Iatrogenesis is the causation of a disease, a harmful complication, or other ill effect by any medical activity, including diagnosis, intervention, error, or negligence.1 The period before pregnancy, pregnancy and the first two years of child’s life may play a crucial role in provoking autism.2
Anamnesis
Parents of a diagnosed case of 4.5- year-old male autistic child visited me in July 2022. Chief complaints were hyperactivity, shouting, moaning, disturbing parents, not letting them talk, excessive thirst and appetite, jumping a lot, does not understand that he could be injured, cannot sit at one place, sudden laughing with no specific reason, teasing children, biting himself, passing stool in standing position, not going to new places, not eating new things, throwing things around, and repeating the same activity or sentence all the time. He is hyperactive. Doesn’t follow commands. Salivation during sleep.
He born with lower segment Caesarean section. All milestones were delayed but strange fact is that he uttered the word ‘Aai’ at age three months. Currently he can could only few meaningless words. He can’t form the sentences.
His mother said his skin is extremely dry. He is ‘On the Go’ all the time! “I can’t control him during anger as he becomes so strong beyond my capacity. His hyperactivity and jumping reduces when he has itching or some dental pain.”
H/O mother during pregnancy – Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)
She said, when I was pregnant, my doctor gave me injections on alternate days along with some medicines. Pregnancy was not due to her treatment. It was a normal conception. She suggested the HCG injections were to hold the pregnancy. She had no history of abortion. It was a healthy normal conception.
Sonography report was good. She took 30 injections of HCG in 60 days. Almost 45 injections we can say. When she consulted another doctor, she told us that these injections were not required as the pregnancy was natural.
My amniotic fluid was inadequate during the 8th month of pregnancy.
Family H/O-
Father- Speech not clear.
Paternal uncle- Lack of confidence, introverted.
Grandparents- Diabetes
Analysis
An HCG injection prompts the ovary to release a mature egg within 36 hours. It triggers ovulation. Women who have low levels of HCG or have had recurrent pregnancy loss may be prescribed this as part of fertility treatment either before or during pregnancy.
It has also been observed by many medical experts around the world that an HCG injection during pregnancy creates a bigger risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. This is been quoted as a life-threatening medical condition.3
Abnormal HCG concentrations are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes including foetal growth restriction. HCG can cross the blood-brain barrier affects several hippocampus-associated behaviours. The hippocampus is now known as important in learning and memory but also:
- Spatial navigation- the process by which organisms use multiple cue sources such as path integration, magnetic cues, landmarks, and beacons to determine the route to a goal and then travel that route.
- Emotional behaviour- is expression of feelings through actions.
- Regulation of hypothalamic functions- Hypothalamus acts as body’s smart control coordinating center. Its main function is to keep body in It directly influences the autonomic nervous system and manages hormones.4
Safety and efficacy of HCG have not been established in patients younger
than 4 years.5
In this case, the foetus received more than 40 injections of HCG without any specific reason.
Considered Mental Rubrics-
Considered Physical Rubrics –
It was between Agaricus Mus. and Phosphorus.
In this case the key symptoms, alteration of mental symptoms with physical ones, bulimia and strength increased during rage were not covered by Phosphorus.
Agaricus Mus, prepared from fungi that, contain the alkaloid muscarine. Alkaloids bind to muscarine and activates muscarinic subtypes of AChRs (muscarinic acetylcholine receptors) which plays a dominant role in mediating the actions of acetylcholine (Ach) in the brain.
Ach is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that carries messages from brain to body through nerve cells, indirectly producing both excitation and inhibition through binding to a family of unique receptor subtypes. It has involvement in memory, motivation, arousal, and attention.6
Dr. Banerjea S. K. in his book ‘Materia Medica Made Easy’ 7 mentioned the following points about Agaricus Mus.
- Increased secretion of salivary glands.
- Mentally-slowly developing mind
- Milestones are delayed: late learning to talk and walk (Ref. Kent).
- Involuntary movement while awake, cease-during sleep.
- Causation- from blood poisoning.
Prescription-
Agaricus Mus 30 CH twice a day for a month.
Follow up after one month-
Bad smelling stool.
Following commands.
Screaming and moaning less.
The rest is the same.
Agaricus Mus 30 CH repeated in same manner.
Follow up after two months-
No odor in stool.
Constipation, passing stool once in three days. Teasing others.
Perception improved. Repeating mother’s sentences. Appetite controlled. Not throwing the things around but his mental growth did not seem improved.
Agaricus Mus 30 aqua dose once a day advised.
