Describes some folk remedies often confused with child abuse, focusing on one that has been associated with shaken baby syndrome. Among the folk remedies discussed are: (1) coining, a Southeast Asian treatment, called cao gio in Vietnamese, which involves massaging the symptomatic area with medicated oil and then rubbing it with the edge of a coin until swelling occurs; (2) cupping, practiced by Russian immigrants, which involves creating a vacuum in a cup, placing it on the skin where symptoms occur, and drawing the skin up, resulting in redness and even burns; and (3) moxibustion, favored by Asian cultures, which involves rolling the moxa herb into a pea-sized shape, placing it on the appropriate body part, igniting it, and allowing it to burn until pain and burns occur. The Hispanic folk disease concept, caida de mollera, describes symptoms that result from a child being born with an open fontanelle – the soft spot on the skull that has not been closed by the formation of bone. Treatment involves manually pushing up on the baby’s palate, holding the baby upside down, or shaking it. Research suggests that in most cases this procedure is neither violent nor causes shaken baby syndrome injuries. (Description from source)
