Definition
Autism s a complex developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, although it is sometimes diagnosed much later. It affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.

Common features of autism include impaired social interactions, impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, problems processing information from the senses, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior.

Alternative Names
Pervasive developmental disorder - autism

Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. The exact causes of these abnormalities remain unknown, but this is a very active area of research. There are probably a combination of factors that lead to autism.

Genetic factors seem to be important. For example, identical twins are much more likely than fraternal twins or siblings to both have autism. Similarly, language abnormalities are more common in relatives of autistic children. Chromosomal abnormalities and other neurological problems are also more common in families with autism.

A number of other possible causes have been suspected, but not proven. They involve digestive tract changes, diet, mercury poisoning, vaccine sensitivity, and the body's inefficient use of vitamins and minerals.

The exact number of children with autism is not known. A report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that autism and related disorders are more common than previously thought, although it is unclear if this is due to an increasing rate of the illness or an increased ability to diagnose the illness.

Autism affects boys 3 to 4 times more often than girls. Family income, education, and lifestyle do not seem to affect the risk of autism.

Some parents have heard that the MMR Vaccine that children receive may cause autism. This theory was based, in part, on two facts. First, the incidence of autism has increased steadily since around the same time the MMR vaccine was introduced. Second, children with the regressive form of autism (a type of autism that develops after a period of normal development) tend to start to show symptoms around the time the MMR vaccine is given. This is likely a coincidence due to the age of children at the time they receive this vaccine.

Several major studies have found NO connection between the vaccine and autism, however. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention report that there is no proven link between autism and the MMR vaccine.

Some doctors attribute the increased incidence in autism to newer definitions of autism. The term "autism" now includes a wider spectrum of children. For example, a child who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism today may have been thought to simply be odd or strange 30 years ago.

Symptoms
Most parents of autistic children suspect that something is wrong by the time the child is 18 months old and seek help by the time the child is 2. Children with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, and pretend play. In some, aggression -- toward others or self -- may be present.

Some children with autism appear normal before age 1 or 2 and then suddenly "regress" and lose language or social skills they had previously gained. This is called the regressive type of autism.

People with autism may perform repeated body movements, show unusual attachments to objects or have unusual distress when routines are changed. Individuals may also experience sensitivities in the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste. Such children, for example, will refuse to wear "itchy" clothes and become unduly distressed if forced because of the sensitivity of their skin. Some combination of the following areas may be affected in varying degrees.

Communication

* Lack of pointing to direct others' attention to objects (occurs in the first 14 months of life) Does not adjust gaze to look at objects that others are looking at

Cannot start or sustain a social conversation

Develops language slowly or not at all

Repeats words or memorized passages, such as commercials

Does not refer to self correctly (for example, says "you want water" when the child means "I want water")

Uses nonsense rhyming Communicates with gestures instead of words

Social interaction

Shows a lack of empathy

Does not make friends

Is withdrawn

Prefers to spend time alone, rather than with others

May not respond to eye contact or smiles

May actually avoid eye contact

May treat others as if they are objects

Does not play interactive games

Response to sensory information

Has heightened or low senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste

Seems to have a heightened or low response to pain

May withdraw from physical contact because it is over stimulating or overwhelming

Does not startle at loud noises

May find normal noises painful and hold hands over ears

Rubs surfaces, mouths or licks objects

Play

Shows little pretend or imaginative play

Doesn't imitate the actions of others

Prefers solitary or ritualistic play

Behaviors

Has a short attention span

Uses repetitive body movements

Shows a strong need for sameness

"Acts up" with intense tantrums

Has very narrow interests

Demonstrates preservation (gets stuck on a single topic or task)

Shows aggression to others or self

Is overactive or very passive

Signs and tests
All children should have routine developmental exams by their pediatrician. Further testing may be needed if there is concern on the part of the clinician or the parents. This is particularly true whenever a child fails to meet any of the following language milestones:

Babbling by 12 months

Gesturing (pointing, waving bye-bye) by 12 months

Single words by 16 months

Two-word spontaneous phrases by 24 months (not just echoing)

Loss of any language or social skills at any age.

