Childhood Asthma can be Cured
Antonio Madrid*
Redwood Psychology Center, Monte Rio, CA, USA
*Corresponding author
*Antonio Madrid, Redwood Psychology Center, Monte Rio, CA, USA
DOI: 10.55920/JCRMHS.2024.08.001359
Introduction
Summarizing the studies on antecedents of childhood asthma, Yatsenko (2016) writes that disruptions in maternal-infant bonding are at the root of this disease. Redwood Psychology Center corroborated this conclusion with three studies (Schwartz, 1990; Pennington, 2000; Feinberg, 1999) which showed that the majority of asthmatic children have birth histories compatible with non-bonding.
Maternal-infant bonding can be disrupted by two major events: separation at birth or maternal grief, such as loss of someone important, recent trauma, marital problems, an unwanted pregnancy, or other disruption in her life.
Following this strong link between bonding disruptions and the development of asthma, researchers at the Redwood Psychology Center treated 37 asthmatic children by correcting the bonding disruption and creating a new birth in the mothers’ minds. Thirty of them significantly improved (Madrid et al., 2000; Madrid et al., 2004;Madrid et al., 2011). The treatment is a three-step process. First, the non-bonding event (NBE) or events must be discovered. Second, the NBE must be healed by some therapy, such as hypnosis, EMDR, or anything that heals injuries. Often the traumatic event has been healed by time. Third, a new birth without the NBEs present must be imagined and felt by the mother.
Two examples will be given to demonstrate this treatment.
Case 1
The mother of a seven-year-old boy with asthma reported that her son missed school several days a month, took all the medicines available including frequent uses of steroids, and was seen in the emergency department at least once a month. Her NBEs were obvious. Her husband left her during t he second trimester. The boy was born jaundiced and hurried to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her son had to stay in the hospital when the mother was discharged; and when she picked him up, she remembers thinking, “Are you sure this is my son; he doesn’t feel like he’s mine.”
The therapist with hypnosis helped her heal the NBEs. This was quick work because time had healed most of them. Then a new birth was imagined, without the grief being present. The entire treatment took less than 30 minutes.
Four weeks later, the mother reported that his asthma was cured—no more medication, no more asthma attacks, no more ER visits. And his pediatrician took him off medication. The only recurrence was when he was visiting his father. The father brought him immediately home after phoning the boy’s mother; and as soon as he got into his mother’s arms, the wheezing stopped.
Case 2
A 15-year-old mother of a 9-month-old son was sent to an aunt in another state when her embarrassed parents found out that their teenage daughter was pregnant. The aunt was equally ashamed of her. Also, the father of this boy broke up with the mother when he found out that she was pregnant. After the mother delivered her son, she returned home. Shortly afterwards her son was diagnosed with asthma.
The therapist spent two sessions with the mother. In the first session he hypnotized her and healed the hurt from the father leaving her and from the shame that was laid on her by her family. In the next session, he asked her to imagine her pregnancy without the NBEs, joyfully and expectantly.
Within two days her son’s asthma was healed. The pediatrician stopped all of his medication.
Conclusion
Most asthmatic children had difficult births. Either they were separated from their mothers at birth or their mothers were grieving at the time. When the event or events are healed and a perfect birth is imagined by the mother, most children’s asthma improves. This works best for young children, even infants. It does not seem to work with adolescents, who are in the process of removing themselves from their parents.
References
- Feinberg, S. (1988). Degree of maternal infant bonding and its relationship to pediatric asthma and family environments. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation).The Professional School of Psychology, San Francisco, CA.
- Pennington, D. (1991). Events associated with maternal-infant bonding deficits and severity of pediatric asthma.(Unpublished doctoral dissertation).
- Madrid, A., Ames, R., Skolek, S., & Brown, G. (2000). Does maternal-infant bonding therapy improve breathing in asthmatic children? Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health,15(2), 90-112.
- Madrid, A., Ames, R., Horner, D., Brown, G., & Navarrette, L. (2004). Improving asthma symptoms in children by repairing the maternal-infant bond. Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health, 18(3), 221-231.
- Madrid, A., Pennington,D,&Brown, G, Wolfe, M. (2011). Helping asthmatic childen thrrough Bonding Therapy.Journal of Perinatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health 26(2).
- Schwartz, M. (1988). Incidence of events associated with maternal-infant bonding disturbances in a pediatric asthma population.(Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Rosebridge Graduate School, Walnut Creek, CA.
- Yatsenko,O, Pizano,J,& Nikolaidis, A. (2016).Revisiting maternal–infant bonding’s effects on asthma: A brief history. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2016.1161267