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View Full Version : Baby died after 'failure' of homeopathic therapy


Ramen
5th May 2009, 08:08 AM
I can't believe it's taken 7 years to get these deluded bastards into court.
Wonder whether he's still a homeopathic specialist, and how his patients reacted.

From The Australian: (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25430553-17044,00.html)

GLORIA Thomas was born a healthy child at 3.09kg to well-educated parents living in a nice home and what should have been a settled domestic life.
She died 9 1/2 months later weighing only 5.4kg, suffering from a debilitating dermatological condition, severe malnourishment, delayed development, conjunctivitis and an abnormal left cornea.
The NSW Supreme Court heard yesterday that after the baby was diagnosed with eczema at four months, Gloria's parents allegedly ignored repeated pleas by nurses and doctors to treat her skin condition with conventional medicine, opting instead for the homeopathic remedies in which her father, Thomas Sam, specialised.
Mr Sam and his wife, Manju Anna Sam, appeared in court yesterday, both charged with manslaughter by gross criminal negligence. They have pleaded not guilty.
Senior prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC alleged that both parents had failed to get proper medical care for their daughter, contributing to her death on May 8, 2002, at the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick.
Mr Tedeschi identified septicemia as the primary cause of Gloria's death and said her parents "realised what was happening" to the child.
"We say ... a reasonable parent in their position, knowing what they knew, seeing what they saw, being told what they had been told, would have obtained proper medical care and attention for Gloria," Mr Tedeschi said.
In his opening address to the jury, Mr Tedeschi said Mr and Ms Sam had repeatedly ignored the advice of medical professionals to seek specialist treatment for their daughter.
The case continues

boxsey
5th May 2009, 08:54 AM
my heart breaks for that child, and all the health professionals that tried to do something.

GenericBox
5th May 2009, 08:57 AM
I know... "whats the harm" of that stuff right?

Seamus
5th May 2009, 09:36 AM
I saw that on the news last night and was appalled and incredulous.

As far as I know,there is no evidence based on double blind studies to show that homeopathy has any effect whatsoever above what could be expected from drinking water.

I was under the impression health authorities can intervene in cases where a child is at risk. EG Giving blood to JW children against parental wishes.

Yet,my local chemist sells homepoathic "medicines". I really don't understand how they get past The Therapeutic Goods Administration. It's an offence in Oz to make false or misleading claims about the therapeutic benefits of substances or procedures. The cosmetic industry was done here recently for falkse claims about anti aging creams.