Abstract: Overweight and obesity in school-going children have become significant public health concerns globally, often leading to physical and psychological issues. Overweight children often experience exacerbated respiratory issues, affecting their overall health and quality of life. This case highlights the potential of homeopathy as an effective, holistic approach to managing overweight/obesity and related respiratory problems in children. An 8-year-old overweight child with respiratory issues showed remarkable improvement after treatment with homeopathic medicine.
Key Words: Overweight, Obesity, School-Going Children, Respiratory Issues, Homeopathy
Introduction: The term overweight refers to excess body weight for a particular height, whereas obesity is used to define excess body fat. [3] Obesity and overweight are defined using BMI percentiles for children >2 yr old and weight/length percentiles for infants <2 yr old. The criterion for obesity is BMI ≥95th percentile and for overweight is BMI between 85th and 95th percentiles.[2]
Etiology of obesity –
- Constitutional– It consists of 95% case, it includes- environmental factors, including psychosocial distress, parental feeding styles, stress, depression, Various perinatal factors—such as- birth size, breast-feeding status, antibiotic use, environmental chemicals, microbiota, and adverse life experiences, increased caloric consumption, reduced physical activity and increased time spent in sedentary activities, such as television and electronic games, also contributes to obesity.[4]
- Pathological [5]
- Endocrine: Cushing syndrome, GH deficiency, hypo- thyroidism, pseudohypoparathyroidism • Hypothalamic: Head injury, infection, brain tumor, radiation, post-neurosurgery • Drugs: Antiepileptic drugs, steroids, estrogen
- Genetic syndromes: Prader Willi, Laurence Moon Biedl Bardet, Beckwith Weidemann, Carpenter syndromes
- Monogenic disorders: Leptin deficiency, leptin resistance, abnormalities of MC4 receptor and proconvertase
Complication/ obesity-associated comorbidities –[2]
- Pulmonary-Asthma, Obstructive sleep apnea
- Cardiovascular- Dyslipidemia, Hypertension
- Endocrine-Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Metabolic syndrome, Polycystic ovary syndrome • Gastrointestinal-Gallbladder disease, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- Neurologic-Pseudotumor cerebri, Migraines
- Orthopedic-Blount disease (tibia Vara), Musculoskeletal problems, Slipped capital femoral epiphysis
- Psychologic-Behavioral complications
Case History:
A 8 year old male child (Registration number 33/33). came to outpatient department of government homoeopathic medical college and hospital Bhopal on 20/06/2024 with following complaints of 4 months.
Chief Complaint of patients-
- overweight,
- nose block <during sleep,
- frequently snoring with open mouth breathing;
- complaints of recurrent coryza for 4 months,
- pain in calf muscles
On examination: – No pallor, icterus, cyanosis, clubbing, lymphadenopathy, edema etc.
- Nose- no growths, deformities, Septum is in midline no deviation, No swelling and discharge, No tenderness over sinuses.
- Ear– Both ears symmetrical in size and shape, no deformities, lesion, discharge, No tenderness over the auricle or mastoid process.
- Throat– Tonsils are not enlarge, no redness, uvula is in midline, no palpable masses or enlarge lymph nodes.
- Abdomen examination- P/A soft, nontender, no organomegaly.
Anthropometric assessment of child-
- weight-29.8kg
- height- 126cm
- weight for age%- between 75-90
- BMI– 18.77
According to BMI for age and sex percentile charts, patients is overweight.
Past history- Pneumonia at the age of 2 years.
Treatment History: Yes, allopathic treatment taken, but no relief
Family History: Nil
Antenatal history-
- Mothers’ history-Nil; Health and nutrition status of mother during pregnancy – Good. • Birth weight- 3.25kg
- Milestone-All milestones appeared on time
- Vaccination- Vaccinated till date as per schedule.
Physical generals:
- Desire- salts,
- Thirst- Regular (1 to 2 L/ per day)
- Stool: Irregular (Sometimes 1 time in two day)
- Covering: Desire covering
- Appetite: Good (3 -4 times/ day)
- Thermal Reaction: chilly
- Sleep: Sound sleep; snoring while sleeping, Position –lying on abdomen
Mental generals:
- Dullness of mind, Mild and calm,
- Unhappy about his weight, dissatisfied
Observations: Chubby child with fair complexion, sluggishness, difficult concentration and takes cold easily.
Provisional Diagnosis: ICD-10: E66.3 Overweight
Differential diagnosis:
- Hypothyroidism
- Adenoids hypertrophy
- Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal obstruction
- Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
- Allergic rhinitis
Investigations Done -None;
Advised- CBC, X-ray neck (lateral view), TFT-normal range
ANALYSIS OF THE CASE: After thorough analysis and evaluation of symptoms of this case, Totality of Symptoms was formed with notable symptoms
Prescribing totality: on the basis of totality of symptoms:
- Dullness of mind, Mild and calm,
- Desire salts
- Patient thermal is chilly
- overweight
- constipation
- Nose blocked < during sleep,
- sometime open Mouth breathing during sleep.
- Recurrent cough and cold
- Pain in calf muscle <during night.
