This is the case of Thomas, a toddler whose nine months of foetal life were exceptionally traumatic.

Thomas was a very excitable little boy, smiling, laughing and saying “Wow!” again and again. He liked a lot of stimulation, screamed and became red in the face when he wanted something and had major tantrums. He rode his rocking horse as far as it would go, flew over the top of it and then stood up and laughed. He could hit his head but felt no pain. He wouldn’t hold hands to walk and ran for the road. At night he took an hour to settle then woke crying every one-and-a-half to two hours.

During her pregnancy, Thomas’s mother had debilitating morning sickness, vomiting up to 20 times a day for eight of the nine months. She lost 10 kilos, was in and out of hospital with dehydration and would pass out from weakness. She could only lie in bed; going to the bathroom for a shower was the focus of her day. There was the possibility the pregnancy may have to be terminated. She felt at times that she was dying, that her baby wouldn’t survive it all: ‘Are you just going to let us die? Why isn’t someone doing something?’

During labour there were signs of foetal distress, with meconium in her waters and a drop in Thomas’s heart rate. She was rushed into surgery for an emergency caesarean.

Thomas has benefitted from four homeopathic medicines given over a period of three months.

At the three-weeks follow-up he seemed less excited, was talking more and had begun to play with toys or sit with a book. Tantrums were of shorter duration and severity.

At the three-months follow-up Thomas’s vocabulary had increased, he had physically grown and matured, he was noticing other children and interacting with them and he would even feel pain. Tantrums had decreased in duration and severity. He was sleeping through the night and had a two-hour nap in the daytime.

Perhaps homeopathy has changed Thomas’s life. We don’t think so much of an infant as having post-traumatic stress, yet there is a clear connection between the trauma of this pregnancy and the child who felt no pain or fear, and his pattern of bravado and heightened excitability.

LINDA BEAVER, professional homeopath, NSW