Teenagers value their appearance. This is more pronounced in girls, and most find themselves dispirited when they notice wrinkles in their faces, or in other body parts. One of the ways of removing these wrinkles is by using Botox at a clinic, or they would even try to get a microneedling treatment done. Botox is also used for medical purposes, and this includes managing cerebral palsy in young girls. Thus, the vexing question of whether you as a parent should allow your daughter to use Botox does not have a definitive answer. Usually, the answer is determined by the existing state of health of your girl, and the estimated efficacy of Botox in managing the needs of the child.
Some paediatricians do recommend botox services for girls affected by cerebral palsy. In this case, the parent is normally forced to comply with the professional recommendation of the doctor. The Botox is administered by means of a hypodermal injection so that it can exert local effect. The need for local effect is necessitated by two facts. First of all, Botox is a derivative of the botulinum toxin, and it is thus bound to cause adverse reactions in the body if it enters the bloodstream, and is thereafter distributed throughout the body. Secondly, an injection ensures that the drug achieves a high local concentration within the targeted tissue. The concentration of botox determines its efficacy and potency, so make sure you do your research before going through this procedure.
Nonetheless, both the doctor and the parent must appreciate the fact that 90 nanograms of Botox can kill a person weighing 90 kilograms, and this mandates the doctor to carefully measure and calibrate the amount of Botox that is to be administered to your girl. If you feel that the amount of drug to be administered exceeds the safe amounts, you have a right to intervene and ask the doctor to clarify if the injection would be safe. If you are still unsatisfied by the explanation provided by the doctor, you can reject the doctors attempt to administer Botox to your daughter.
There was a warning issued in 2009 against the use of Botox in girls. Additionally, medical professionals do dissuade paediatricians from using Botox to manage instances of spasticity in young children. Cerebral palsy causes spasticity and Botox is used to manage episodes of spasms. Nonetheless, medical authorities still issue strong warnings against indiscriminate use of Botox to manage such episodes. This is informed by the fact that there have been no conclusive studies on the effect of use of Botox in managing cerebral palsy children under 12 years. However, for girls aged above 12 years, Botox can be used safely. The aforementioned facts serve to guide a parent to make an informed decision. Therefore, you can decline Botox treatment for your girl if she is younger than 12 years old.
The Botox used to manage cerebral palsy in girls is known as Myobloc. There is another type of Botox known as Cosmetic Botox. Cosmetic Botox is usually used to relax the muscles in the face, and this serves to eliminate wrinkles. If your daughter suffers from premature aging, wrinkles may develop earlier than expected and in order to assist her, you may need to ask a doctor to administer cosmetic Botox. The drug is administered through injection so as minimize possibilities of organ poisoning. In such an instance, you acquiesce to the administration so as to protect the self-esteem of your daughter. Nonetheless, there are considerations that you should also take into account. These considerations are described below.
To begin with, cosmetic Botox is known to cause paediatric botulinum. This form of Botox poisoning manifests as difficulty in swallowing and laboured breathing. Sometimes, it can develop into respiratory failure that would require your girl to be administered into a high dependency unit so that she can benefit from mechanical ventilation. Secondly, there are other effective alternatives to Botox. This means that the condition your daughter suffers from can be treated by drugs other than Botox.
Most of these drugs are less toxic and have a better safety profile than Botox, and it is usually recommended that you consider them as the first option instead of Botox. For instance, spasticity and muscle hypertonicity can be managed by a combination of muscles relaxants and psychoactive drugs. Therefore, it is evident that you would let your daughter use Botox only in critical situations or in instances where the alternative drugs are absent.