Epsom Salt Baths | Autism PDD

Okay this is going to sound really out there (and keep in mind my dd woke me at 5:10 this morning!). I do sometimes wonder if there were some kids who were helped by things like a daily dose of cod liver oil (which was common practice 40-50 years ago) and the epsom salts bath - enough where they could somewhat "pass" as NT, but with quirks - the kids that were seen as "eccentric".

I'm interested to know if this helps at all. Obviously it won't be a cure-all - but it could be one more thing in my bag of tricks to help ds help himself calm down!

I guess as far as this goes, I can't see any harm in it as it isn't ingested. If nothing else, he'll get clean and smell good!

Sure is CHEAP, and READILY AVAILABLE!

Let us know.

They are good for post-workout muscles ... but heck, if they did as much as can be claimed I would think we would have known, 40-50 yrs ago!I have heard this remedy for helping sleep too..add some lavendar oil:) The scented bath salts us ladies has enjoyed our whole lives are nothing more than epsom salts with perfume added:) I have heard too that the magnesium gets absorbed and that is the "calming" addititve that helps kids to relax:) My friend did this with daughter every night to help her go to sleep..that and melantonin worked:)

I've never tried epsom salt baths, but I came across a paragraph about them in a book I have (Raising a Sensory Smart Child). They gave the web site the original poster listed. They also indicated that in lieu of baths, you can mix epsom salt into lotion to rub onto your child's skin. A premixed epsom salt lotion is available at www.kirkmanlabs.com.

They also warned that epsom salts should not be used on a child with high blood pressure or kidney or heart problems.

I have yet to experience a bath time without an abundance of splashing. Wouldn't the saltyness of the water make their eyes burn? Let us know how that works out!if I ever get Sharlet in the bath again.... I might give it a try

Allegra, you can order Epsom Salts in a cream that you can rub in her skin at night. It is soft and feels better than our lotions!

http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/products/minerals/magnesium/Mag_S ulf_Cream_Spec225.html

We did Epsom baths the past 3 nights. Not much to report on. The baths actually seemed to energize him a little. On all 3 nights he seemed like he was very tired at bath time and he would go right to sleep after the bath, however this wasn’t the case he wanted to play and read books and it took an extra 15 – 20 minutes to get him to sleep - no big deal though. To ease him into it we did go with ľ cup of Epsom salts rather than the recommended 2 cups. Because of the benefits mentioned in my original post we will continue to do the Epsom salt baths, but will do it every other night.

Interesting! Let us know how u fared with the salts. I've heard someone else touting the benefits of Epsom Salts to detoxify and magnesium is a really good mineral to help calm anxiety.I am not knowledgeable enough to give you any info on this. I do make it a
habit to remind people that there is A LOT of misinformation on the
internet. Although considered "old fashioned", Epsom salts do seem to have an anti-inflammatory benefit in addition to a relaxation benefit in my experience...JJDad, Please let us know if this helps, I am interested in your results.

I found the following on the internet:

Question:
I've heard that Epsom Salt is often used by parents whose children have been diagnosed with autism. Can you explain?
Answer:
Many doctors believe that autism is accompanied by bowel disorders that make it difficult to absorb nutrients and to purge the body of wastes. Sulfates, one of the major components of Epsom Salt, have been shown effective in improving nutrient absorption and toxin elimination. Magnesium, the other major component of Epsom Salt, has a demonstrated calming effect and plays a role in the activity of more than 325 enzymes. Because both magnesium and sulfates can be absorbed through the skin, many parents report that giving their child a warm bath with 1-2 cups of dissolved Epsom Salt just before bedtime helps extend the child's sleep cycle and ease digestive function.

Also this website provided more information:

http://www.enzymestuff.com/epsomsalts.htm

I am giving it a try tonight and I’ll let you all know how it goes after a few days.

I used to do the epsom salt baths but it seemed my son would get irritable sometimes. I ment to go from 1 cup down to 1/2 but stopped using in for some reason. I gave my son a epsom salt bath this morning because he was bothered by something and I could not figure out what. I used 1/2 cup and he has been right as rain for the rest of the day. Also I used it everyday. That may be too much for him so I think I will try this about three times per week and see how it goes this time around. I sure worked today although it could be a coincidence.Has anyone seen a benefit from using the bath or cream?

We use epsom salt baths on both of our sons after a lot of research and a recommendation from our doctor. It helps calm, it helps rid their bodies of toxins (very gently), it's a good thing for many children, especially many children with Autism. You can use too much, so ask about how much per bath. Our doctor recommended 1/2 cup per bathful. That means the water should be at least waist level when they sit down.

It can help, it's been used for a long time. However, don't let your kids drink their bath water. It can have a major laxative effect. This happened to my son when I first tried it. I didn't see him drink any water but maybe some got in his mouth or I used too much epsom salt.Allegra:

How are you??? I always think about you and wonder how your girls are doing!!!!

i hate when i lose a post!!

the short, i love magnesium!! just got mag oil, small benefits but enough to continue.