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

Renal failure is a final common path way for a number of disease processes and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In modern medicine approach kidney treatment, like dialysis and kidney transplant is not rational approach but its temporary phase, not complete cure to end stage renal failure or CRF (Chronic Renal Failure). The kidneys attempt to compensate for renal damage by excessive straining of the blood within the remaining functional filtering units that consist of a glomerulus and corresponding tubule. Over time, hyper filtration causes further loss of function.

Homeopathy medicine develops immunity in damage nephrons of kidney, so that kidney function is not damaged further and there is decrease in s.creatinin and BUN level with every passing day.

End stage of renal failure caused due to diabetes mellitus or Hypertension, the patient has S.creatinin level between 6 and 7. In this stage we can cure or re-establish kidney or renal functions by homeopathy medicine. Patient with no blood pressure or diabetes has S.creatinie level of more than 6. In early stage homeopathy medicine reestablishes Kidney functions very well. There are not curative procedures for CRF but instead they keep a person alive by performing the crucial functions of the kidneys. Homeopathy stimulates one’s immune system to perform normal functions and in this way damaged kidneys start functioning normally.

TYPE OF RENAL FAILUR PATIENT :


Pre renal
Decreased blood flow is one cause of damage to the kidney. Acute renal failure may occur when there is extremely low blood pressure; the patient may suffer from trauma, septic shock, haemorrhage, severe vomiting, diarrhea, burns and associated dehydration or other severe or complicated illness.

Intra renal
Renal failure usually occurs as the internal structures of the kidney is suddenly or slowly destroyed. It is a complex chronic failure commonly noticed with hypertension, and diabetes damage the vascular walls. Smoking causes atherosclerotic changes of the arterial walls.

Post renal
A simple mechanical or functional obstruction to the free flow of urine precludes, its excretion and renal failure occurs. It commonly happens with kidney stones, urethral stricture and prost. The symptoms are sudden in acute renal failure and gradual in chronic.

Sine and Symptoms:

Increased Blood pressure, Weight Loss, Proteins pass in urine, General weakness, Persistent fatigue and shortness of breath, Loss of appetite, Pale, dry and itchy skin, Muscular cramps and twitching, Headache, nausea, vomit and hiccups.

SCOPE FOR HOMEOPATHY TREATMENT BENEFIT FOR KIDNEY PATIENTS:

Persons suffering from Early stage renal failure due to Diabetes and Hypertension must take homeopathic treatment.
Healthy persons who have strong family history of renal failure should take classical homeopathic treatment to avoid the risk of renal failure.
Persons who are having symptoms of early renal failure of unknown etiology, then homeopathy medicine work very well.
Kidney patients of any stage should start homeopathic treatment at the earliest, in order to avoid passing into complete renal failure.
Patients who are waiting for renal transplant should start homeopathic treatment which can stop the urgent need of kidney donor.
Patients who are on dialysis can get rid of the frequent dialysis by taking classical homeopathic treatment.
Let us say it is never too late to start homeopathic treatment; all patients should start it as soon as they come to know about benefits of homeopathy.

ALLOPATHIC V/S HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT:

In comparison to life long treatment in Allopatht or conversional therapy, Homeopathic medicines can be stopped in 2 to 5 years depending on the severity and underlying causes of the disease.
Allopathy cannot repair damaged Kidney. Modern medicines try to facilitate the body’s waste products to pass out by the process of dialysis through artificial means or by a kidney transplanted from a Donor. Though Homeopathy does not provide any substitute for any organ (Kidney) but it can revive the damaged organ as it has been proven many times in my treatment of TB cases where I always found normal tissue in place of fibrocavitory lesions.
Allopathic process of dialysis cannot be stopped once a patient starts on it. As the time passes this procedure has to be done more frequently. Patient’s kidney starts improving as soon as he starts taking homeopathic treatment. It helps the patient to withdraw from dialysis.
There is very high percentage of rejection of new kidney received from a Donor but if such patient starts taking homeopathic treatment that would minimize the rejection percentage.
For Allopathic treatment the patient has to spend Rs.10000 to 20000/- per month exclusively on medicines. Expenses on hospital fee and investigations are superfluous. Homeopathic treatment cost depends upon the severity of the disease and knowledge and experience of the doctor. Even the costliest doctor's treatment remains quite economical as compared to allopathic expenses.
In case of patients who have received transplanted Kidneys, the diseases associated with Kidneys like Diabetes mellitus and Hypertension may become uncontrolled in spite of taking full medical care. But Classical Homeopathic treatment not only repairs the damaged kidneys but also it helps in maintaining the blood sugar and blood pressure to a normal level.
THE ROLE OF HOMEOPATHY IN CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE

