Paul K. Branch, M.D. - Holistic Medicine and Classical Homeopathy

Earlier this summer a new case of autism presented in my office, a young man in his late teens.  It is a case that demonstrates the power of classical homeopathy to help autistic children.  The story of this young man itself is instructive.  Here’s how his mother told it to me:

During his first year of life all of his development milestones were met, and he usually was a little bit ahead.  He had upper respiratory, ear infections and vomiting.  During this first year he had multiple courses of antibiotics….

I breast fed him between six and nine months.  I went back to work when he was three months, and after that we began to give some cow’s milk formula.  He had a reaction to the formula, so we switched to soy formula [because] he seemed to have a lot of reflux…

In was during his second year of life that he had multiple vaccinations in one day.  He had the the MMR, DPT, and polio.  After this he got high fevers and encephalopathy [inflammation and swelling of the brain].  He had a very very rapid loss of language and the autistic behavior started.  At 22 months he got the diagnosis [autism].

To sum up, this boy was fine during his infancy.  He had a tendency towards infections in his upper respiratory system along with allergies.  In his second year of life he got a strong stimulation to his immune system (multiple vaccinations) immediately followed by high fevers and brain inflammation.  He lost his language and became autistic.

We are told by the medical profession and FDA that there is no link between vaccinations and autism.  This story is a wonderful example of why there is a lot of anger over this.  First of all, most doctors have had experience with reactions to vaccines.  Like me, they may have watched a child having seizures in the ER, then hear from the mother that the child “just had vaccinations.”  Second, although I do not believe that high fevers need to be present for a vaccination to trigger autism, in this case there is a clear link between the post-vaccination fever and the slide into autism.  It does not take a medical degree to understand how inflammation and swelling in the brain could cause damage resulting in autistic behavior.  [For a deeper discussion on the nature of vaccinations see a previous blog on the HPV vaccine.

Here are my thoughts to parents on how to lower the risk of your child becoming autistic:

•  The first year of life is critical.  It sets up the immune system and a lays a foundation for growth and development.  The first step in doing this is to breast feed at least 12 months.   [See my blog on milk products and ghee.  This is where I detail why cow’s milk in particular sets up immune system problems. ]
•  If you did not breast feed your child for a full 12 months, I would add 1-2 teaspoons of colostrum daily to the diet (This can be cow source.  One source I like is from New Zealand  http://www.colostrumnz.com/colostrum_008.htm).
•  If you must leave off breast feeding for some reason, including adoption, do not use cow’s milk formula.  I would use goat’s milk and find a pristine source.  It is not perfect, but it is preferable.  If you want to use cow’s milk, I would find a source with a very small, organic herd of dairy cows.  This delivers a milk that is much less exciting to the child’s immune system.  Pasteurization is important so you know the milk is sterile.  Homogenization is to be avoided always.
•  Avoid vaccinations.  This will draw fire from the powers that be, nevertheless, vaccinations are problematic, and, unless you plan to be a neglectful parent, they can do more harm than good.  If you do choose to vaccinate your child, I recommend only doing one vaccination at a time, spacing them out preferably at least a week.
It is likely that the multiple simultaneous stimuli to the boy’s immune system in this case caused a certain “confusion” and helped ignite a damaging immune response.
•  Pay attention for signs of an over-reactive immune system.  It does not necessarily mean the risks of autism are high, but it does point to underlying problems.  In this case, the frequent ear infections and strong reaction to milk along with the reflux point to a compromised immune system.  [This reminds me that I need to write a blog on the gut and the immune system.  Stay tuned.]  Pay attention and eliminate the foods which are tying up the child’s immune system, e.g. cow’s milk products.  Be aware that any food other than human breast milk that is introduced too soon in the first year of life can provoke an immune response, because of the child’s undeveloped intestinal environment.
•  In reaching the second year of life, if your child is having issues with the immune system, i.e. allergies and/or frequent illnesses, it is important to have a consultation with a holistic doctor.  In my office, the following is on the table for discussion:

–dietary and nutritional factors that eliminate phlegm and reduce inflammation.
–classical homeopathic treatment to heal the immune system
–an isopathic remedy regimen to regenerate the gut flora and gut immune cells.

I plan on writing more about the treatment of this young man, because we have had success with classical homeopathy.  What is not clear yet is what is possible.  How much can he heal?

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Tags: autism, autism treatment, holistic treatment of autism

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