Receiving a diagnosis of pancreatitis for your child can be a challenging and overwhelming experience for any parent. The pain and discomfort that children with pancreatitis endure and the uncertainty of finding an effective and safe treatment can evoke feelings of helplessness.
However, it is crucial to understand that there is hope for a permanent cure and a better quality of life for your child. Ayurveda, a holistic healing system, offers a gentle and comprehensive approach to treating pancreatitis in children.
In this blog, we will delve into the unique considerations for children with pancreatitis, explore the benefits of Ayurvedic treatment, and shed light on why Ayurveda is an excellent, pain-free, permanent relief-assuring treatment option for children.
Pancreatitis in Children vs Adults: Understanding the Differences
While less prevalent than in adults, pancreatitis in children is increasingly recognised as a distinct clinical entity. The causes of pancreatitis in children differ significantly from those in adults.
While gallstones and alcohol consumption are less common in the paediatric population, underlying factors such as genetic predisposition, trauma, structural abnormalities, infections, and metabolic disorders play a more significant role.
In children, the impact of pancreatitis extends beyond the exocrine function to affect the endocrine function of the pancreas, primarily insulin production. Acute pancreatitis in children can result in transient or persistent insulin secretion abnormalities, leading to diabetes mellitus.
This is a crucial distinction from adult pancreatitis, where diabetes mellitus is often a consequence of chronic pancreatitis.
Children with pancreatitis often present with nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
These symptoms can overlap with other paediatric conditions, making the diagnosis challenging. Additionally, children are more prone to complications like pancreatic pseudocysts, ascites, pleural effusion, and vascular complications.
Impact of Pancreatitis On Other Aspects of Children’s Health
Pancreatitis affects more than just the pancreas. It can take a toll on other organs and on their growth and development as well. Here are a few critical aspects the disease can impact.
Liver Dysfunction
When a child has pancreatitis, it can affect how their liver works. The inflammation in the pancreas can cause problems in the liver, leading to issues such as high levels of liver enzymes, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), and difficulties in how the liver processes substances in the body.
This can also cause problems in the bile ducts, which are tubes that carry bile from the liver to the intestines. Complications like gallstones, narrowed bile ducts, and a condition called cholestasis, where bile flow is reduced, can occur.
It is important to address liver dysfunction because it can affect digestion, the absorption of nutrients from food, and overall health and well-being.
Malabsorption and Nutritional Deficiencies
When a child has pancreatitis, their pancreas doesn’t work properly, which affects how their body digests food and absorbs nutrients. The pancreas produces special substances called digestive enzymes that help break down food so the body can use it for energy and growth.
But with pancreatitis, the pancreas doesn’t make enough of these enzymes. This means that the child may have trouble absorbing important nutrients from food, like fats, proteins, and certain vitamins.
As a result, they can become deficient in these nutrients, which can cause problems with growth, development, and the immune system.
Mental and Psychological Impact
Paediatric pancreatitis not only affects the physical health of a child but also has significant mental and psychological implications.
Living with a chronic condition, managing pain, and coping with dietary restrictions and medical interventions can impact a child’s emotional well-being.
They may experience anxiety, depression, social isolation, and altered self-esteem. Creating a supportive environment and involving the child in their treatment plan can help alleviate the psychological impact and promote comprehensive healing.
Impact on Growth and Developmental Stages
Pancreatitis occurring during crucial growth and developmental stages in children can have long-lasting effects.
The condition can disrupt the body’s nutrient absorption and utilisation, potentially leading to delayed growth, poor weight gain, and delayed sexual maturation.
Adequate nutrition, including sufficient caloric intake and proper macronutrient balance, is essential during these stages to support growth and development.
Devising Treatment Strategies For Children With Pancreatitis
It’s important to tailor treatment strategies for young children with pancreatitis, highlighting the significance of a multidisciplinary approach involving paediatricians, nutritionists, and Ayurvedic practitioners.
Treating pancreatitis in young children necessitates a deep understanding of their physiological differences compared to adults.
Children have smaller pancreas and lower enzyme production, making them more susceptible to digestive imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. This understanding forms the basis for devising treatment strategies that address these specific physiological needs.
Ayurvedic Treatment for Paediatric Pancreatitis
Dietary choices have a significant impact on the severity and management of pancreatitis in children. Certain foods can trigger inflammation, strain the pancreas, and exacerbate symptoms.
Ayurveda recognizes the importance of balancing the aggravated doshas, particularly Pitta and Kapha, in the context of pancreatitis.
By adhering to specific dietary modifications, children can experience relief from symptoms and support the healing process.
Emphasising Digestive Support
Ayurveda places great importance on improving digestion to alleviate pancreatic stress in children with pancreatitis. Here are a few paramount considerations while devising diet plans for children.
Regular Meal Timing
Encouraging children to eat at regular intervals helps establish a consistent and healthy digestive rhythm.
Smaller, Frequent Meals
Dividing meals into smaller portions reduces the burden on the pancreas and aids in efficient digestion.
Easy-to-Digest Foods
Incorporating easily digestible foods, such as cooked vegetables, soups, and well-cooked grains, eases the digestive process and minimises pancreatic stimulation.