The other pervasive developmental disorders include: An evaluation of autism will often include a complete physical and Neurological examination. It may also include a specific diagnostic screening tool, such as:

Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised (ADI-R)

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)

Childhood Autism rating Scale (CARS)

Gilliam Autism Rating Scale

Pervasive Developmental Disorders Screening Test-Stage 3

Children with known or suspected autism will often have genetic testing (looking for chromosome abnormalities) and perhaps metabolic testing.

Autism encompasses a broad spectrum of symptoms. Therefore, a single, brief evaluation cannot predict a child's true abilities. Ideally, a team of different specialists will evaluate the child. They might evaluate speech, language, communication, thinking abilities, motor skills, success at school, and other factors.

Sometimes people are reluctant to have a child diagnosed because of concerns about labeling the child. However, failure to make a diagnosis can lead to failure to get the treatment and services the child needs.

Treatment
An early, intensive, appropriate treatment program will greatly improve the outlook for most young children with autism. Most programs will build on the interests of the child in a highly structured schedule of constructive activities. Visual aids are often helpful.

Treatment is most successful when geared toward the child's particular needs. An experienced specialist or team should design the individualized program. A variety of effective therapies are available, including applied behavior analysis (ABA), speech-language therapy, medications, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Sensory integration and vision therapy are also common, but there is little research supporting their effectiveness. The best treatment plan may use a combination of techniques.

DIET
Some children with autism appear to respond to a gluten free or a casein-free diet. Gluten is found in foods containing wheat, rye, and barley. Casein is found in milk, cheese, and other dairy products. Not all experts agree that dietary changes will make a difference, and not all reports studying this method have shown positive results.

OTHER APPROACHES
Beware that there are widely publicized treatments for autism that do not have scientific support, and reports of "miracle cures" that do not live up to expectations. If your child has autism, it may be helpful to talk with other parents of children with autism, talk with autism specialists, and follow the progress of research in this area, which is rapidly developing.

At one time, there was enormous excitement about using secretin infusions. Now, after many studies have been conducted in many laboratories, it's possible that secretin is not effective after all, but research is.

Complications
Autism can be associated with other disorders that affect the brain, such as Tuberous Sclerosis, Mental retardation or Fragile X syndrome.

Some people with autism will develop Seizures.

The stresses of dealing with autism can lead to social and emotional complications for family and caregivers, as well as the person with autism.

http://www.homeopathyonline.in/cerebral.htm#AUTISAMCHILD

IS MOTHERS MILK A BOON?
---- PLEASE READ CAREFULLY-----
Nature has intended to strengthen the bond of mom and child by making mother�s milk a necessity for the baby. Digestive system in a newborn baby is so delicate that it can only digest breast milk easily. Baby develops in the mother�s body and thus, the chemical constitution of the breast milk suits the baby more than anything else. Hence, every baby has a right over mother�s milk for the first six to seven months of his life. In the beginning, cow or buffalo�s milk can put unnecessary stress on the baby�s digestive system though gradually, baby develops the ability to digest them too.

Judging by the course of nature, the pregnancy period of nine months, the pain during the delivery, the draining of blood during and after the delivery, together put much stress on mom�s body while nursing is much easier for a mom. Researchs have proven that Nature prepares every living being for its life stages well and supplements him with extra endowments to go through each stage. If we follow the natural course, we will be the safest. In teenaged girls, menstrual cycle starts at the specific time and stops at the appropriate time too. This cycle does not have any negative effect on their health whereas if we are injured and start bleeding as much, we will feel quite tired and weak.

Similarly, any protrusion such as tumors or swellings may hurt us while development of breasts in a teenaged girl indicated normal development in her. Any delays in both these processes become a cause for worry and are not good for a girl�s health. As soon as a baby takes birth, mother�s breasts are stimulated enough to produce milk to feed the baby and thus, we should not deprive our children of this precious gift of the Nature to the little ones. As soon as a woman enters the youth, the hormones called estrogen and progesterone prepare her body for producing milk for the baby and breasts develop accordingly. After the delivery, breasts produce enough milk to feed the baby.

Not only do breasts produce milk but also they also efficiently drip to satisfy baby�s hunger. If this milk does not drip properly or is not fed on by the bay, it pains a lot until the milk is pumped out and may even result in excessive hurtful experience and disease. There are cases when both these hormones are not produced properly and thus, not only the moms have to face the problems, babies are also deprived of proper nutrition. Mother�s milk has many additional nutrients that are not present in cattle-produced milk such as lactones (produced from glucose in blood) and proteins (produced from amino acids). In mother�s milk, all the nutrients are present in balanced form, appropriate for baby�s diet.

