Homeopathy and Constipation in Babies

IN BRIEF

Constipation in babies can have many causes, including adverse reactions to vaccines and medications, which is often overlooked by conventional medicine.

By Anke Zimmermann, BSc, FCAH

Constipation, Colic and Irregular Bowel Movements in Infants

I am regularly contacted by parents whose infants or children are suffering from constipation, sometimes from birth, sometimes from the time they were a few weeks or months old. This can be highly distressing to both parents and babies as the babies are often in pain with colic and straining to pass stools.

There can be many reasons for constipation in infants, including sensitivities or allergies to food the mother is consuming or components in infant formula. Often a change in diet or formula will be helpful.

Constipation after Vaccines

What is less well understood is that regular childhood vaccinations can trigger abnormal bowel function in some infants. The stools may become abnormal in odour and texture, and/or may alternate from constipation to diarrhea. Abnormal bowel function may also be triggered by early use of antibiotics. The following case study illustrates how the Hepatitis B vaccine given at birth affected one baby and how a remedy made from this particular vaccine helped her.

Carmen, 9 months old

"Carmen has dealt with constipation and irregular bowel movements since her first week of life", her mother reported. "Her constipation appears to be getting worse; she recently went 10 days without having a bowel movement. Things got worse when we introduced solids. She has very foul smelling bowel movements. We have tried many interventions (prune puree, prune juice, Miralax, glycerin suppository, gripe water, probiotics, castor oil massage) with minimal success. Her constipation doesn’t seem to bother her until it has been several days. Then, she strains for a long time, trying to go.

"Carmen's bowel issues have created a lot of stress for her caregivers. Sometimes her constipation causes her discomfort and she can be quick to scream and cry."

Medical History

Mom had a normal, healthy pregnancy, worked full time and commuted for two hours a day. She received a flu shot during the pregnancy and received several ultrasounds. All this is common and routine during conventional prenatal care.

Doctors wanted to induce the birth at 38 weeks. Labour was complicated by a long pushing phase as the baby was stuck in the birth canal. Mom had an epidural for 8 hours and tested positive for Strep B and received IV antibiotics during the delivery.

Baby Carmen received a routine vitamin K shot and a Hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth.

Abnormal Stool Odour

"I noticed that Carmen's stools started to smell sweet and yeasty starting about a week after she was born. Then the odour started to change to a foul smell and the colour of her stools became green and brown rather than a healthy mustard colour. Then it just got progressively worse and worse, even though she was mostly breastfed for the first several months. I did notice that she could not handle me having any amount of cow's milk protein, she would immediately get gas and scream and scream.

"She pretty much had colic from the time she was two weeks old until three months. We had a to bounce her to soothe her.

"At four months old Carmen had a sleep regression and it remained. She will only sleep next to us, cuddled in our bed and she is quite restless in her sleep. She sweats a lot on her head while sleeping."

Assessment and Plan

Since Carmen had trouble with her bowels from birth I suspected that either the antibiotics Mom had during the delivery or the Hep B vaccine may have been contributing factors. The sleep regression and gradual worsening of her constipation caused me to suspect other vaccines as well. This baby may have just been sensitive to components in the routine childhood vaccines.

It was worth trying a homeopathic remedy made from the Hep B vaccine, Engerix, Carmen received at birth.

Plan:

Engerix 30C twice a week.

Dramatic Improvements from Hep B vaccine Remedy

One week update:

"Carmen pooped 5 times the week after taking her first dose of Engerix 30C. She was fussy for the first couple of days. She also appears to have a slight improvement in her sleeping. By the end of the week her poop was more yellow and sweet rather than foul and greenish brown."

After two weeks:

"Not pooping every day but every 3-4 days."

Plan:
Engerix 200C as effectiveness seemed to be waning.

Two month into care:

She has been responding well to Engerix 200C and has a bowel movement about every day.

Three months into care:

Bowels are no longer a problems, mom stopped giving Engerix 200C. Baby is now teething and  fussy with it and needs Chamomilla probably. The constipation is completely resolved much to the parents' relief!

Discussion

I have literally seen hundreds of children with abnormal bowel function related to vaccines. These children generally improved very well with homeopathic remedies made from some of the vaccines they received.

GI issues are a huge problem in the autism community. Often children who developed autism already developed abnormal bowel function before descending into autism.

Abnormal bowel function in babies and children should be considered as a warning sign that the child may be experiencing adverse reactions to vaccines or and that further vaccines may place them at an increased risk of developing autism or other neurodevelopmental challenges.

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