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FEAR AND RELATED CHANGES IN SLEEPING IN CHILDREN
AND SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS

Vesna P. IVETIÆ1, Marina J. HODOLIÆ1 and Mirjana S. APOSTOLOVIÆ2
1Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Medical School, Hajduk Veljkova 3, 21000 Novi Sad, FR Yugoslavia
2Department of Preventive Pediatric Dentistry, Medical School, Niš, FRYugoslavia

ABSTRACT

The emotional states of the fear and anxiety are part of human existence. Both of them has effects on quality of sleeping, and can cause changing in functional state of human body. Some classic medicinal plants have been used in treatment of anxiety and fear of recent time.

We analyzed effects of: Valerianae radix extractum aeth.; Hyperici herbae extractum fluidum aeth.; Melissae folii extractum fluidum aeth.; Lupuli strobuli extractum fluidum aeth.; Rosmarini folii extractum fluidum aeth (Sedivalâ).

The investigation was carried out in two phases. The first part was conducted throughout the last war in Yugoslavia, which starts in April and lasted till the end of June 1999. The second part was carried out from September 1999 till February 2000. In the first phase the potential effects of medicinal plants on fear and quality of sleeping was analysed. In the second phases the effects of medicinal plants on dental fear and on special dental fear was analysed. The obtained results showed that Sedivalâ has therapeutic effects on fear and related changes in sleeping in children.


INTRODUCTION

The emotional states of fear and anxiety are a part of human existence and spice of life. Fear is related to the present, anxiety to the future (1, 2). Both of them are present in one's life from the earliest childhood, as unpleasant emotional experiences. If fear and anxiety are acute, disorders in organism's functioning do not appear. On the other hand, if they are chronic, they disturb mental and physiological balance of the organism. Some classic herbs have been used in treatment for anxiety and fear of recent time (3, 4).

In this paper, the onset of fear and anxiety, as well as the disturbances of children's sleep related to them will be analysed. All the children were taking Sedivalâ, a preparation of a few herbs. It consist of: Valerianae radix extractum aeth., Hyperici herbae extractum fluidum aeth., Melissae folii extractum fluidum aeth., Lupuli strobuli extractum fluidum aeth., and Rosmarini folii extractum fluidum aeth. (Sedivalâ).


METHODOLOGY

The investigation was carried out in two stages. The first part was conducted throughout the last war in Yugoslavia, which starts in April and lasted till the end of June 1999. This period contend the last war in Yugoslavia. The second part was carried out from September 1999 till February 2000.

The first part of the investigation

The investigation took place in Novi Sad and Niš, the two towns where war destruction was the greatest, and was carried out on 19 children (11 girls and 8 boys) aged 10 to 16. Six girls and 4 boys are from Novi Sad, and 5 girls and 4 boys are from Niš.

All the children were with their parents, at their homes, and they did not go to shelters. 30 drops of Sedivalâ were given to them perrorally once a day, before sleeping. At the beginning of the investigation all the children were asked questions about their fear and anxiety in those days, as well as the quality of their sleep. For instance: Do you have anxiety? What about your sleeping? Do you have some dreaming? Do you have nightmares? Etc.

At the end of the investigation the children filled in questionnaire in which were asked to give their opinions about presents of fear and about the quality of their sleep. They were asked about the taste and smell of the applied preparation (Sedivalâ). They, also, answered these questions: Would you take this preparation again? And would you recommend it to other children?

All the mothers of analysed children were taking Sedivalâ through out the war, and 7 of them were taking Sedivalâ in stressful situations, prior to this investigation.

The second part of the investigation

The second part of the investigation took place from September 1999 till February 2000. Thirty-two children were analysed: 16 from Novi Sad and 16 from Niš. All of them are school children, aged 10 to 16.

The children from Niš were analysed with a questionnaire composed of questions about fear of a dentist and dentist's treatment. All of them took 30 drops of Sedivalâ an hour before treatment at the dentist. Children were analysed for 4 times, in this way. The conclusions about their fear are based on the questionnaire, the temperature and pulse, the way of sitting on a dentist's chair, as well as the facial expression before a treatment.

With the children from Novi Sad, there was analysed a potential influence of herbs on their fear before tests - exams, mostly mathematics. 13 children in this group declared that they had bad dreams or could not sleep the night before tests. 30 drops of Sedivalâ were given to them perorally, the night before tests - exams. Each child took this preparation for 6 times (before 6 tests).


RESULTS AND DISCUSION

The results of the first part of investigation

Air-raid siren disturbed the citizens of Yugoslavia almost regularly, in the evening hours. Fear, anxiety, disturbance of sleep, nightmares and weeping were reactions of grater part of the population at the moment when the sirens went off.

In some cases uneasiness among children was the recognition of a danger, but in a number of situations it was a consequence of "mother's fear". Mother's fear and mother's behaviour were the cause of children's fear in 68.4 % cases. After two weeks of using Sedivalâ, fear was present in children, but 31.6% declared that slept better (Table 1).

