Where the cure ‘lies’

With social media fuelling a rise in neo-nativism, many are risking lives by turning to such unscientific treatments, rue healthcare professionals

A recent incident in Mayiladuthurai, where an infant was fed a drop of mercury to cure a skin problem, has highlighted the continued reliance on traditional practices in the State. With social media fuelling a rise in neo-nativism, many are risking lives by turning to such unscientific treatments, rue healthcare professionals

TIRUCHY: Twenty-four-year-old Sumitra and her husband Saravanan, 31, are shocked that a practice common to people in their region left their two-week-old daughter, their firstborn, in critical condition at the Thanjavur Raja Mirasdar Hospital. The baby had been fed a drop of mercury with betel leaf juicie by an aged relative to treat ‘karappan’, a skin problem, while Sumitra and child were at Peruncheri, her native village. 

The baby, who had been born at Mayiladuthurai government hospital on August 16, had to be rushed back to the GH after the mercury caused vomiting and swelling of the stomach. Doctors there were amazed when an x-ray showed a glowing speck of mercury in the digestive system. The GH referred the child to the Thanjai hospital where she is being treated. Doctors said that this baby was lucky. If there had been complications, the simple act of feeding mercury — easily available at provision shops — could have turned fatal. “Feeding mercury to babies to treat karappan is a common practice in Mayiladuthurai block. I do not know how only my baby got sick because of this,” Sumitra, furious at the media attention, said. 

Indeed the practice is not prevalent in most of Nagapattinam district. However, medical professionals rue that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unscientific practices that people in Tamil Nadu, both in cities and villages, refuse to give up, despite the risks to their health and health of their children. Unfortunately, practices that were on their way out due to rise in education levels and growing awareness, have returned thanks to social media. 

“Some of these practices are ancient notions passed from generation to generation and mainly followed by grandmothers. They are followed more in villages but due to the rise of modern education and awareness, they are not practised as much as before,” said Dr J Mariano Anto Bruno Mascarenhas, Senior Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Madras Medical College.
“But, of late, social media forwards and posts are causing havoc with many spreading lies about such home remedies. The lies that catch the imagination of urban dwellers, who seem to have developed an antipathy to modern medical practices, are spread through WhatsApp, Facebook and Youtube,” said Dr Mascarenhas.

Indeed, social media has led to a recent resurgence of neo-nativism among a section of the educated people in cities, experts say. This poses a risk of reversing the State’s many gains in healthcare. 
Some native beliefs and practices are fairly harmless. One such practice is the adorning of the hair of a new mother with neem leaves when she takes her infant outside to ward off evil spirits. Another is the making of a talisman (thayathu) out of a piece of umbilical cord. However, there are others which can cause serious health issues, especially among infants and toddlers. 

“For the first six months, babies should be fed only with mother’s milk. Not even water is required. But some people give castor oil (vilakkennai) to babies to relieve constipation or respiratory issues. This may cause pneumonia if the oil enters the lungs,” explained Tiruchy pediatrician Dr K Senthilkumar.
“There is another practice known as vayiru oothuthal in which a tube is inserted in the toddler’s mouth to suck out small items such as a grain of rice or a piece of onion skin. This is done because parents believe that stomach troubles in a toddler are caused by the swallowing of some tiny particles while crawling. However, this practice may cause infections in the child. Similarly, some people smear camphor powder over the body of a newborn to treat some illnesses. If baby’s skin absorbs too much of that powder, it may lead to death,” he said. 

Some home remedies meant to treat colds or respiratory problems in a child may instead trigger them. “People burn leaves collected from elsewhere and make the child inhale the smoke. This sometimes trigger allergies in the child. There is also a practice of mixing some herbs with pigeon blood and applying the paste on to the child’s chest to cure respiratory problems. What they are not aware is that the problem can get aggravated and affect the health,” said G Kamal of the  Tamil Nadu Aasthma and Allergy Research Foundation. 
Experts say that parents bring their babies to the hospital only when these home remedies fail or worsen the condition. By then, the condition of the baby may be serious.

Neo-nativism and anti-vaccination
A few years ago, a social media campaign against vaccinations, led to a rise in resistance to administration of vaccines in the State. Health department officials struggled to quell the fears among the parents. 

“Recently, there have been campaigns against modern medicines, including child immunization, echoing the sentiments of neo-nativism. Such campaigns have significant implications on preventive health in the State. Tamil Nadu, which otherwise has  remarkable records in health indicators, has seen a decline of child immunization. According to the National Family Health Survey, full-immunization coverage in the state stood at 65% in 1992, increased to 81% in 2005 and then declined to 69% in 2015. Beside various other factors, public health personnel argue, these campaigns too contributed to such a decline,” A Kalaiyarasan, assistant professor, Madras Institute of Development Studies, said. 
If all these practices pose risks to a child’s health once born, there are also practices that could endanger a child while still in the mother’s womb.

There is a widespread myth, according to neonatal specialists, that if a pregnant lady eats more food a few weeks before delivery, the baby would gain weight and would necessitate a C-Section instead of a regular delivery. Doctors rubbish this belief as unscientific. On the other hand, some opt for a C-section only to ensure the child is born at an auspicious time. “Four years ago, I took a pregnant relative to a private hospital in Kumbakonam after she was referred there by a local doctor for C-section due to some complications. In that hospital, the doctor gave me a calendar and asked me to choose an auspicious time for the surgery. I got upset and I shifted the girl to a different hospital,” Rajan of Jayankondam said.

Affects prognosis 
Not just maternal and child health, too often families choose not to seek medical help for relatives experiencing hallucinations or any other mental health issues, partly due to ignorance and partly due to stigma. Instead they take them to some places of worship or local healers, whose efforts often cause harm to the patient. In some cases, families spend lakhs of rupees on pujas to chase “evil spirits” away from the patient.

Experts lament that they turn to medial professionals only as the last resort. “The duration of untreated illness is prolonged leading to higher disability scores. Hence, our department is spending more energy on increasing awareness among the people about mental illness and treatment available,” said R Karthik Deivanayagam, Pudukkottai District Mental Health Program Officer.
Experts believe only increased awareness and scientific temper will improve the State’s health indicators.
 

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