Salt in Your Sock and Other Tried-And-True Home Remedies A Pediatrician Selects Parents' Favorite Treatments for More Than 90 Childhood Ailments

MANY YEARS AGO, while I was advising a young mother on how to manage her baby's facial rash, I was surprised by a question from the baby's great-grandmother, who was in the exam room with us: "Ma 'dear," as she was called, piped up: "When are you going to tell my granddaughter about the urine paste?" I did not have the slightest idea what she was talking about--and the idea of urine on a baby's face was definitely not appealing. But the older woman proceeded to educate me about her rural Alabama custom of using a baby's own urine to treat various rashes. Later, when I heard tales of Hannibal's armies collecting and using their own urine to treat their war wounds, I began to make the medicinal connections to "Ma 'dear's" advice. And then the pieces came together: While I was comparing labels of some widely advertised facial creams in a drugstore cosmetics section, I noticed that urea (a component of urine) was a major ingredient of many of the costliest ones. Great-Grandma had known just what she was recommending, even if she didn't know exactly why. As a pediatrician, I am doubly blessed; I get to see not just my patient--the child--but also the child's family. One of the most fascinating and rewarding aspects of my practice is the opportunity to become a virtual member of my small charges' families, learning their traditions, sharing their joys, and participating in the family's growth and development. As I now care for my second generation--the children of my original children--I continue to be amazed by and learn from all "my" families. Often as I examine patients and listen to their parents' descriptions of the child's illness, the families will usually share with me what they've tried at home. I've learned to ask for families' recipes for healing. I am convinced that most of these home remedies actually do something positive. Some represent ancient folk wisdom that science is only now beginning to test. Others allow the user to feel as though she is participating in restoring and protecting her child's health. Some of these home-based prescriptions represent such a deeply felt part of a family's cultural heritage that if I were to frown upon or challenge them, it would create a climate of doubt and mistrust. As I listen, I have learned to keep a straight face even when my initial reaction--as with first hearing about the use of baby's urine--would be to say that the practice is gross or unsanitary. I have found that some families, although politely accepting my scientific wisdom in the form of a prescription, will not follow my advice or even return for a follow-up visit if I don't incorporate their own beliefs. So if I am working with a Pakistani family, for example, along with giving traditional medical-school advice and reassurance for their baby's jaundice, which is not uncommon in newborns, I will let them know that I have heard that a little diluted beet juice (2-3 teaspoons mixed into 2 fluid ounces of water) just might help. As the healing pendulum swings, we have traveled a long way from leeches to lasers--with much in between. There are many closely held family and home remedies introduced in past centuries and still practiced around the world. Although these may not have been taught in medical schools, they have been used successfully, managing to survive and thrive through the age-old folk traditions of oral and written history. I have discovered that there is definitely a place for folk medicine or natural healing in my practice. However, I always caution the parents of my patients to use common sense and never rely solely on these remedies without checking with me first. Some of the "cures" are just helpful ways to make a child feel better until a doctor can treat the little patient; they should never be a substitute for your doctor's advice and care. Salt in Your Sock evolved over many years as I listened to tBeard, Lillian M. is the author of 'Salt in Your Sock and Other Tried-And-True Home Remedies A Pediatrician Selects Parents' Favorite Treatments for More Than 90 Childhood Ailments', published 2003 under ISBN 9780812933123 and ISBN 0812933125.