Mild Spices and Herbs
Utilising gentle spices and herbs, like coriander, cumin, fennel, and turmeric, enhances digestion and reduces inflammation in the pancreas.
Balancing Pitta Dosha
Ayurveda recognizes the role of aggravated Pitta dosha in pancreatitis. Balancing Pitta is crucial to alleviate inflammation and support the healing process in children. The following dietary modifications are recommended to pacify Pitta dosha:
Cooling Foods
Emphasising cooling foods, such as fresh fruits (e.g., sweet juicy fruits like pears, apples, and melons), leafy green vegetables, coconut water, and cucumber, helps reduce Pitta and inflammation.
Avoiding Spicy and Acidic Foods
Spicy and acidic foods should be minimised or avoided, as they can aggravate Pitta and worsen symptoms. This includes chilli peppers, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and vinegar.
Hydration
Ensuring adequate hydration is essential for managing pancreatitis. Encouraging children to drink warm water throughout the day helps balance Pitta and supports overall digestion.
Reducing Kapha Imbalance
Kapha dosha imbalance can also contribute to pancreatic disturbances. Ayurveda provides dietary recommendations to reduce Kapha and support pancreatic health:
Light and Warm Foods
Favouring light and warm foods aids in reducing Kapha accumulation. This includes warm soups, steamed vegetables, and light grains like Amaranth and millet.
Minimising Heavy and Oily Foods
Foods that are heavy, greasy, and hard to digest should be avoided, as they can further burden the pancreas. This includes fried foods, processed snacks, and excess oil in cooking.
Incorporating Digestive Spices
Adding digestive spices, such as ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and fenugreek, to meals helps stimulate digestion and counteract Kapha imbalances.
Gradual Introduction of Foods
Children with pancreatitis may have food sensitivities and intolerances, making it important to introduce new foods gradually. Monitoring their response to different foods and adjusting their diet accordingly helps identify trigger foods and optimise digestion.
Safety and Effectiveness of Ayurveda for Children
When it comes to treating children with pancreatitis, Ayurveda can provide a completely safe, side effect-free, permanently curing and effective alternative that trumps conventional medical approaches.
At Ayurveda Pancreatitis Clinic, we have treated over 1600 patients across a span of 40 years and we’ve offered permanent relief to children with pancreatitis. [Of these about 3.2% were below the age of 11 yrs]
Gentle and Natural Approach
Ayurveda’s emphasis on gentle and natural therapies makes it particularly suitable for children with pancreatitis. Ayurvedic treatments prioritise minimising adverse effects and supporting the body’s natural healing abilities.
The use of herbal remedies, dietary modifications, and lifestyle practices helps children manage symptoms, reduce inflammation, and promote overall well-being without harsh interventions or side effects.
Individualised Treatment
Ayurveda recognizes that each child is unique, with specific doshic imbalances and varying degrees of pancreatitis.
Our Ayurvedic practitioners assess the child’s constitution, digestive capacity, and presenting symptoms to create personalised treatment plans.
By tailoring therapies and herbal formulations to the child’s specific needs, we aim to address the root cause of the condition and support their overall health.
Herbal Remedies
Ayurveda utilises a wide range of herbs and herbal formulations in the treatment of pancreatitis in children. These herbs, such as ginger, turmeric, liquorice, and aloe vera, possess anti-inflammatory, digestive, and healing properties.
Our Vaidyas carefully select and prescribe herbs based on the child’s age, dosha imbalances, and specific symptoms to ensure their safety and effectiveness.
At APC, Ayurvedic treatment for Pancreatitis comprises a herbo-mineral formulation that promptly addresses the mineral deficiencies in the body.
Lifestyle Practices
Ayurveda recognizes the influence of lifestyle on overall well-being. For children with pancreatitis, Ayurvedic lifestyle practices can play a significant role in managing the condition.
This includes stress management techniques, regular physical activity appropriate for the child’s age, adequate rest, and sleep hygiene. These practices help reduce inflammation, support digestion and enhance the child’s overall health.
This is exactly what we recommend and implement in our 3-week residential treatment for children with pancreatitis where their anxiety is reduced and mental peace is restored.
Parental Involvement and Education
Parents play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of Ayurvedic treatments for their children with pancreatitis.
It is important for parents to be actively involved in their child’s treatment, follow the prescribed Ayurvedic guidelines, and communicate any concerns or changes in the child’s condition to our healthcare team.
During the residential treatment, we require that one parent accompany the child to the centre, be by their side, and make them feel at home and comfortable, for the treatment to work well.
We have treated numerous children with pancreatitis, who have shown tremendous improvement in 3 weeks, thanks to our multi-pronged approach and our miracle-working herbo-mineral formulation.
If you have received a pancreatitis diagnosis for your child, do not worry, we are here for you. We have treated several complicated cases of the disease and we can assure a painless, highly effective treatment for your little one.
Contact us now, give us specifics about your child’s health condition and let’s get started on their healing journey together.
Source: Is Ayurvedic Pancreatitis Treatment Good For A Child?
