CHILDHEN’S SELF COMFORTING HABITS AND HOMOEOPATHY

A habit is a learned behaviour that a person repeats so often that he or she begins to do it without even thinking about it. Certain habits can be helpful, like the habit of brushing teeth before going to bed or buckling seatbelt when get into a car. These are habits that a person builds on purpose, to achieve a positive objective. Other habits may seem to serve no particular purpose, like hair twirling. Parents find many habits and behaviours of their children annoying. When we want to change an unwanted behaviour, it helps to first understand why child is doing it. Bad habits are often just a coping strategy. Child may fall back on these behaviours when they are stressed, bored, frustrated, unhappy, insecure, or tired. Many of these “bad” habits are calming and soothing to the child. These habits often are built unknowingly. They can include behaviour like thumb sucking, nail biting or chewing on the end of a pencil. Such habits may begin as self-soothing forms of behaviour and may help relieve stress. But often, long after the need for that type of soothing is outgrown, the learned habit continues. Some habits are annoying, and some can cause distress or become the focus of teasing. Still others may have harmful effects. For example, thumb sucking, which can go on for years, can cause dental problems.

Aetiology

The causes of habits remain unknown. Their repetitive nature suggests that they serve a soothing or calming process for the brain. Interestingly, even in adulthood many people cling to some of these self-comforting traits during times of stress: sucking on pencil tips or their fingers, pulling their earlobes, fingering their hair.

Common Self-Comforting Habits

Here are some of the most common self-comforting habits of middle childhood that concern parents:

·         Thumb-sucking

·         Body rocking

·         Head banging

·         Fingernail biting

·         Cuticle picking

·         Hair twirling

·         Masturbating

Nail Biting

The other name for nail biting is onychophagia. Those who feel a compulsion to bite nails and fingertips can vary in severity from mild and occasional to persistent nail biting. Severe nail biting is a long-term problem which causes nail deformity and infections around the nailbed.

It is common in all ages, and the exact cause is unknown. It may be due to a troubled relationship with mother during childhood. Nail biting is a symptom of anxiety or a nervous habit. It is induced by nervousness, stress, or boredom, and can be associated with an emotional and psychological problem.

General Management

·         Keep nails short

·         Rule out underlying emotional disorder

·         Habit Reversal Therapy – for school aged children – consists of three components: 1. Increase awareness of habit – e.g. have them look in the mirror while biting their nails 2. Teach a competing response – e.g. chewing gum, blowing air through pursed lips, etc. 3. Teach relaxation techniques – visualization, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation

·         Coat the fingers with neem oil or something that has a bad taste.

·         May refer children over 5 years to an orthodontist for a bite plate

Thumb Sucking

When children are tired, bored or feel discomfort, they show the habit of thumb sucking. It makes the child feel comforted, stimulated, or put to sleep. Naturally, babies have a sucking reflex that makes them put the thumb into the mouth. Thumb sucking babies feel more secure.

Ignore in children under 4 years –will usually remit by 6 years without intervention. Praise and rewards for not sucking thumb Use a bandage on the thumb to remind them not to suck May refer children over 5 years to an orthodontist for a thumb crib.

Nose Picking

Medically it is called as rhinotillexomania. The common cause for nose pricking is when a person is lost in thoughts or out of sheer boredom. This action is comparable to biting the nails or cuticles or picking at a scab absentmindedly. A bored office worker is often caught picking his nose. People who are caught picking their noses are usually embarrassed. So some pick their noses privately. Curious or bored which relieves stress or passes the time. It is not present in over anxious children. In children with allergy, there is a flow of mucus and crusting. This gives them the feeling that it is difficult for them to leave their noses alone. Most children give up the habit on their own due to losing interest or because other kids tease them enough to make them stop.

Hair Twirling and Pulling

Twirling and pulling hair is a nervous habit and self-soothing behaviour. In some cases, hair pulling becomes so severe and can cause trichotillomania, which is the urge to pull hair constantly until it breaks. Some children eat the hair, this behaviour is called as trichophagia. This may appear in early childhood as a precursor to hair pulling, with or without hair loss. This habit will stop as they get older. For those who do not, behaviour modification helps break the habit. Here, the treatment is usually a type of behaviour therapy called habit reversal training. Relaxation of mind and medicines may be part of the treatment. Complications - Infection, skin damage, and permanent hair loss, and sometimes due to loss of hair, there can be a problem with self-esteem and body image.

