Dyspepsia and Neurodermatitis in Infants

Dr. Peter-Hansen Volkmann, MD.

Very often, susceptibility to recurrent intestinal cramps is detected in healthy infants within a few days or weeks after birth. This is usually treated with Dimethecon according to the orthodox medical methods. Nevertheless, it is obvious that this is not a curative treatment. Similarly, skin changes all over the body are also increasingly detected in infants, together with oral thrush or anal rash which could, in some cases, rapidly develop into a case of manifest neurodermatitis within a few weeks or months. The causes of both illnesses are still quite vague, and often create the beginning of a long-standing suffering.
 

Neurodermatitis- an infectious disease
In this specific case, a three year-old boy suffered for more than two years from severely itching neurodermatitis that covered his whole body from top to toe.
 

Apart from severe desquamation and ulcerated wet rhagades, the child's body was also covered with scratches. The child's mother suffered from the so-called occupational eczema. She protested fervently when we tried to address the fact that her ulcerated hands were characteristic for a pathogenic intestinal infection. A dermatologist had diagnosed her eczema as occupational-related with no connection to the child's illness. She strictly refused the suggestion of a joint family treatment.
 

Four weeks later the child was examined again. His skin had visibly improved, the itching had decreased to a great extent, and the mother was quite confident that her child would be fully cured very soon. Nevertheless, this came to back because of her own health problems, but not because of her ulcerated hands-they had nothing to do with that!
 

While investigating her history, she was asked about the date at which her occupational eczema appeared. It was eight years ago, exactly one week after getting acquainted with her present husband and father or her child! She had started however her profession 10 years prior to this acquaintance. When asked whether her husband had any complaints, she first said that he was quite healthy. After some reflection, she remember that her partner has a 2cm eczema spot on the medial side of his left knee, and which could not be cured by any form of treatment till then.
 

"But my husband does not believe in your methods anyway. He will never accept your treatment". After four more weeks she came back again. This time she was accompanied by her skeptical husband. He joined her because the therapy-resistant eczema on his knee had appeared a few days after an extensive love life during a romp skiing holiday. The Orthomolecular intestinal regeneration achieved total success with all family members within 3 months. Both the eczema affecting the husband as well as the occupational eczema affecting his wife disappeared completely without recurrence, although neither had changed their profession. After a period of 4 months under therapy, the child was completely cured from his skin problems as well as from the previous susceptibility to infection.
 

Orthomolecular intestinal regeneration- an approach treating the underlying cause
Dyspepsia and skin changes in infants and young children respond usually very well to orthomolecular therapy. Yet the treatment is subdivided into two alternative methods according to age and picture:

In infant treatment can be successfully started with 3-SymBiose plus which directly enhance symbiosis. This concoction produced by Hypo-A is composed of a triple mixture of viable bacteria, essential vitamins and the trace elements zinc and silicea.

• Viable bacteria contain lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, and Streptococcus faecalis and Sachromyces cerevisiae.

• Vitamins comprise B5, B6, B12 and folic acid as well as vitamin D3 which protect the intestinal mucous membrane.

• Zinc acts as an active catalyst in more than 300 enzymes and hormones. Silicea has a membrane-stabilizing effect on one hand, and is appreciated on the other hand for its wide surface, where free bile acids for example are deposited to be withdrawn from the enterohepatic circulation.

The use of hypoallergenic capsules containing a powder mixture free from additives is very simple, whether together with breast feeding or bottle feeding. After wetting the nipple, the breast-feeding mother sprinkles half the content of the capsule over her nipple and then resumes breast feeding immediately. She can also sprinkle small doses repeatedly interrupting breast feeding several times.

The total daily dose is approximately 1 capsule. With bottle feeding, the equivalent dose is divided into smaller doses to be added to the prepared bottles after cooling, and then thoroughly shaken.

Some healthy newborn infants become prone to recurrent attacks of intestinal cramps within the first few days or weeks. Moreover, apart from oral thrush and anal rush, skin changes are also increasingly detected, which can rapidly develop into manifest neurodermatitis in many cases within a few weeks or months. Herein is another form of treatment of dyspepsia and neurodermatitis in infants.
 

Hypoallergenic Orthomolecular Therapy-hoT
In infant older than 3-4 months, are more comprehensive hypoallergenic orthomolecular therapy is sometimes necessary. Here, several therapy methods are combined together in two or three steps, similar to the method used for adults in higher doses.

