Corylus avellana
Remedy code: 3-644.41.03.
A 4-year-old boy with eczema that began in infancy after his first vaccination. Since then, his parents tried several therapies. In his first months, he had the RSV virus, numerous infections, and pneumococci, and subsequently, the eczema developed. It is currently severe. Until a few weeks ago, they were using detox therapy, which caused significant reactions each time but never resolved the issue, and recently, it has worsened. The eczema primarily affects his hands, feet, face, tops of his feet, and lower legs. As a baby, it was on his abdomen, the backs of his knees, and armpits. His parents suspect he reacts to pollen, as he sneezed and had red eyes late in the year. This moment his mother is heavily pregnant, and his father recently started a new job this week, which caused stress. His father has severe skin allergies too, he is an introvert, feels a strong sense of responsibility, and struggles to let things go. This child is the result of the third pregnancy, prompting a search for similarities with his father (following Grandgeorge). His grandfather had to quit his studies because of a skin condition. The father states: “Stress directly affects my skin, as does the chaos at home.” Both he and the grandfather experience skin issues. The boy experiences itching and pain, but distraction helps. He wakes 4–5 times a night due to the itching. His first sleep phase is restful, and his skin becomes very pale. Then, he wakes up and starts rubbing. The itching worsens after eating sugar, certain types of meat, breadcrumbs, and cream cheese. It flares up when he’s tired or out of sorts. Despite everything, he is always cheerful. He sleeps with gloves to prevent scratching. As a baby, he struggled with severe congestion, couldn’t be laid flat, coughed up a lot of mucus, and needed inhalers. In good periods, his skin is rough; now, it becomes moist after rubbing. He is very active, curious, and loves exploring. Like his father, he has a technical inclination, and enjoys dismantling things, playing football, and running. He frequently seeks validation, saying, “Look how well I can do this!” or “I’m not going to school when I’m four; I’ll just stay home with you mam.” However, he talks to me about how his sister writes and what she can do, showing interest in fascinating new things. The other children are more into crafting. Baby photos show that he wasn’t comfortable, and only at 2.5 years old did he seem “settled in his body” beginning to cuddle and use his body more. Since then, he seems to have a better understanding of how things work. His mother’s pregnancy involved numerous issues, including pelvic pain in the final weeks, rapid abdominal growth, and significant water retention. She was still working during this time, which was very demanding. Asimina triloba provided temporary improvement, along with coughing and runny noses.
Analysis
Iron series: practical, technical.
Fagales: ancestral themes, balance, skin as a central and persistent complaint.
Phase 4: contentment (“I don’t need to go to school”), stability of mother (how she talks, reacts en presenting herself), strong responsibility of father.
Phase 1: flaring up (his skin), always cheerful. New situation (for the child the family expansion; for the father, his new job). The family is experiencing the themes of Phase 1; with young children, we always consider the family dynamics and thematic influences.
Betulaceae: love of new things, exploration (pioneering qualities).
Insecurity points to a low stage. Corylus is positioned in Stage 3, associated with respiratory issues and itch.
He was doubting a long time, 2.5 years, before he started to integrate in the world, to set his person in the community, a Fabidae concept.
Corylus (Qjure): themes of not belonging in one’s body (the first two years) and sensitivity to criticism.
Prescription: Corylus avellana MK,
Follow-Up
After a week, the skin worsened temporarily, becoming inflamed for a few days, and then calmed down. The patches softened quickly, became less thick, and were no longer red, though there was occasional itching. After two weeks, he had a brief fever and pain in his left leg, refusing to stand on it, along with sweating and otorrhoea. He asked, “Am I beautiful?”. During the days of fever, his skin became very calm and he stopped rubbing his face. His father remains his biggest role model. Following this, the rash disappeared. A year later, it briefly returned in small, isolated spots that were rough and red. The pioneering quality of this family became apparent when they became co-founders of a new school a few years later. Family picture can be helpful in an analysis, especially in children.