Miasmatic diagnosis: Predominant miasm -psora-sycosis
Selection of Remedy was based on Synthesis 2.0 [v.202] Repertory. Calcarea Carb 200C was prescribed after consulting Boericke materia medica.[1]
Repertorial Totality and Results
- Mind – Discontented
- Mind- Dullness- children, in
III. Nose – Obstruction – sleep agg; during
- Rectum- Constipation- children in
- Respiration- Difficult- exertion-agg,
- Respiration-snoring
VII. Extremities- Pain-leg- calves
VIII. Extremities- Pain-leg- lower limb -muscles
- Generals- food and drinks- salt- desire
- Generals- obesity- children in
- Generals-Weakness- exertion- agg, slight exertion
3
Reportorial result- Calc- 18/8, Sulphur- 14/8, Lyc. – 14/7; Phos- 12/7; Sepia. – 10/7; sil- 10/7; Nat Mur -12/6, tub-12/6, Nux-v.-11/6, carb-v.-9/6.
Advice:
- Do brisk walk around 20 min daily
- Drink plenty of clear liquids including water and juices.
- Maintain good hygiene & take proper nutritious diet, including fruits, vegetables, pulses, fiber and soaked dry fruits at early morning.
- Avoid taking junk foods
| Table no. 1 Therapeutic interventions and follow-up of case | ||
| DATE | INDICATION OF
PRESCRIPTION |
MEDICINE AND DOSES |
| 1ST Visit
20/06/2024 |
▪ Overweight with Dullness of mind, ▪ Desire salts
▪ Patient thermal is chilly ▪ constipation ▪ Nose blocked < during sleep, ▪ sometime open Mouth breathing during sleep. ▪ Recurrent cough and cold ▪ Pain in calf muscle <during night. |
▪ Calcarea Carb 200C-od- 1day ▪ Sac lac / OD/4 globule/ 15day |
| 1St Follow up
29-06-2024 |
▪ Mild improvement in complaints, weight- 29.7kg. | ▪ Sac lac/OD/4globule/2weeks |
| 2nd Follow up
13-07-2024 |
▪ frequency of snoring and nose block decrease, pain in calf muscle improve. Weight-29.1kg | ▪ Sac lac/OD/4globule/ 2 weeks |
| 4nd Follow up
24-07-2024 |
▪ snoring and nose block still persists, Weight-28.8kg | ▪ Calcarea Carb.1M/OD//4globule/1 day
▪ Sac lac/OD/4globule/ 2 weeks |
| 5nd Follow up
06-08-2024 |
▪ Weight decreases from 28.8 to 28.4kg, occasionally snoring only | ▪ Sac lac/OD/4globule/ 30days |
| 6nd Follow up
29-08-2024 |
▪ Weight- 27.5, occasionally snoring only, patients feel energetic no tired feeling | ▪ Sac lac/OD/4globule/ 30days |
Conclusion- This study highlights the positive impact of homeopathy in managing an overweight child with respiratory symptoms. The treatment led to a significant improvement in both weight management and respiratory function, without any adverse effects. Thus, homeopathy can be considered a beneficial therapeutic approach for addressing such conditions in children.
Acknowledgments: I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. J.P. Tripathi, my guide and Dr. Ajay Singh Parihar, Head of the Department of Pediatrics, for his unwavering support, expert guidance, and insightful feedback throughout the preparation of this article.
Declaration of Parent Consent- We certified that the patient had given his verbal assent and his parents had given consent to provide their clinical information to be published in the journal. We
4
assured the patient and the family that the personal details of the patient will not be disclosed in the public domain.
Reference
- Boericke, W. (2023). New manual of homoeopathic materia medica & repertory with relationship of remedies: Including Indian drugs, nosodes uncommon, rare remedies, mother tinctures, relationship, sides of the body, drug affinites & list of abbreviation: 3rd edition. B Jain.
- Marcdante, K., Kliegman, R. M., & Schuh, A. M. (Eds.). (2022). Nelson essentials of pediatrics (9th ed.). Elsevier – Health Sciences Division.
- Epidemiology of childhood overweight & obesity in India: a systematic review. Ranjani H, Mehreen TS, Pradeepa R, Anjana RM, Garg R, Anand K, Mohan V. Indian J Med Res. 2016;143:160–174. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]
- Kumar S, Kelly AS. Review of Childhood Obesity: From Epidemiology, Etiology, and Comorbidities to Clinical Assessment and Treatment. Mayo Clin Proc. 2017 Feb;92(2):251- 265. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.09.017. Epub 2017 Jan 5. PMID: 28065514.
- Ghai, O. P. (2010). Ghai Essential Pediatrics. CBS Publishers & Distributors. 6. 2 to 20 years: Boys Body mass index-for-age percentiles (cdc.gov)
- IAP-Boys-Height-Weight-chart-5-18-years-1-746×1024.jpg (746×1024)
About Authours:
Dr. Rahul Yadav MD Scholar,
Department of Paediatrics,
Government Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital,
AYUSH Campus, MACT Hills, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Dr. J. P. Tripathi
Assistant Professor, Government Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital,
AYUSH Campus, MACT Hills, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Dr. Ajay Singh Parihar
Professor and H.O.D, Department of Paediatrics, Government Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital,
AYUSH Campus, MACT Hills, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
