The Cuban health authorities warned against the administration of teas, infusions or syrups to children under five years of ageafter having promoted the use of natural medicine for years, before drug shortage on the island.
The notice arrived, according to a publication on the official portal Infomeddue to the number of children under the age of five who have arrived at the health services in the province of Holguín during 2022, “with a high degree of commitment to life”, because in the homes they had been supplied with “tea, infusions or decoctions of different medicinal plants”.
“This treatment, although it can be very beneficial in adults for certain ailments, its use is contraindicated in young children and, far from helping, it can cause serious damage to their health, even irreversible“, says the publication.
The note quotes Dr. Indira Espinosa Matos, a first-degree specialist in Pediatrics who works in the Gastroenterology ward of the Octavio de la Concepción de la Pedraja Pediatric Hospital, in Holguín.
“Phytotherapy should not be given to children under five years of age, as medically recognized, not even the popular syrups“, says the doctor.
“Even with greater emphasis under one year, neither honey nor tea of any kind is used. We have had children who have become very serious due to complicated digestive conditions because their mothers, grandmothers or a relative supplies them with plant tea such as mint, anón, painkiller, cress and sassafras, among others. This, if associated with children who have nutritional deficits, such as low weight or malnutrition, this infection has greater consequences in these patients that can even cost them their lives, “he explains.
The publication of Infomedpage of the Ministry of Public Health, points out that natural remedies are very effective, “nobody doubts it, but in children it can work as a double-edged sword.”
During years, the Cuban government has called on the population to resort to natural medicine, between a drug shortage that has worsened in the last two years.
Last March, the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG) reported that for this year it should secure 1,498 tons of medicinal plantsintended for the Local Production Centers, Labiofam and BioCubaFarma.
Compliance with a traditional and natural medicine policy it was part of the agenda of the National Assembly of Popular Power for 2021, announced in December 2020.
However, its use as a solution for colic, intoxication, ingestion or colds can “cause more harm than good”, according to the aforementioned publication in Infomedwhich recommends “close adherence to medical advice”.
The note it does not say what Cuban families can do when their children have these health problemsin the midst of a notable lack of medicines.
That scarcity is present in the comments on Facebook to the publication of Radio Holguín la Nueva, which shares the information of Infomed.
“Thank you, the information is very true and valuable, but we all know the lack of medicines that exist and the expensive prices of those on the street, so The Cuban, as always, subsisting and surviving, has had to resort to the advice of grandmothers and green medicine. May God help us because we are living in terrible times,” wrote Lilibet Infante.
“It is the only solution that family members find to alleviate some ailment, perhaps from ignorance, of course, but in this country there are no medicines“Yanet Rodríguez recalled.
“Surely the doctor will guarantee the medicines to the little patients and the parents will not have to worry about giving her natural medicine. Such medicine and teas have been given to patients for thousands of years. However, one must be careful when using them.” sick are minors”, affirmed Delma Suárez.
the note of Infomed He maintains that traditional natural medicine has demonstrated its effectiveness, “but after the age of five, adequate nutrition for children must be ensured, closely adhering to medical opinion.”
Providing adequate nutrition to both children and adults is also an arduous task in Cuba.due to shortages and high food prices.