Coping with chickenpox (The Sunday Times, 26 February 2006)

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My four-year-old daughter has not had chickenpox, but it is going round her school, so she is likely to catch it. One mother said homeopathy helped when her child had it. What remedies would you recommend?



A. Chickenpox is caused by the varicella zoster virus, and the main symptoms are a high fever and itchy red spots that blister and develop a crust. Some children may have a cough, cold or earache as well. The younger your child is when she gets chickenpox, the milder her symptoms will be. Sally Clark, a professional homeopath, recommends the following remedies: belladonna for a high temperature with a red face, hot, dry skin and a right-side earache; pulsatilla if the child is weepy and clingy, with an irritating, exhausting cough; rhus tox if the rash is itchy and the child is restless. These remedies should be given in 6c- or 12c-potency pills (crush them into a powder if the child cannot swallow them), once every four to eight hours, until scabs form and the child feels better (Nelsons remedies cost £3.90 for 84 x 6c pillules, from health shops).

Try to stop your child scratching the spots, as this can lead to infection, and keep her nails short. To soothe the skin, try Neal’s Yard Remedies Aloe Vera Cooling Spray (£6.50 for 100ml; 0845 262 3145). If the spots become infected, or the symptoms aren’t relieved by these remedies, consult your GP, or contact a professional homeopath — the Society of Homeopaths (0845 450 6611) or the Alliance of Registered Homeopaths (0870 073 6339) can help you find one in your area.




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