Grinding the Teeth

Teeth grinding is medically called as bruxism. Kids with bruxism grind and clench their teeth from time to time, causing the teeth the get damaged and other oral health complications. Grinding teeth is usually caused by stress and anxiety. This can lead to abnormal bite or missing or crooked teeth. It can also be caused by a sleep disorder like sleep apnea. Chronic teeth grinding causes fracturing, loosening, or loss of teeth.

Management -

If stress is causing it, he/she needs stress counselling program, and relaxation therapy is needed as well.

Mouth guards and mouth splints can be custom-made to protect the teeth.

It is important to treat and prevent dental problems.

Head banging, head rolling, and body rocking

Head banging is when a child repeatedly hits their head against a solid object such as a crib. Some children will bang their head as many as 80 times a minute. This can be distressing to the parents or caregivers for concern of injury. Often the child does not appear to be in pain, but rather calm and content. The habit usually begins around the age of 9 months and resolves around the age of 2. Head rolling is when an infant rolls their head from side to side when lying on their back. They may even rub the hair completely off the back of their head. Body rocking is when a child rhythmically rocks while either sitting or resting on their knees or elbows. This behaviour usually starts around the age of 6 months and disappears by the age of 2. Most children rock for 15 minutes or less. Like head banging, it often occurs while listening to music or falling asleep. Head banging, head rolling and body rocking are common childhood self-comforting habits. These behaviours are often harmless, but can be worrisome if your child also has developmental delays

Masturbation

Most children—both boys and girls—play with their genitals (private parts) fairly regularly by the age of 5-6 years. Most often, masturbation is a normal part of childhood development. It is important to remember that at this age, masturbation is not sexual to the child.

HOMOEOPATHIC MANAGEMENT

Homoeopathy is a safe and natural system of medicine that can be incredibly helpful in treating all sorts of children’s health conditions. Homoeopathic remedies are highly dilute medicines that work by stimulating the body’s own internal healing mechanisms. Due to their high dilution factor, these remedies can be safely used in children of all ages without risk of side effects. Homoeopathic medicines together with counselling of the child to shape desired behaviour are beneficial in treating most of the cases.

Talking about safe and side-effect free treatment options. Homoeopathy scores highest among the various natural and holistic treatment options available. Owing to the safety of Homoeopathy medicines, Homoeopathy is considered to be the ideal treatment option for infants, toddlers and older kids. Millions of people worldwide recognize the effectiveness and safety of Homoeopathy treatment and are resorting to it for their children's health needs. In some countries, it is seen that Homoeopathy is no longer considered as an 'alternative medicine'. It is, in fact, fast becoming the most preferred system of medicine. Homoeopathy is effective in treating variety of troubles that a child faces.

Habit Behaviors	Remedies
Thumb Sucking	Tidy – Ars.Al Artistic – Phosphorus Gentle – Pulsatilla Fidg – Sulphur
Nail biting	Fearful – Arg nit Itching around nails – Amm brom Bite & prick until bleed – Arum tri
Nose picking	Pricks until bleeds – Arum tri Itching nose never satisfied – cina Picking relives – Nat carb Lazy & Fidgety – Sulphur
Bed – Wetting	Fearful About Events to Come – Arg Nit During infections high temps – Belladona Vivid dreams Nightmares – Equisetum Gentle weepy - Pulsatilla
Desire to pull hair	Ars al, Bell, Cina, Tarentula, Lil tig
Desire to pull some one’s hair	Ars. Al, Bart. Carb, Bell, Lach, Lil. Tig
Mastrubation	In Male child – Acon, bufo, Hyos, Puls, Stram In Female child – Hyos, Lach, Merc, Phos
Head banging	Striking his head against wall - Bell, Mill, Tuber, Hyos, Rhustox Strikes her Head with her hands, her body and others - Tarentula
Desires to bites the body parts	Desire to bites the body parts – Acon, bell, Opium, Stram, Tarantula Bites his own arm – Opium Bites around him - Phos
Breath Holding	Dros., Kali nit, Led, Merc, Spig
Swallowing in air	Plat