Temper tantrums and Homoeopathy

Flip-side of Temper tantrums in daily life - a study

(ASIAN  JOURNAL of Homoeopathy, vol 3,no 2(7) May 2009-july 2009)

Prof Mohan G R *

Abstract:

People say Child rearing is difficult then child-bearing; Temper tantrums are fits of anger that are usually caused by frustrated toddlers. It difficult to consider a child's feelings, Mayo Clinic specialist explains that Temper tantrums are a normal part of growing up. But tantrums are not appropriate behavior. These occur at worst time

for parents. In my study these were seen more in parents who give less time to their kids, it is also found that it is less in unemployed women. Specialist say counseling is the best way to combat tantrums, but tantrums in public places are embarrassing to parents; homoeopathic treatment  gave encouraging results.

Key Words: Temper tantrums, literate, Illiterate, Homoeopathic treatment,

Introduction:

Temper tantrums are disruptive or undesirable behaviors or emotional outbursts displayed in response to unmet needs or desires. They may also refer to an inability to control emotions due to frustration or difficulty expressing a particular need or desire. (1)

Temper tantrums or "acting-out" behaviors are natural during early childhood development. It is natural tendency to assert their independence as they learn they are separate beings from their parents. Many children may not have the vocabulary to adequately express their feelings. According to majority of pediatricians tantrums are normal and it is not due to the bad parenting. Tantrums are not appropriate behavior, some children throw Tantrums and some never do. If the behavior is dealt with incorrectly, the child may learn to use tantrums to manipulate people and to gain attention. (2)

Childhood habits appear in many different forms, such as nail biting or foot tapping, teeth grinding (bruxism) and hair pulling. Habit disorders, now subsumed under the diagnostic term stereotypic movement disorder, consist of repetitive, seemingly driven, and nonfunctional motor behaviors that interfere with normal activities or that result in bodily injury. Fortunately, many childhood habits are benign, they are considered a normal part of development, they do not meet the criteria for a disorder, and they typically remit untreated.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), formerly used the term stereotypy/habit disorder and now uses the term stereotypic movement disorder to designate repetitive habit behaviors that cause impairment to the child.

A tantrum is the expression of a child's frustration with the physical, mental or emotional challenges of the moment; Physical challenges are things like hunger and thirst. Mental challenges are related to a child's difficulty learning or performing a specific task. Emotional challenges are more open to speculation. Still, whatever the challenge, frustration with the situation may fuel a child's anger — and erupt in a tantrum. Consider physical or psychological problems that may be contributing to the tantrums (3)

Peak incidence is seen around age 12-18 months, get worse between 2 and 3 years, then decrease rapidly until age 4, in majority children it vanish after words. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics If Tantrums get worse after age 4 these children should be referred to pediatrician (3)

Age of child	Percentage of children who throw temper tantrums
18-24 months	87%
30-36 months	91%
42-48 months	59%

From Potegal & Davidson (2003) (5)

The common presentation of tantrum are Hitting or kicking parents or others Throwing things in a dangerous way and Prolonged screaming or yelling,  disorganized behavior, stiffening limbs, arching backs, falling down, flailing about or running away. . In some cases, a breath-holding spell is a paroxysmal event in which a child stops breathing at end-expiration after crying, typically because of pain or anger. Breath-holding spells: These are common in up to 4-5% of children younger than 8 years. Head banging is the rhythmic hitting of the head against a solid surface. In children who are developmentally normal, it usually lasts less than 15 minutes but can last hours. A high frequency of up to 60-80 hits per minute is common. It can be associated with temper tantrums, tension, or stress. Head banging: This can occur in 3-19% of developmentally normal children younger than 3 years. It is more frequently observed in children with autism or developmental delay and in those living in institutional environments. Head banging  occurs 3 times more often in boys than in girls. Body rocking usually involves a forward and backward rhythmic swaying of the trunk at the hips, generally from a sitting or quadruped position and Bruxism is the forcible gnashing, grinding, clicking, or clenching of teeth, this is observed in 5-30% of children. Most precipitating factors when parents do shopping in the afternoon or when parents are too busy for long hours or when there is too much commotion.

Each episode last for two minutes in one-year-olds, four minutes in two- to three-year-olds And five minutes in four-year-olds. Frequency will be eight times a week for one-year-olds ,nine times a week for two-year-olds ,six times and a week for three-year-olds and five times a week for four-year-olds.

The cause is not clear, majority authors say it is the way to achieve what they want. Majority parents complain that their toddlers are not allowing them to rest in; many parents frequently ask the consultant how long it will take for my toddler to stop having temper tantrum, common answer is use your words instead of your body to mend the toddlers. Rubella vaccines are also known for the bad side effects they cause, including arthritis and central nervous system disorders. The vaccine causes many side effects and the long-term risks are unknown. The vaccine has been associated with meningitis. (6)

While some infants are mild and joyful others are irritable and cry persistently, these are due to  Temperamental differences  present at birth. Child temperaments influence how children behave toward individuals and objects in their environments. These leads to certain emotional and behavioral problems.

Psoric Miasm is fundamental cause and maintaining causes are inattentive parents with busy life, a parent being too harsh with the child, child not feeling loved, the child playing too many video games or watching too much TV. While these can affect a child behavior. Psoric children are very sentimental, affectionate, loving, hypersensitive, hyperactive, and fearless. And love comfort. Anger in Psoric children is sudden, lasting for a short while till the event is over. Revengeful attitude is not seen in these children. They have a lot of intuition and curiosity to know. Psoric individual reacts excessively, He also cries easily, after crying he feels better. Psoric children are very rich in the expressions of his feelings.