To begin with, the so called general well-being package is administrated. This consists of a daily dose of 2-3 capsules of Salmon oil to be taken before meals, half a capsule of trace elements 2-3 times daily taken during meals, as well as half a capsule of Magnesium-Calcium 3 times daily toward the end of a meal. The orthomolecular intestinal regeneration can be started after 2 weeks, in the form of 2-3 capsules of black Cumin oil taken daily before meals, 3-4 times daily half a capsules of 3-SymBiose taken during meals as well as the previously given daily dose of Magnesium-Calcium capsules. The third stage, which is the second form of orthomolecular intestinal regeneration, starts 4 weeks later. This consists of alternating intake of Salmon oil and black Cumin oil in the same dose taken 3-4 times daily during meals, as well as half a capsule daily of 3-SynBiose plus and Magnesium-Calcium capsules.

The oil capsules are best administrated by mixing with the infant's food after pricking the capsule with a needle, or given directly into the infant's mouth.

If, contrary to all expectations, the susceptibility to infections persists, treatment with the general well-being package can be repeated for 4-6 days using 1 capsule of trace elements 3 times daily. Through the high dose of zinc (3 capsules = 75mg zinc daily), even a severely disrupted immune system is usually readjusted within one week.

Possible causes of dyspepsia and neurodermatitis in infant from the Naturopathy point of view
Intestinal disturbances can be caused by many factors; the most likely are the following:

• Large amounts of heavy metals ingested by the mother and transferred to the foetus during pregnancy, and later on to the infant through breast feeding burdening the infant digestive tract.

• Intolerance to some nutrients, even though they are some times certified as hypoallergenic (HA). These are evidently partly open, technically altered dietary components which the infant's enzymes can only digest with a great difficulty, or are incapable of digesting. Very often, infants that we treat tolerate ecologically produced full cream cow milk as such, or combined with breast milk, better than such artificial products.

• Gastrointestinal tract infection with fungi or pathogens that are transmitted to the infant, for example from an infected birth canal during birth. Neonatal units in big hospitals represent another underestimated source of infection. Although hospitals are always keen on keeping a high standard of hygiene, nevertheless, neonatal units are often contaminated with multi-resistant bacteria.

• Environmental contamination such as vapors emitted from vinyl wall-paper in children's bedrooms or at home, or from carpeting and ceiling panels, or contamination with fabric softeners used during washing and well-known for their high allergenic potential.

• Improperly cleaned feeding bottles which might contaminate food with detergents containing chlorine, based on the assumption that "This is more hygienic than thoroughly rinsing clean utensils with fresh tap water after sterilization". Naturally the best method is conventional sterilization by boiling all utensils that come into contact with the infant's mouth.

• Excessive cleanliness with infant older than 6 months, who are often confined within partially over-protected hygienic surroundings, although they tend to take any object into their mouths.

• Infection transmitted from pets through excreta, droplets, by licking and others.

Nutrition principals
When treating dyspepsia and neurodermatitis, it is essential to readapt patients to a healthier and more natural diet. Her, ready-made meal, consumption of large quantities of conventional sweets, cola and the well-known Dutch cheeses are to be avoided. The main principle is consumption of ecologically produced fresh food from the surrounding area and during the same season, especially in cases of neurodermatitis, but also in other cases such as recurrent middle ear effusion, or sinus problems in children, youth and adults.

According to our own experience, ecologically produced fresh milk as such, or mixed with boiled water in the ratio of 1:2 or 1:3, is a good foundation to readapt the diet in cases of dyspepsia and neurodermatitis.

Most infant tolerate a supplementation with rolled oats, nevertheless only small amounts should be added at the beginning. If this is well tolerated, the porridge consistency can be thickened gradually over the period of a few days.

Results of hoT and orthomolecular intestinal regeneration
The previously mentioned methods of treatment of dyspepsia, neurodermatitis and susceptibility to infection have achieved 100% of success in children of all ages, without the need of supplementary treatment. In a few isolated cases where adults also received treatment, but the main problem was not resolved totally, or was only solved partially.

Especially in neonates, the orthomolecular therapy using 3-SymBiose plus to enhance symbiosis, is a very simple and rapidly effective treatment distinguished by the absence of any side effects. It is particularly satisfactory that most of patients need only a few days or weeks of treatment in order to emerge from this treatment with regained health and a strong immune system. Even extensively pronounced forms of early childhood neurodermatitis are usually cured within a few months in children over 3 months, as long as the imbalance of intestinal flora and intolerance to food substances are the only causes, and without the presence of other triggers such as vapors from carpeting or furniture contaminated with formaldehyde, etc. A gratifying aspect of this holistic approach is that developmental disturbances are usually cured after such treatments.