Comments on: Placebo for kids?

By: Dominic

Dominic — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 05:47:08 +0000

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By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:30:44 +0000

Dan
Funny you should write about this. I saw this piece on the Today Show and found it very disturbing. But, I was strangely distracted (attracted?) by this concept. I sided with the medical ethicists who were troubled by the lie inherent in this cure. I compared this approach to “booboo ice” and decided I was comfortable with “booboo ice”, but not a pill. The only way I can explain this boundary is that I think a child would mature to see booboo ice for what it is, and would not use booboo ice into adulthood. But a child who frequently uses a pill might be likely to use medicine to cure all ills in adulthood.
-Michelle

By: Half Sigma

Half Sigma — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:48:05 +0000

The only parents who should have a moral problem with placebos are those parents who never perpetuated the Santa Claus Lie.

By: Roberta

Roberta — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:33:57 +0000

We are a society of pill takers. I have always talked to my kids about how powerful their brain is and how they can think themselves better. Positive thoughts, common sense, old fashioned rest. Of course this is for “simply not feeling well” times. If there is a true medical reason for medicine then I am all for it. But children need to feel empowered and they are now both grown and still believe in this philosophy.We do not take anything unless its really necessary. For every pill we take there is a side effect including placebos.

By: Truestorys

Truestorys — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:20:49 +0000

This reminds me of my daughter.
When she went to first grade, she came home crying for a whole week.
I gave her a necklace of an eagle and put it around her neck. I told her when she was at school and lonely and missing us, to look at the necklace because it represented all the Love that her family could give her. And she should think of that Love and of her Family and not cry.
This worked.
I saw nothing wrong in giving my child this placebo, I was just giving her mind something else to focus on.

By: Sheleen Addison

Sheleen Addison — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:17:01 +0000

Placebos were originally made to see the psychological effect a medicine had on a patient. The patients on the placebos did as well as those on the genuine medicine because they believed it would work or not. A kid is an amazing thing and up to a certain age they believe anything an adult tells them so giving them a placebo to ease a discomfort is good because it relieves their pain and also eases the adults stress or worry over their child’s illness. Perhaps the placebo is working on the adult as much as on the child so everyone is happy all round.

By: Martin Langeland

Martin Langeland — Tue, 27 May 2008 22:18:33 +0000

If child is sick enough to have a labeled disease, no need for placebo as a “proper” pill exists.

If child is not sick enough for a labelable disease, then use “magic” whether sugar-water and mumbo jumbo or expensive “medicine” in elaborate containers.

But what was that about holding the child while she slept? Is that human empathy of parent for child most effective?
Does it bother us to encourage the idea that being “sick” requires taking pills — as if that is the only possible solution, at least to the common ailments of childhood?

Or is it just a matter of choosing the most effectual suggestion from the pharmacopoeia to placebos to parenting?
–ml

By: dan

dan — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:55:26 +0000

Thanks for the comments. I will try to get my kids on the blog next week

Dan

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:20:11 +0000

There is really no need for this pill. The market is already full of placebos: homeopathic products. Since, for many, both the parents and the children are blissfully unaware that all they are doing is downing H2O, no lying is required. These cost more, of course… but that is because they are more effective ;o)

By: rightsaidfred

rightsaidfred — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:33:27 +0000

If placebos have a therapeutic effect, it is no lie to give it to your child and tell him/her it will help.

We can strive for purity of purpose, but few things are 100%. All we can hope for is a statistically significant effect.

Budweiser beer promise me that if I drink their product, my life will be better. Seldom have they delivered on their promise, but I still drink the swill.