24th April 2020 – A 4-year-old boy was troubled with molluscum contagiosum for more than a year. The warts were all over his torso and back. They were present in all sizes. The Mum said it started after he started day care. It started initially on his chest as a cluster of small tiny dots that he would often pick at, and it spread gradually over a period of one year.
As the name suggests, molluscum contagiosum is highly contagious. It is painless usually but can be itchy. When the spots appear, they look like pimples. Over time they become round, pink or pearl-coloured lumps with a hard core and often a dimple in the centre. The spots are usually very small, about 1-2 millimetres, but they can be as large as 2 centimeters.
It is not uncommon to acquire viral conditions such as molluscum in day care centers. Despite maintaining hygiene in most areas of the day care, children often play in sand pits. Sand can act as an incubator for viruses. Sand often traps heat and maintains the temperature for infections to survive. Little children play in the sand pits often in day care centers. Often children put the sands in their mouths and can develop other viral conditions too such as hand foot and mouth disease.
This child is a farm boy raised amongst three older siblings in far west Queensland, 1000 kms away from Brisbane. The family has a large cattle farm with thousands of cows and sheep. His parents live a very busy life working from dawn to dusk. The boy is used to playing around in dirt and mud and handling cattle. Their diet contains lots of fresh produce including milk, meat and vegetables. They have access to dry air and chemically treated water. The temperatures throughout the year can go as high as 40 degrees in summer to 10 degrees in winters.
The mum raised concern about the immunity of her child. She has heard many mums talking about molluscum having a spontaneous remission within weeks. Also, she believes that despite the child having a good appetite, he seems like he is very skinny. His skin appears very dry generally, despite drinking lots of water. He wakes up tired and irritable most mornings.
He has not been sick or needed antibiotics for a while. His bowels are consistent and fully formed. However, he often complains of belly ache especially around his navel. His mum did mention that he can have very offensive farts. He did not complain of itchy bottom or soreness around the anus.
As the appointments were conducted via zoom (online appointment), I requested his mother to take a photo of his tongue and his belly laterally and front view. Also, a photo of is face in natural sunlight
From the photos I saw his tongue was heavily coated, especially the posterior aspect; the belly button was slightly protruded, and his abdomen appeared fairly round. His arms and legs appeared skinny with lean muscle mass. His eyes were sunken, and his face appeared pale.
24th April 2020 – I started with Cina 30 C 3 pills twice a week for 2 weeks. This was prescribed based on the sunken eyes, pallor, bloated stomach and irritable moods. I requested that his mother fill out a diet diary for 2 weeks.
Follow Up appointment after 2 weeks -7th May, 2020
His mother noted that the child’s energy levels were improving. He doesn’t appear as cross and irritable and he has not complained of belly ache. The molluscum has not appeared to change and looks like they are spreading further down on his back. The molluscum are not as itchy but they are still raised.
I studied his diet and noticed he consumed a lot of sugar including fruits. Although his meals were very structured, he would often ask for a treat. His portions of meat and vegetables were sufficient and he consumed enough water. He did not have enough omegas in his diet as they live far away from the ocean and do not have access to fresh fish or seaweed or kelp. The diet was high in proteins and fats.
Hence, I changed my prescription to Antimonium Crudum 30c, 10 drops once a day for 4 weeks. I also prescribed fish oil and probiotics This was prescribed as it is a complementary remedy to Cina, and well suited to treat skin conditions and the gut.
2nD Follow up was done after 4 weeks – June 4, 2020
The mother was delighted to share that the molluscum had almost cleared up. No more itchiness and it had left no scars. His skin appeared less dry and irritated. His mother also mentioned that his belly appeared to be flatter and there was further significant improvement in energy and moods.
She was giggling when she said no more smelly farts and that they do not have to use room fresheners as much. She stated that he was looking stockier and the dark rings under his eyes were disappearing. She was very happy with the improvement and was grateful for the safe and natural options in treating a longstanding persistent condition and overall health.
I continued fish oil and probiotics for 3 months and then discontinued the Antimonium Crudum. The child is still symptom free as of September 2020.