Homoeopathy has already done a significant service to the society here, as hemodialysis and renal transplant are not within easy reach of majority of population in under- developed countries. In developing country hemodialysis and kidney transplant are very costly treatment service for CRF patients while homeopathy is cheaper & is an easy treatment.

Homeopathic treatment in CRF patients’ medical history:


Homeopathic medical science is great for renal failure patients, but unfortunately we have not received high number of cases.

Patients mostly complaining of nausea, anorexia and progressive weakness. The laboratory renal parameters are disturbed. The evolution of individualized, totality, modality, mentality, past and family history require lots of patience and labor but the results are marvelous.

Patients with end-stage chronic renal failure pending Hemodialysis & Renal Transplant:

This is the group of cases with maximum presentations in the clinics. Majority of these cases come to homoeopathic rescue as a last resort as they can't afford long-term dialysis and transplant.

The other small group of patients want to know the benefits of Homoeopathic treatment over dialysis and if Homoeopathic treatment be carried along with Hemodialysis? The clinical judgment is individualized and varies for every patient. Remember the correlation of uremic symptoms with renal functions varies from patient to patient.

Homeopathic treatment under long-term hemodialysis pending renal transplant:

Homeopathy has a great role to play here. Research experiments in various hospitals reveals the following facts:

Indicated homoeopathic remedies reduce the number of dialysis needed over a period of time.
Indicated homoeopathic remedies reduce and overcome the complications associated with chronic dialysis therapy.
Homeopathic treatment in dialysis complications

Remember a chronic dialysis patient depends on a machine for his life. These patients develop a variety of psychiatric, neurologic and somatic disorders. A neurologic disorder 'Dialysis dementia' is a characteristic example.

In the mental sphere, these patients become very depressive, their reduced physical abilities make them sad and depressive. They become very irritable.

In the physical sphere, infections, thrombosis and aneurysm formation occur in the Arterio-venous fistula. There is a high incidence of septic embolisation in these cases. The homoeopathic remedies Arnica chelendula Q have immensely helped these cases.

Heparin necessary during the hemodialysis procedures to prevent clotting leads to complications such as subdural hematoma and intracerebral hemorrhage. Arnica and different well-proved snake poisons in our Materia Medica are of great help here.

Homeopathic treatment for Post Renal Transplant Patients:

The group of patients coming for homoeopathic advice after Renal Transplant is very limited. Homeopaths have very little experience with these patients and the results are not very encouraging. Most of the symptoms here are marked and distorted by immune-suppressive therapy. Immune-suppressive therapy suppresses all immune responses and hence Homoeopathic treatment has not much role to play in organ rejection of transplant cases.

Currently we have over 400 active Kidney disease patient cases and this number reflects the results we are seeing. Over the last 10 years there had been more than 15,000 kidney patients and 12,000 Cancer cases. Many people approach to Homeopathy or Dr Harshad Raval MD[homeopathy] for treatment when the Kidney disease is advanced, has recurred, or they have exhausted all the conventional possibilities for treatment. These patients are offered improved quality of life and length of prognosis. Many families report that the patients live quite comfortably and actively.

Our results are confirmed by conventional laboratory testing, scans and ultrasound. Throughout our treatment we ask the patient to keep scheduled visits with Nephrologist, in order 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.