Ari2

I haven't heard of a company established for this purpose before. What do you think?

From the NY Times: Experts Question Using Placebo Pill for Children

...Studies have repeatedly shown that placebos can produce improvements for many problems like depression, pain and high blood pressure, and Ms. Buettner reasoned that she could harness the placebo effect to help her niece. She sent her husband to the drugstore to buy placebo pills. When he came back empty handed, she said, “It was one of those ‘aha!’ moments when everything just clicks.”

Ms. Buettner, 40, who lives in Severna Park, Md., with her husband, 7-month-old son and 22-month-old twins, envisioned a children’s placebo tablet that would empower parents to do something tangible for minor ills and reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics and other medicines.

With the help of her husband, Dennis, she founded a placebo company, and, without a hint of irony, named it Efficacy Brands. Its chewable, cherry-flavored dextrose tablets, Obecalp, for placebo spelled backward, goes on sale on June 1 at the Efficacy Brands Web site. Bottles of 50 tablets will sell for $5.95. The Buettners have plans for a liquid version, too.

...“This is designed to have the texture and taste of actual medicine so it will trick kids into thinking that they’re taking something,” Ms. Buettner said. “Then their brain takes over, and they say, ‘Oh, I feel better.’ ”

...Most clinical trials that have shown benefits from placebos are double blinded. Neither the recipient nor the giver knows that the pills are fake....Even if Obecalp proved helpful, some doctors worry that giving children “medicine” for every ache and pain teaches that every ailment has a cure in a bottle.

“Kids could grow up thinking that the only way to get better is by taking a pill,” Dr. Brody said. If they do that, he added, they will not learn that a minor complaint like a scraped knee or a cold can improve on its own....

Trina

I happen to be within this school of thought.


some doctors worry that giving children “medicine” for every ache and pain teaches that every ailment has a cure in a bottle.

“Kids could grow up thinking that the only way to get better is by taking a pill,” Dr. Brody said. If they do that, he added, they will not learn that a minor complaint like a scraped knee or a cold can improve on its own....

Kaytee

ummm.... no that is just not right in my opinion.
When my child gets hurt and she asks for medicine, I either give her what she needs or I tell her "no you don't need medicine"
maybe if people don't grow up with the "take a pill for everything" motiff they won't take a pill for everything

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musicmom

I think it's a great idea and I would so buy a bottle! My kids love the taste of medicine and I wonder if they are faking aches and pains half of the time. I've noticed that within a few seconds they are better and I KNOW there is no way.
I do think gets get used to medicine to get better. Mine just started doing this when they were 7,6,6 so last year the whole I need medicine I have a headache thing started.
It would be great for those "tummy aches" So where can I buy these? Can I buy stock in these yet?