A month after the beginning of the investigation, the fear was allayed in 36.8% cases (7 children), 47% (9 children) slept better, while 53% of the children still had disturbed sleep. After 6 weeks the use of Sedivalâ fear was still present with all the children, however it was allayed with 11 children (58%), while 13 children had better sleep (68%).


Table 1. The presence of fear in children before and during the application of the medicine
TIME
BEFORE
14 DAYS
30 DAYS
45 DAYS
60 DAYS
SEX
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
STRONG FEAR
8
11
6
7
6
6
3
5
2
3
42%
58%
31.6%
36.8%
31.6%
31.6%
15.8%
26.3%
16%
21%
100%
68.42%
63%
42%
26.3%
WEAKER FEAR
  
2
4
3
4
5
6
7
7
10.5%
21%
16%
21%
26.3%
31.6%
36.8%
36.8%
31.6%
36.8%
58%
73%

At the end of the investigation, the fear was still present, but partly allayed, in 14 children (73%), while with 5 children (26.3%) it was still quite strong. More children slept better (Table 2).


Table 2. Quality of sleep before and after using of Sedivalâ
TIME
BEFORE
14 DAYS
30 DAYS
45 DAYS
60 DAYS
SEX
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
BED SLEEPING
8
11
6
7
4
6
2
4
2
4
42%
58%
31.5%
36.8%
21%
31.5%
10.5%
21%
10.5%
21%
100%
68.42%
53%
31.5%
31.5%
BETTER
SLEEPING
  
3
3
4
5
6
7
6
8
16%
16%
21%
26.3%
31.5%
36.8%
31.5%
36.8%
31.6%
47%
68%
68%

At the end of this part of the investigation 74% of the children answered that they would again use Sedivalâ in stressful situations. 78.9% (15 children) answered that they would recommend it to their friends. 89.47% (17 children) declared that the preparation needed to be sweeter.

After the use of the preparation before a treatment of the dentist's, 11 children were still afraid of a treatment (6 boys and 5 girls). By measuring this fear with a special scale for the quantification of fear, it is found out that fear was "normal" with 9 children and "pathological" with two of them. None of the children had sleeping problems because of the coming treatment (Table 3).


Table 3. The presence of fear (of dentists treatment) before and after using of Sedivalâ
 
FEAR BEFORE APPLICATION
FIRST
APPLICATION
SECOND
APPLICATION
THIRD
APPLICATION
FOURTH
APPLICATION
Presence of FEAR
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
BOYS
6
2
6
2
4
4
3
5
3
5
37.5%
12.5%
37.5%
12.5%
25%
25%
18.75%
31.25%
18.75%
31.25%
GIRLS
5
3
2
6
1
7
1
7
1
7
31.25%
18.75%
12.5%
37.5%
6.25%
43.75%
6.25%
43.75%
6.25%
43.75%
SUM
11
5
8
8
5
11
4
12
4
12
68.8%
31.25%
50%
50%
31.25%
68.8%
25% 
63%
25%
63%

After the first application of the Sedivalâ preparation (during the first treatment of dentist's), 3 girls sad that their fear was less intense. The condition of the others remained unchanged. After the second application of Sedivalâ, 3 more children felt the same. The third treatment, one boy more becomes braver. After the fourth treatment of the dentist's there wasn't any change.

By the use of Sedivalâ preparation with the children who had fear of school tests (each child was analysed for 6 times), fear was found with 31.25% children in the first application, 37% in the second application and 50% in the third application. The later applications did not bring any more changes.

93.75% children from the second phase of the investigation declared that they would recommend Sedivalâ to other children and that they would continue to use it. 62.5% of the children was not satisfied with the taste of the preparation.

Obtained effects of medicinal plants are probably results of active components those plants as flavonoides, flavones, xantones etc.

There were not any harmful side effects during the use of the preparation either in the first or in the second phase of the investigation.


CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of obtained information, one can conclude that the use of medicinal plants: Valerianae radix extractum aeth.; Hyperici herbae extractum fluidum aeth.; Melissae folii extractum fluidum aeth.; Lupuli strobuli extractum fluidum aeth.; Rosmarini folii extractum fluidum aeth from Sedivalâ has a moderating influence on fear, anxiety and sleeping problems with children aged 10-16.


LITERATURE

  1. Apostploviæ M., Ivetiæ V. (2000): Strah od bola u pedontologiji Beograd, Zavod za izdavanje udžbenika.

  2. Eriæ Lj. (1972): Strah, anksioznost i anksiozna stanja, Beograd, Institut za struèno usavršavanje i specijalizaciju zdravstvenih radnika.

  3. Harrer G. Schulz V. (1994): Clinical Investigation of the Antidepressant Effectiveness of Hypericum, J. Geriatr. Psychiatr. Neurol., 7, Suppl. 1.

  4. Hoffmann J., Kuhl E.D. (1979): Therapie von depressiven Zustanden mit Hypericin. Z. Allg. Med., 55, 776-782.

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