Follow up after four months-
Almost same position. Parents said they can observe recovery but it is extremely slow. Usually, I prefer a nosode or sarcode at this stage in cases of autism, to clear the imprints of toxins on the immunity and to tune what is mistuned. They work as catalysts in boosting the action of the main remedy.
Prescription-
Growth Hormone releasing factor 1M one dose.
I was also thinking about Carcinosin nosode as it helps children where mental growth is arrested.
It was not just about mental development. The child faced the over toxication of HCG during foetal life which is ultimately responsible for disturbances in spatial navigation, emotional behaviour , autonomic nervous system and hormones.
Growth Hormone releasing factor remedy prescribed
It has been isolated and purified from mammalian sources and has been produced recombinantly. Administration of pharmacological dosages of growth hormone are best known for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency disorder in children.
Follow up after six months-
The father said “The boy was not following the commands not even for basic things but with your medicines he is more stable now, following instructions.” His teacher used to complain about his distraction and incapability in sitting at one place. Now these issues are solved. He could not talk previously now he is forming four words sentences. For example, if he wants cycling, he will tell me- Papa I want to ride the bicycle, where is my cycle, I want samosa. Now he tells us about potty and his bowels are clear. No bad odour in stool. No constipation. His fine motor skills improved. Holding spoon and scissor. No screaming.
We observed overall 60% improvement till now.
Prescription- Placebo.
Follow up after eight months-
Father said everything is good. Constipation and running all the time were a real concern. He cannot sit at one place even for 10 minutes. All the time just moving restlessly.
Prescription- Amniotic fluid 200 one aqua dose.
It is the fluid in which an embryo and later the fetus after the first trimester floats in the womb. What is the tendency of water? Either it will be slow and stagnated or need to run. For constipation I advised Chenopodium Quinoa mother tincture 6 drops in half cup of water once a day.
Follow up after ten months-
No major complaint regarding his behaviour except slight hyperactivity.
Prescription-Placebo.
Follow up after a year-
Parents said “When we visited you, he was not stable and with zero speech. Now he is more stable. Speech is improved more than 80%, in fact, talking all the time. Last year his teacher complained about his distraction, not sitting at one place, pushing other children. We got solution after visiting you.”
“He is not pushing, disturbing others and sitting at one place in class now. In the beginning his hairs were rigid which we forgot to tell you. They became soft now. Every month we saw the improvement in him I would say the total improvement in a year is 85%.”
Prescription- Placebo.
Follow up after 14 months-
His mother said he speaks fine now. Asking for his needs. Previously he couldn’t show his feelings. Now showing anger, happiness and tantrums. Expressing mood. Saying no to go for class if he is not willing!
The father said he even understands if being scolded. He becomes sad. He is getting emotions. Whatever we are asking, he understands the meaning.
I asked them to rate the improvement percentage wise in this duration?
The father said understanding improved more than 85-90%.
Mother said he was nonverbal child (no speech) when we visited you. He even could not utter Mummy-papa. Now talking a lot!
Now he is writing and his handwriting has improved. Doing self-study, reading books. Everything improved even drawing and colouring properly. He is framing the sentences by himself now! We would say the overall improvement in 14 months is 92%.
Prescription- Placebo.
His psychological developmental checklist report showed changes in Communication from 76% ( 18/10/2022) to 78.75% (02/05/2023). and expressing language from 69.9% to 72.3% respectively.
Significant changes in sensory processing like visual, vestibular, auditory, touch, multisensory and oral sensory processing as per the sensory profile comparison report.
Conclusion- My experience with such cases where pathology is rooted in a toxicological source, nosodes and medicines prepared from fungi or microbes work significantly.
My selection of remedies according to my 4C approach- (cleansing, constitutional, complimentary and clinical remedy) never disappoint me.
References
1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iatrogenesis
- Fighting Fire with Fire by Tane Johnson.
- (https://www.gunjanivfworld.com/blogs/side-effects-of-taking-hcg-injections-during-pregnancy/#:~:text=It%20has%20also%20been%20observed,getting%20injected%20with%20HCG%20injections.)
- (https://www.drugs.com/dosage/chorionic-gonadotropin-hcg.html#:~:text=Usual%20Adult%20Dose%20for%20Ovulation%20Induction&text=Some%20experts%20recommended%20HCG%20doses,appropriately%20pretreated%20with%20human%20menotropins
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/acetylcholine
- Dr. BANERJEA S. K. ‘Materia Medica Made Easy’
- https://patents.google.com/patent/US6239105B1/en
