The Solution

page 1 Introduction The decision not to vaccinate for many parents is a difficult one. It often starts with mothers having an intuitive feeling that vaccination is just not right. Their babies are so small and fragile, how can it be good to load their systems with multiple injected doses of pathogenic material? Pressure from husbands, doctors, parents, and in-laws can make these women feel unsubstantiated in their gut feelings. Sometimes the decision to vaccinate is postponed. Yet, there remains the fear that their children will not be able to go to school without state required shots and what if their child gets sick, what is one to do? At the root of these questions is how are we to keep our children healthy and how can we support the development of our childrens’ immune systems if we are to stimulate immunity and prevent disease? page 19-20 Development of the Immune System The immune system is designed to direct us toward the ultimate goal in life – survival and growth. It does so through its natural intelligence, which is a powerful vital force permeating every cell in the body. Immune system development is interconnected with the development of the nervous system, the digestive system, along with the development of the intellect, personality and social function of the individual. After nine months of symbiotic life in the womb, Baby emerges as a separate being with his innate immune system intact (general immune system). This system acts as the first line of defense in a non-specific manner. The newborn’s main challenge is differentiating self from non-self in relationship to the outer world. Through exposure to the environment, the immune system determines what is good for the body and what is not, what should be assimilated and what should be eliminated. From the Mother’s breast, the child receives nourishment along with her antibodies. This passive acquired immunity serves as protection from specific diseases. Over time the child begins to develop his or her own antibodies and memory of how to respond to particular antigens. In the first year an infant knows how to localize inflammation, develop a fever, and produce a discharge to eliminate any foreign invader. Runny noses, coughs and rashes are all evidence of this general immune system activity. Specific antibody production begins by around one year of age and continues to develop over the following years. page 33-34 Homeoprophylaxis: The Vaccine Alternative Imagine a method of disease prevention that is safe, natural, and causes no tears. Imagine no preservatives, no chemicals and no ingredients you can’t pronounce. Ideally this method would also be effective and gentle, and would serve to exercise and educate your child’s immune system in a logical way while providing life-long immunity. This is the description of homeoprophylaxis, or HP. The anxiety that rises when we see our child sick or suffering is a natural response as a parent. It’s sharp and painful and we instinctively want to make their suffering go away. This desire to soothe our babies seems programmed into our genes. Every TV commercial for fever reducer, laxative or cough suppressant has us running in circles deciding which one to choose. Certainly there is something that can instantly make our child better. Or that’s what expert marketing would have us believe. Physicians, in their original intentions to heal the sick, devote multiple years to medical training, slog through years of sleep-deprived residency, and stand witness to the devastatingly worst possible scenarios. They naturally try to avoid these risks. The tools they are given are directed at identifying symptoms, categorizing them into concise diagnoses and satisfying insurance companys’ reimbursement requirements with proper treatment protocols. They are woefully devoid of the knowledge of how deeply curative homeopathic remedies can be. They are certainly frustrated and fearful as they chase down symptoms with suppressive medication, attempting to avoid illness at all costs. The prevailing activity has become running away from illness instead of listening to its voice! It’s easy as a parent to get caught up in this fervor of fear and symptom suppression by giving another fever reducer, antibiotic or nebulizer treatment to “fix” our children. The answer is really much easier than the 6:00 news would have us believe. When we examine the studies available through the Cochran Collaborative, there are not actually millions of children being spared by getting an annual flu shot. The answer is a lot simpler and far gentler than the current “war on disease.” Of course, not everyone will choose another answer, no matter how reasonable it seems. When short on time, patience, or understanding, it’s not easy to face sickness in our children and move through the process. There may be times when we knowingly choose to turn to conventional medicine as a necessary quick fix. But there is great freedom in knowing we have a choice. Wisdom tells us that even though vaccinations may address sixteen different diseases today, we inevitably see colds and viruses move through every season, and then what? Do we need to add more vaccines to our existing extensive vaccine schedule to cover every other disease that may come along? Resorting to suppressing symptoms with another antibiotic is a poor strategy that only helps temporarily. Here, we invite you to explore the effectiveness of homeopathy and homeoprophylaxis. Over time, your first-hand experience with success will gradually win over your trust in managing your child’s health. You will come to find how the homeopathic approach offers a growing understanding of how disease can play a positive role in your child’s development.