Accordingly, children's illnesses may require different therapeutic strategies than those for adults. In addition, they are reacting to the stresses of rapid growth and environmental flux with delicate respiratory, digestive, nervous and immune systems.
Children can become ill quickly and intensely and also recover rapidly.
On the other hand, if an illness becomes protracted, it is easy for them to become exhausted and require a lengthy convalescence. Because of their limited capacities and voracious appetites, infants and young children easily develop congestion of food, fluids and Qi, which in turn may evolve into patterns of Qi stasis, Dampness, Phlegm, Damp Heat, Heat, and Internal Wind. Infants and young children are quite vulnerable and respond very quickly to internal and external influences, both positive and negative. Minor interventions can provoke dramatic responses, and major interventions can derange a young child's delicate homeostasis. Chinese traditional medicine has a particular bias regarding the optimum physical, mental and emotional environment for infants and young children.