children.

Causes:

1. Lack of Personal hygiene
2. Uncooked & Contaminated food
3. Eating excess sweet
4. Fried food
5. Junk food
6. Jaggery, curd, sugar fruits
7. Milk

Symptoms:

1. Abdominal pain around navel
2. Nausea
3. Vomitting
4. Constipation
5. Diarrhoea
6. Itchy anus
7. White patches on face
8. Excess dry skin
9. Bad breath
10. Lack or disturbed sleep
11. Teeth biting
12. Bed wetting

Worms can be well treated by Ayurvedic way, it not only suggest treatment by medicines but also preventive measures and Dietary Modifications.

A little care and good personal and Dietary habits can keep your child away from several health problems.