Genes ,
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could pick and choose.
Don’t get me wrong , am happy with the way I am, with my mom’s stunning smile and my dad’s personality I have no qualms with life , but one. With all the amazing attributes came in an inherent condition from my moms maternal decent i.e “congenital hypotonia.” Hypotonia means "low tone," and refers to a physiological state in which a muscle has decreased tone, or tension. A muscle's tone is a measure of its ability to resist passive elongation or stretching. The body’s ability to deal with everyday activity such as walking , running , talking and writing may be delayed or uncoordinated. In some cases sudden movement or jerks could also lead do the dislocation of the joints.
Most patients outgrow these symptoms with age , but for me it only got worse with time . I suffered from recurrent dislocations of the patella. Due to the frequency of the dislocation, the ligaments got severely damaged. Hence I had to undergo three corrective surgeries. As a child I couldn’t run or dance , not because my body was not capable , but because I feared the fall , I feared the
I was worried that I would pass on the same condition to my child , this nightmare haunted me during my entire pregnancy. I wanted him to be safe and I wanted him to have a chance at life.
On 2nd Sep 2010 , he arrived looking like a miracle. The moment I laid my half awake , epidural induced eyes on him , he became the reason for existence.
Everything was just picture perfect in the beginning , but
at his 4moths evaluation , my greatest fear materialized. My son was diagnosed
as a mild Hypotonic child. The doctor explained that this could mean that he
would lag behind in reaching his developmental milestones , his fine motor
skills will be sloppy , he could talk late and would have problem with
co-ordination.
I froze, as painful memories came racing back. Either I could sit there and loose my sanity , or I could put my energy into looking for solutions. I chose the latter. The pediatrician prescribed some calcium supplements and suggested that we undergo rigorous sessions with an occupational therapist.
I wanted to do everything that was humanly possible to help my child , so we started the therapy right away . It involved a series of repetitive stretches , and supported movements for my little one . But how he hated it , he cried his lungs out during the sessions. I couldn’t bear to see him suffer like that , I was hurting.
One my of sister-in-law who is also a practicing homeopath and an Ayurveda enthusiast suggested I try meeting an Kaumarabhritya specialist, a specialized branch of Pediatric medicine in the Ayurveda school of thought.With an open mind I enrolled for sessions with the specialist. After examining my son he suggested some lifestyle changes for the whole family that would work in unison and have a cumulative effect on my sons growth and development
It involved ,
Chanting the Gayatri Mantra : I was recommend that I chat the mantra every time I was in contact with my son , i.e during nursing , massage, bath and when I put him down for his nap. It had great benefits like :
A single
Mantra is so powerful that it brings the same reward as the reading of the
four Vedas. It opens the gateway for knowledge and it is the raised intellectual
level that enables the baby to reach heights. The reciting of Gayatri Manta provides the baby with the
intelligence while purifying the
mind, body and soul. It also bestows health, beauty, strength, vitality, power,
intelligence and a magnetic aura with unmatched healing powers.
A diet of fresh , organic , home cooked meals for the mother: Since I was still nursing my child, I was advised to go on an organic diet. The idea was to keep my Vata, Pitta and Kapha in sync. This would help me pass down maximum amount of good nutrition to my son, and i wouldn't have to relay on artificial supplements for his nutrition needs.
Letting the child be one with nature: Stimulation is the key to brain and muscle development .I was advised to let nature be the best stimulus. Playing on the floor , in the water and the sand all were highly recommended for his condition.
Massaging the baby with specific
strokes and specialized oil:When you give your baby a massage, you're actually stimulating his central nervous system.That sets off a chain reaction and it makes his brain produce more serotonin, a feel-good chemical, and less cortisol, a hormone that's secreted in response to stress. As a result, the baby's heart rate and breathing slow down, and he becomes more relaxed. " Giving your infant regular massages is good for his emotional well-being too. "Affectionate touch and rhythmic movement are among the most powerful forms of communication between babies and their parents, so they're great ways for you to bond.
I was explained that massaging with warm oil will be greatly beneficial in my case. It would help strengthen his weak muscles, make his bones strong to compensate for the laxity in his ligaments.
The massage was thought to me by
a BalaTantra specialist and was asked to
follow specific strokes. For the massage a special blend of oil was recommended i.e. Dabu Lal Tail , which had the goodness of natural herbs that aided blood circulation ,nourished and strengthen muscles and had antiseptic properties which was aptly formulated for a growing infant's need. Post the massage, I was asked to avoid bathing him
immediately .
Instead It was recommended that I let the baby have a little free time in the
early morning sun for a good healthy dose of vitamin D.
I religiously followed all the instructions given by the expert and just after one month into the treatment my son rolled over for the first time. Happy with his progress we have been following the same line of treatment for him since.
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Rolled over @ 5months |
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Crawled @ 9months |
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Took his first steps @12 months |
My son is three today , thankfully
he meet all his developmental milestones pretty much at par with a normal baby,
if not late. Which is a great achievement for an otherwise delayed hypotonic child. I personally
don’t know what worked for him , was it the fact that I let him be one with
nature and gave him endless stimulation , or was it the massages and the special herbs that helped
strengthen his bones and muscles. Irrespective , he is a healthy child today and I am thankful to Ayurveda that i didn't need to relay on synthetic supplements for his nourishment , but instead it showed me a way to get it from nature. With immense pride I share with you ,
that at his latest evaluation with the pediatrician , he made a statement that my son has flexibility of a gymnast and I
should consider it as a career option. I don’t know what the future holds for
him but all I know is he will be loved no matter what.
My thrust with Ayurveda has been a wonderful learning experience. From curing my apocalyptic migraines to my husbands horrific sinusitis, from finding little home remedies for my sons cold and flu to treating my grandmas ailing knees. It has the answer for every problem. Did you know that Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. There are records of complicated procedures like plastic surgery and cataract operations were carried out centuries ago even before western medicine came into existence. Inspite of being called as "the mother of medicine" , its sad to know that Ayurveda has not found its due credit in its home country.
My thrust with Ayurveda has been a wonderful learning experience. From curing my apocalyptic migraines to my husbands horrific sinusitis, from finding little home remedies for my sons cold and flu to treating my grandmas ailing knees. It has the answer for every problem. Did you know that Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. There are records of complicated procedures like plastic surgery and cataract operations were carried out centuries ago even before western medicine came into existence. Inspite of being called as "the mother of medicine" , its sad to know that Ayurveda has not found its due credit in its home country.
To be honest , I too believed that
the whole “AYURVEDA FAD “ was just another marketing gimmick by corporates to market their products. I too was a blind
believer that everything "western" was superior and more advanced. But after three
years of experience with this philosophy , I can safely say that it is a holistic approach to healing, in the true
sense. It treats the root of the problem rather than just attacking the
ailment superficially.
Give the Ayurveda way of life a chance. You can start small by opting of natural products that are sourced from the plants , rather than buying synthetic products that are manufactured in the plants , which are cruelly tested on animals and have innumerable side effects.Its time you give TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE & NATURAL GROWTH A CHANCE.
Source : For the research of this post , a certain amount of information was drawn from the website:
This post is a part of an incentive based program in association with Dabur ,one of the leading consumer goods company in India that endorses the Ayurveda philosophy & powered by Indiblogger , celebrating Traditional Knowledge and Natural Growth.
