Positive results
For decades, physicians at the Municipal Hospital of Herdecke have obtained good results administering mistletoe therapy to children.
Mistletoe therapy for children
In principle, mistletoe preparations can be used for children. The manufacturer of Lektinol is the only one which states that children under the age of 12 should not be treated with the preparation due to lack of experience with young patients. In the case of anthroposophical medicaments, no negative effects have been observed in children treated with mistletoe extracts to date.
The types of cancer most frequently found in children are forms of leukaemia, brain tumours, tumours of the kidneys (Wilms tumour) and of the sympathetic nerve system (neuroblastoma) as well as tumours in the lymph glands and bone cancer. Mistletoe therapy can help in all cases but there are only a few clinics which offer such therapy on a routine basis, in addition to chemotherapy and other forms of treatment which might prove necessary. For the most part, those hospitals which do are anthroposophical institutions. The paediatric division of the Municipal Hospital of Herdecke specialises in mistletoe therapy for children, as do out-patient wards of some clinics (such as the Filderklinik in Stuttgart) and anthroposophical paediatric practices (e.g. in Munich).
Experience has shown that in the case of childhood leukaemia, it is advisable to use very low concentrations of mistletoe extract (in homeopathic dilutions: D10, D20 or D30). When tumours in the kidneys, bones or the lymph glands are involved, preparations with higher dosages should be used.
Mistletoe therapy for children - as for adults - can be initiated before or during chemotherapy. It can improve the child’s quality of life, reduce the risk of complications and recurrences and help the child to recover from the strains of conventional treatment more quickly. In the case of adolescents, it has been observed that mistletoe therapy can help strengthen the person’s individuality.
When administered to children, mistletoe extracts are not only injected but also given in drop form, with the active substances being absorbed via the oral mucosa. The mucous membranes of small children in particular are much more permeable than are those of adults. This facilitates the absorption of the mistletoe preparation. In the case of children with brain tumours in particular, this is a time-tested application which shows positive results. As no approved mistletoe preparation in drop form is available in Germany, these preparations must be procured from England through an international pharmacy; health insurance companies do not cover the costs, however.
The treatment should last for at least two to five years, sometimes longer, depending on tumour type and stage.
At a glance
Mistletoe therapy can also be administered to children. Generally, the same preparations are used for both children and adults, but mistletoe drops, which are absorbed into the blood through the oral mucous membrane, are also frequently used for children. Mistletoe therapy can help to improve the patient’s quality of life, prevent recurrences and make conventional treatment more tolerable.