The holistic pediatrician: a pediatrician's comprehensive guide to safe and effective therapies for the 25 most common ailments of infants, children, and adolescents A Pediatrician's Comprehensive Guide to Safe and Effective Therapies for the 25 Most Com

494 Pages·2002·1.73 MB·English

by  Kathi J. Kemper

THE
HOLISTIC
PEDIATRICIAN
SECOND EDITION
A PEDIATRICIAN’S COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO SAFE
AND EFFECTIVE THERAPIES FOR THE 25 MOST COMMON
AILMENTS OF INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND ADOLESCENTS
KATHI J. KEMPER, M.D., M.P.H.
To Daniel Alexander Kemper
CONTENTS
Foreword to the Second Edition by Herbert Benson,
M.D. v
Acknowledgments and Thanks vii
Introduction ix
1. The Therapeutic Mountain 1
2. “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor” 18
3. Acne 26
4. Allergies 39
5. Asthma 64
6. Bed-Wetting (Enuresis) 89
7. Burns 100
8. Chicken Pox 114
9. Colds 122
10. Colic 135
11. Conjunctivitis (Pinkeye) 146
12. Constipation 156
13. Cough 170
14. Cradle Cap 183
15. Diaper Rash 187
16. Diarrhea 195
17. Ear Infections 210
18. Eczema 230
19. Fever 243
20. Headache 255
21. Hyperactivity (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder) 275
22. Jaundice 294
23. Ringworm and Other Fungal Infections 305
24. Sleep Problems 312
25. Sore Throats 334
26. Vomiting and Nausea 348
27. Warts 361
References 367
Index 418
About the Author
Cover
Copyright
About the Publisher
FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION
Iam delighted to write the foreword to this outstanding reference work by my friend and
colleague at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Kathi Kemper. I have known Dr. Kemper since
she was recruited to the Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in 1998.
This is an exciting time for medicine, but it is also a time that calls for caution and common
sense. There is excitement as we begin to understand the basic mechanisms for ancient healing
techniques such as meditation and the placebo effect. New diagnostic methods, medications,
and procedures are developing rapidly, and the dissemination of health information is at an
all-time high. The explosive growth in knowledge about genetics and immunology will soon
render our current knowledge obsolete. On the other hand, hucksterism and quackery are
alive and well. Con men manipulate millions via mass media and the Internet, and it takes a
physician experienced in both traditional and alternative medicines to keep perspective in
the face of sales tactics appealing to nature, forgotten mysteries, and forbidden fruits.
Modern medicine must be founded first of all on compassion for individual suffering and
on a commitment to alleviating that suffering whenever possible. It must also be based on
sound scientific principles and a basic understanding of human physiology, psychology,
culture, and spirituality. Modern healers must maintain the dedication to their calling that
defines professionalism. And we must be adept at evoking in our patients the fundamental
experience of remembered wellness, of calling on the wondrous healing capacity, derived
through evolution, that is present in every individual.
The Holistic Pediatrician reflects these values in abundance. Shortly after her arrival at Chil-
dren’s Hospital, Dr. Kemper’s photogenic face graced the cover of Boston Magazine, in its
feature on the “Best Doctors in Boston.” The cover story was a wake-up call to physicians to
remember that doctoring must encompass the whole patient—body, mind, emotions, and
spirit—in the context of each patient’s family, culture, and community. Dr. Kemper is widely
known as the holistic pediatrician, and with good reason.
She has published more than sixty articles in peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals,
including The New England Journal of Medicine and The Journal of the American Medical Association.
She has lectured extensively, urging her audiences to become attuned to all of the factors af-
fecting children’s health—from social factors such as poverty and racism, to environmental
factors such as organic foods, to psychological factors such as maternal depression. In the
process, she has opened up new ways of providing health care to individuals and groups of
children.
The Holistic Pediatrician provides a balanced, thoughtful approach to the common conditions
affecting children and adolescents. Although I’m not an advocate of alternative
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THEHOLISTIC PEDIATRICIAN
medicine, I respect sound scientific researchers who critically examine the evidence for a
variety of healing techniques and then synthesize this information to benefit others. This book
achieves those goals admirably. I highly recommend The Holistic Pediatrician to all who have
questions about their children’s health, and desire a balanced, safe, and responsible guide.
Herbert Benson, M.D.
President, Mind-Body Medical Institute
Associate Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School
vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND THANKS
No great work is accomplished in isolation. This was as true during the revision process
as it was in writing the very first draft of The Holistic Pediatrician. I am deeply grateful
to many people who supported me during this process of writing, talking, teaching, and
practicing. Direct contributions that vastly improved the quality of this effort were made by:
The librarians in Boston and Seattle who performed amazing feats in locating all of the
references: Alison Clapp at the Children’s Hospital and Julia Whelan at the Massachusetts
College of Pharmacy;
Research assistants, organizational and secretarial support: Elizabeth Hopfinger, Thomas
Delaney, and Beth Allee;
Pediatric collaborators at Children’s Hospital—holistic pediatricians one and all—Lisa Al-
bers, Chuck Berde, Hank Bernstein, Danny Coles, Jack Maypole, Shari Nethersole, Wanessa
Risko, Cassandra Walcott, Wendy Wornham, and the many residents, fellows, students, and
attending staff at the Children’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Special thanks
to Dr. Allan Crocker and the members of the Children’s Hospital Task Force on Holistic Pe-
diatrics;
Help with herbs: Dr. Paula Gardiner, Lana Dvorkin, and June Riedlinger at Massachusetts
College of Pharmacy; Andey Amata-Kynvi, who provided the organizational energy and
skill to keep the Longwood Herbal Task Force and the Interent Herbal Education Project on
track;
Help with mind-body therapies: Dr. Herbert Benson at the Mind-Body Medical Institute;
MaryJane Ott, A.R.N.P., M.N.; the entire staff of the University of Massachusetts Medical
Center Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program, especially Saki Santorelli, Jon Kabat-
Zinn, and Florence Meyer;
Help with acupuncture: Ellen Silver Highfield and Ted Kaptchuk;
Help with massage: Mary McLellan;
Help with homeopathy: Ted Chapman, Christine Luthra, Richard Moskowitz, and Janet
Levatin in Boston and Jennifer Jacobs in Seattle;
The students who kept me energized and humble, especially Anne (CC) Lee and Catherine
Chu;
Reiki Masters and guides: Roy Bauer, Larraine Bossi, and Dora Kunz;
The many friends, parents, and health care professionals who reviewed early drafts and
continued to support and inspire me, especially Dr. Nancy Rudner (friend, nurse practitioner,
public health advocate, and mother); Dr. Cora Breuner; Dr. Dedra Buchwald; Toni Weschler,
M.P.H., Mary Gardiner; Melissa Ross; James, Juan, and Julia Cofield; Linda Barnes, Becky
Sarah; and Frank Ackerman;
Colleagues and leaders in holistic medicine: Andy Weil, Herb Benson, David Eisenberg,
Jim Gordon, Rick Leskowitz, Michael Lerner, James Dillard, Rachel Remen, Marilyn Schlitz,
John Astin, Wayne Jonas, Tim Culbert, Greg Plotnikoff, Tracy Gaudet, Jim Overall, Fayez
Ghishan, and all the wonderful folks in Arizona, Boston, and around the world who light the
candles, dispelling darkness.
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