Protecting future ‘Baby Glorias’ from Homeopathic Beliefs

[HuckleB]

http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2009/09/protecting-future-baby-glorias-from.html

"As I write this, two married Australian homeopaths are spending their first nights in gaol as they begin prison sentences for six and four years respectively for the manslaughter of their baby daughter, Gloria.

This is a tragic, not least for the convicted parents. A nine month old baby died unnecessarily in the most horrific way because of her parent’s belief in the superiority and power of homeopathic sugar pills. Gloria suffered from severe eczema where the sores became severely infected. She constantly cried in pain and her skin became broken and oozing with fluid. She became malnourished and died.

This case has very important implications for those who are seeking better ways to regulate the so-called ‘complementary and alternative medicine’ (CAM) sector here in the UK. Understanding the nature of this tragedy will highlight the shortcomings of the approaches being taken by the government.

The parents of baby Gloria Thomas have been branded “cruel”, “arrogant” and “irresponsible”. The couple wept in the dock and it is easy to understand why. It is not just the loss of their daughter, or their impending incarceration, but almost undoubtedly their complete failure to understand what has happened to them.

This gulf may be difficult to grasp by those who do not understand the nature of homeopathy and see it just as a natural and safe complementary medicine. It is nothing of the sort. Whilst its pills are completely safe (they are just sugar pills), the homeopathic belief system is quite dangerous. Homeopathy does not define itself as complementary. It is not designed to assist treatments by real medicine. Homeopathy defines itself as ‘a compete system of medicine’ in its own right and, importantly, it defines itself in conflicting opposition to what homeopaths call ‘allopathy’ – or mainstream medicine. Homeopathy is strictly alternative.

..."


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This is not a new story, but it's the first time I've come across it. Wow.

[Warpy]

1. The problem isn't that they believed in homeopathy or tried it on a sick kid

The problem is that they didn't seek real medical care when the homeopathy did not work.

That's the cruelty and I sincerely hope that finally dawns on them at some point during their incarceration, when they have nothing but time to think about it all.

[ArbustoBuster]

2. Whoever taught those parents homeopathy is guilty, too.

I consider that a root problem here is the existence of charlatans who sell homeopathy as a medical cure, rake in their cash, and laugh all the way to the bank as their "patients" die or suffer needlessly.

The bastard who sold those parents the sugar pills as medicine belongs in prison, too. Homeopathy is quack medicine - completely useless - and we've known that it's quackery for decades.