Homeopathic remedies can increase well-being on an emotional level; Homeopathic medicines are accepted by children with out any fuss.

Study design:

Total 30 children were studied along with their mothers. Mothers were grouped into three groups like literate working women, illiterate working women and unemployed women. As shown in (table 1). Six Vaccination like (BCG,DPT,OPV,Measles.) are  compulsory in India, MMR,Chicken pox, Hepaties B are mandatory.(6) I have taken the mandatory group in to consideration (table 2). Homoeopathic medicines are given to children according to their presentation and child type. Children and parents were given counseling, Results are studied.

Results:

Composition of  30 cases are as follows, literate working women (17) , illiterate working women (5) and  unemployed women (8), as shown in ( table:1 ).16 children were vaccinated (M) as shown in table (table 2), the intensity of tantrums were as show in table like 14 tantrum cases out of 16 in vaccinated (M) group, 10 tantrum cases out of 14 in non vaccinated (M) group, In Literate working women 17 out of 17 are having tantrums, In Illiterate working women 3 out of 5 are having tantrums and unemployed women 4 out of 8 are having tantrums (table 3) .12 Homoeopathic remedies were given as shown in table 4. Potencies were medium to higher.

DISSCUSSION: 

Children in literate working women  group,17 out of 17  were having tantrums,  (out of 17  cases of tantrum 12 were sever type 5 were mild type), this could be due to time spent with children was very less, as most of the parents working for 8-10 hours a day, in the available time child either gets up late and most of the children are at Crèches . Children in Illiterate working women 3 out of 5 are having tantrums, (out of 3  cases of tantrum 1 was sever type 2 were mild type) time spent with children was more as working hours were less in two shifts. Children were feed personally as time was at their disposal. This is not a practice with Literate working women. Majority of their children are kept in child care centers (Crèches) or with  maid servants and aged family members. Children in unemployed women 4 out of 8 are having tantrums, (out of 4 cases of tantrum 1 was sever type 3 were mild type).The one sever type tantrum child was born as Intra Uterine Growth retardation. (Table 3). Severity in vaccinated and UN vaccinated children are same as shown in( table 2), 14 out of 16 vaccinated children were having tantrums. 10 out of 14 unvaccinated children were having tantrums.

 CHAMOMILLA

The chief guiding symptoms belong to the mental and emotional group, Peevishness, ill-humor, anger with rage, violence and heat. Cannot bear to be looked at. Impatience, Children want to be carried and petted. Child wants many things which he refuses again. Piteous moaning because he cannot have what he wants. Ugly behavior, cross and uncivil, quarrelsome. Averse to being spoken to touched or being looked at. This remedy helped in majority of cases.

ARSENICUM ALBUM was indicated in children with allergic background, with nervous constitution, anxiety, restless children, and children better from company. Used Thuja as a complimentary remedy after Ars Alb and in bad effects of vaccination Thuja was the first prescription.

CINA

Child is very cross; does not want to be touched, or crossed, or carried.

Desires many things, but rejects everything offered. An irritability of temper, variable appetite, grinding of teeth, and even convulsions, with screams and violent jerking of the hands and feet, are all within its range of action. Wants to be rocked. Extreme sensitiveness of mind and body: offended by the slightest thing, peevish and obstinate, aversion to be caressed. Causations are Worms.

TUBERCULINUM.

Obstinate children Dissatisfied and restless, always wants a change. Desire to travel,

Does not want to remain in one place long. Wants to do something different or

Even to find a new doctor, weary of life. Reckless. Depressed, melancholy, hopeless. Anxious. Whines and complaints with very little ailment. Contradictory behavior, changing moods. Fear of animals of dogs. Averse to cats. Fits of violent temper, wants to fight, and throws anything at anyone even without a cause. Desire to use foul language, curse and swear. Sensitive to music. Every trifle irritates, worse awakening. Aversion to mental work. Confusion everything in the room seems strange.

CARCINOSIN

Carcinosin has constant changing symptoms. Can be used as an intercurrent

Remedy. Contradictory and alternating states. At night wide awake with

Insomnia. Child's development is arrested. Dwarfishness. Malformations, mongolism. Discharges, acrid, thick.

Nux-vomica

Nux-vomica. Is especially suited to Very particular, zealous persons inclined to get angry and excited or of a spiteful, malicious disposition, Nux-vomica. Is especially adapted to digestive disturbances, Nux-vomica. Patients are easily chilled, avoid open air.

Back trace was done by taking the past history of mothers regarding their family life style and vaccination history. This was possible only with 20 mothers, as other one third groups were not aware of past. According to them the percentage of tantrums was very less because parental attachment was more, time spent was more as majority mothers were unemployed. Percentage of working women in India during last fifty years is rising gradually.

Managing the tantrums in above said groups are varying, illiterate working group and unemployed group spend more time with kids; take the tantrums in a positive way. Where as in Literate working group who are actively involved in occupation are getting frustrated with tantrum, either beating them or landing with some health problems. Majority of authors say tantrums are temporary, it is the emotional expression of toddlers, and this explanation is not working out with working parents who are sparing less time with the toddlers. Still a deep study is required with the cooperation of other faculties.

PREVENTION

Be aware of your child's temperament and respect his or her uniqueness without comparing him or her to others or trying to change your child's basic temperament

Listen to the child's points of view and encourage teamwork on generating solutions

Respect opinions but remain firm on important limits. Be a good role model because children learn by imitation. Enjoy the dance. (7)