By Radhika Nagrath
Haridwar, 2 Apr: The observance of World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April is an effort to ensure that parents must note the early signs of delayed responses of children and seek help from the experts. An ongoing trend of the mothers to give mobiles to their infant children to suppress their ever increasing demands may lead to the delayed responses of the child. More screen time by expecting mothers also makes a negative impact on the developing brain of the child, says a study. A 2021 study published in the Indian Journal of Paediatrics reveals that estimated prevalence of autism in India is 1 in 68 children which is quite alarming.
Dr Vijay Verma, Head, JP Health Paradise, Haridwar, who has been working with autistic children since 2012 says, “Virtual autism is a minute and temporary injury to the neurons responsible for speech development. This injury due to continuous radiation of mobile or other screens may become permanent and become serious at a later age of a child.” He further says that the mobile and other screen exposure is very dangerous in very young developing minds.
Timely engagement with clinical experts not only helps improve the speech of the child but also improves other body functions like excretion and sleep patterns. “We have designed a protocol for such children aligning with the principles of Ayurveda, nurturing the child’s potential without suppressing any of his needs,” says Vijay Verma.
Autism, characterised by a delay in the development of the brain, has long remained a perplexing challenge. However, Dr Verma’s innovative approach recognises the importance of understanding the unique needs of autistic children. The child, often misunderstood, is not subjected to constant interruption and instruction in the treatment. Instead, embracing a more compassionate and tailored approach, the treatment protocol strives to make the learning process a journey of growth rather than a painful ordeal.
Ishan (name changed), aged 5 years from Bangalore, has been taking treatment for the past three years. On his visit to Haridwar, his father, Ashutosh Chowbey, a software engineer shared, “From birth, my son had a disturbed sleep cycle. He had blood in his stool but after treatment his sleep cycle has tremendously improved and he is free of constipation. His eye contact has become almost normal. We are so happy to see him progress in school as well.” Many such patients shared their experiences during the monthly meeting at the clinic.
After close to three decades of practicing the allopathic system of medicine, Dr Vijay Verma began his research in Ayurveda and started a combined critical care treatment philosophy in 2012, integrating the principles of Allopathy and Ayurveda. Since then, he has successfully utilised Ayurveda to treat serious emergencies such as dengue, acute viral fever, thrombocytopenia, severe Covid, swine flu, and other diseases affecting both children and adults.
He says, “Our treatment methodology involves a holistic combination of diet, Ayurvedic medicines and Per Rectal Nutrition. Per Rectal Nutrition is one of the Ayurvedic Vasthi treatments that can positively influence the gut genome, enhance immunity, and reduce bowel inflammation of the children.”
It must be noted that Autism is a condition in which a child’s mental, social, and communication development does not progress as expected. There can be multiple contributing factors, such as premature birth, the need for life support systems at birth, neonatal jaundice, and excessive consumption of formula milk or processed food during infancy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was observed that many children spent excessive time on screens—mobiles, televisions, and other digital devices—which significantly hindered their brain development. This condition is now referred to as “Virtual Autism”.