With the advancing age of the child, the baby needs more nutrition and more nutrients that the baby can get only from the mother�s milk and not from the cattle�s milk or infant formulas. Many moms are not capable of producing the milk and hence, are helpless but there are many others who risk baby�s health for their vanity and deprive their children of one of the most precious gifts of Nature. Moms who do not nurse their babies are at higher risk for breast cancers and other breast-related diseases. If milk production gets stopped naturally, then it is a different thing but if breasts produce milk and is not fed to the baby, then it creates a problem for the moms. Thus, one should not hesitate to feed the baby for first six to seven months to ensure better health for the mom and baby alike.

DR.NITIN SHAKYA

Definition Nephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms including protein in the urine (more than 3.5 grams per day), low blood protein levels, high cholestrol levels, and swelling. The urine may also contain fat, which can be seen under the microscope.

Alternative Names

Nephritis

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Nephrotic syndrome is caused by various disorders that damage the kidneys, particularly the basement membrane of the glomerulus. This immediately causes abnormal excretion of protein in the urine.

The most common cause in children is minimal change Disease, while membranous glomerulonephritis is the most common cause in adults.

This condition can also occur as a result of infection, use of certain drugs,caner, genetic disorders, immue disorders, or diseases that affect multiple body systems including diabetes, multiple myeloma, and amyloidosis.

It can accompany kidney disorders such as glomerulonephritis, focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, and mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis.

Nephrotic syndrome can affect all age groups. In children, it is most common from age 2 to 6. This disorder occurs slightly more often in males than females.

Symptoms


Swelling (edema) Facial swelling
General Foamy appearance of the urine
Around the eyes Weight gain from fluid retention
Swollen adbomen Poor appetite
In the extremities, especially the feet
and ankles


High blood pressure


Signs and tests
Physical examination can detect some symptoms. Other symptoms and signs of causative disorders can also be found with examination.

Urinalysis reveals large amounts of urine protein. Fats are often also present in the urine.


Tests to rule out various causes may include the following:


Glucose tolerance test Hepatitis B and C antibodies
Antinuclear antibody VDRL serology
Rheumatoid factor Serum protein electrophoresis
Cryoglobulins Kidney bopsy
Complement levels

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:


Urinary casts Serum iron
Triglyceride Cholesterol
Protein electrophoresis urine Albumin
Aconite N. When brought on by cold or sudden suppression of perspiration by sitting or lying on damp ground, followed by restlessness, thirst, headache and sudden suppression of urine.
Apis Mel. In acute cases of Bright's disease with thirstlessness. In dropsy; oedematous swellings of the face and extremities. Pain in the head, back and limbs and also in kidneys. Urination frequent but scanty. Urine heavily charged with albumin. Feeling of suffocation and breathing difficult. Puffiness with pitting on pressure. All symptoms are aggravated by heat and ameliorated by cold. Give in low potency in which it acts best.

Helleborus. Dropsy due to inflammation of kidney. Urine scanty and dark. Uraemia with unconsciousness : pupils dilated and insensible to light ; convulsions ; strong urinous odour from the body. Effusion occurring within the brain is guiding symptom.
Arsenic Alb. Covers all stages of Origin's disease but mostly indicated in later stages when watery diarrhoea sets in, with pale skin, waxen appearance. Urine loaded with casts and albumin. Thirst for small quantities of water at short intervals. Desire for warmth. Restlessness, puffiness of face, anguish, fear of death. Convulsions.
Cannahis Saliva, Stoppage of urinary duct by pus and mucus. Urine turbid, reddish. Emission drop by drop. Stiches and burning in urethra.
Kali Chlor. Violent nephritis with scanty dark albuminous urine containing casts.
Calcarea Sulpa. Anaemia, with progressive emaciation and debility. There is pus in urine. Burning during urination. Much distension of the abdomen. Catarrhal headaches.
Mercurius Cor. Indicated in large white kidney. Scanty and red urine with albumin and casts. Nephritis of pregnancy. Suppurative nephritis. Swelling of feet from fifth to seventh month of pregnancy.
Picric Acid, Hemoglobinuria. Urine contains much indican, granular cylinders and fatty degenerated epithelium. Inflammation of kidneys with profound weakness, dark, bloody, scanty urine. Nightly urging.
Phosphorus. Hemoglobinuria. Urine turbid brown with ied sediment and blood.
CantIiaris. Uracmic delusions with sense of persecution. Suppression of urine with restlessness, flushed face, sparkling eyes. Urge to pass urine but nothing is voided, there being no urine in the bladder. Dropsy after scarlet fever or diphtheria. Urination painful, only little drops passing at a time. The urine is scaldy and bloody.
Terebinth. In early stages of congestion of kidneys. Urine bloody with pain along the ureters and in the back.
Plumbum. Granular degeneration of kidneys, gouty kidney. Pale, bloated, heavy expression. Constipation. Alhuminuria. Kidney contracted.
Digitalis. Granular degeneration of the kidneys with palpitation of heart, slow pulse.
Benezoic Acid. Renal pains those are sharp and severe, radiating through the hack and even to chest. Urine dark and strongly ammoniacal. The odour is exceedingly penetrating. Nephritis accompanied with rheumatism is the guiding symptom.
Mercurius Cynat. Excellent remedy in the first and second stage. The urine is scanty, dark, loaded with albumin. Pain in the tubes of kidney.
A pocynum. Dropsical condition with scanty urine and thirst. There is no thirst in Apis with which this remedy is comparable. Indicated in coma and convulsions in nephritis of pregnancy.
Vesicaria. Nephralgia. Nervous pain in kidneys, dribbling. of urine with burning in urethra and irritable bladder. Passing urine about thirty times in the night. Gonorrhea, brick dust sediments in urine. It also cures polyuria. Passing too much urine. Painful urination, pus, albumin and bloody urine in dropsy.
Colchicum. Album in urine, which becomes black, scanty urine with dropsical swelling. Acute form of Bright's disease.
Solidago. Tenderness of kidneys to slightest touch with pain extending from kidnevs to abdomen, bladder and clown the limbs. Urine red, brown, scanty, thick, voided with difficulty, albuminous, mucus, phosphatic urine. Give IX or 3X.
Lycopodium. When red sand is passed with urine with nephritis and dropsy.
Nitric Acid. Kidnev disease associated with ear trouble such as yellowish-white discharge from the ear. Urine smelling likes that of a horse.
Arsenic Brom. When albuminuria is associated with diabetes. It should be given when Plumbum fails.
The treatment of kidney can be quite successful with Homeopathy, often in conjunction with allopathic medicine in advanced cases. In early stages, particularly with acute renal failure, albuminuria ,Early stage chronic failure Uretic stone in kidney, bladder, or in uretic we can remover with out surgery, the success rate is close to 60% with appropriate compliance by the patient.
Currently we have over 200 active kidney disease various cases under treatment and this number reflects in the results of positive progress we are able to observe. Over the last 10 years there have been more than 8000 Kidney disease cases that reflect long term follow up of those cured, 35 to40 %. Unfortunately, many people first approach for Homeopathic treatment to Dr Harshad Raval, MD [Homeopathy] when the Kidney disease has advanced to a great extent, has recurred, or they have exhausted all other conventional means of treatment. In spite of this late start, these patients are offered improved quality of life and better prognosis. Many families report the patients to be living quite comfortably and leading an active life.
Our results have been confirmed by conventional laboratory testing, scans and ultrasound as positive. Throughout this treatment we ask the patients to keep scheduled visits with Nephrologists to monitor the progress. All our results are verifiable in this way. The treatment involves taking a dose of the Homeopathic medicine daily. The remedies are prescribed individually after an extensive interview. For detailed specifics of the protocol, it is advisable to read the book.
The term Integrative Medicine refers to combining modern Western medicine with the best of complementary and alternative medicines. When Integrative and alternative Medicine is used Kidney disease treatment it is often intended to address the emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of health as well as the biological.
For the Kidney disease patients, Alternative and integrative treatments can be aimed at improving overall health, preventing adverse effects between supplements and conventional treatments, decreasing overall side effects of conventional therapy, preparing a patient for dialysis and Transplant surgery, and addressing the challenges of living chronic renal failure disease