A veteran and pioneer in the field of integrated medicine, Dr Mosaraf Ali is known for his approach of addressing the core of the problem rather than temporary measures of containment

ASHISH, A three-year-old boy, showed symptoms of autism in his early years. With a defective walk and no sign of speech, there were some clear impediments in his growth. Dr Mosaraf Ali chartered his own path in treating and diagnosing the child. “In most cases, like *Ashish’s, there happens to be a misdiagnosis,” he says. Dr Ali says that the problem he is facing is due to birth-related issues and not autism.

Just three sessions and there are visible changes in Ashish’s attention span and gait, his mother says. She mentions that the kid was born overweight and premature by 10 days. Having had caesarean delivery, there were no signs of injury to the baby at the time of birth. But Dr Ali believes that the eight-hour delay between the inducement of labour and the surgery, the weight of the baby, and the surgery itself could have damaged the arteries in his neck which in turn led to problems in the flow of blood to his subconscious brain. That, he believes, is the core reason behind the child’s problems.

Speaking at an interactive session organised at The LaLiT, New Delhi, Dr Ali elaborates on treating the problem at its root than treating the symptoms that arise due to it. Referring to Ashish’s case, Dr Ali highlights the importance of a healthy blood flow to the brain and how it helps ensure smooth functioning of the body and fighting illnesses. In simple terms, he explains, “a disrupted flow of blood to the subconscious part of the brain can hamper not just speech, but also the ability to walk and perform other basic tasks.”

He further reinforces that the hasty approach when dealing with labour and childbirth is the main culprit behind the rising number of cases of growth-related problems like autism and cerebral palsy in children. Hence, attention and good care during childbirth can help bring down the number of cases of autism, cerebral palsy and other growth impediments in kids.

“Birth injuries can damage the arteries responsible for healthy blood flow to the brain.” Dr Ali highlights how the problems during childbirth put a lot of stress on the baby and these problems stem from mismanagement. He adds that injuries caused due to the stress of childbirth may not be evident, but they can have far-reaching effects on the future development of the baby. “While the spinal cord adapts and recovers from damage, the arteries are unable to do so, leading to problems in the child’s development” he adds.

Dr Ali, with clinics in London and clinical spa in Tuscany, Italy and Cochin, in the past has helped many celebrated personalities through his integrated approach to medicine. In over 25 years of experience, he has witnessed that the second most common problem with treatment is misdiagnosis. “Misdiagnosis takes the attention away from the core problem — reduced blood flow to the brain — and diverts the time and energy to treat only with limited benefits.” Explaining the source of his integrated methods treatment, he says that his assessment and treatment is based on practical knowledge and the improvements he has witnessed in his patients. He adds, referring to his patients, “As long as my children get better, I do not care about what others say about my methods of treatment”.

During the session, Dr Ali discussed more cases where his approach of improving blood flow to the brain had significant effect on the patient’s health. He talks about another patient of his, *Vivek, who was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and an imbalanced vertebra. Due to his condition, he was unable to walk properly, had difficulties concentrating and poor cognitive functioning. After only a few sessions, his anxiety levels came down, his eye contact improved as did his concentration and the most visible improvement of all was in his gait.

Talking about treating children struggling with autism, Dr Ali says, “I am like a horse-whisperer with them”. He says their outbursts stem from the constant stress they face during their treatment. “Based on my experience, I have understood that the time to empathise and feel sorry for them is not there, the time is to address the real issue.”

Author of multiple books on health and wellness, Dr Ali believes in treating his patients with the aim of improving the very core of every issue and says he has based his treatment on his years of experience. All in all, the session conducted by the doctor was just a glimpse of the treatments he has developed – which promise to improve the lives of children suffering from growth impediments through a treatment based on experience, understanding and aiming at the root of the problem.

Dr Mosaraf Ali who plans to spearhead the implementation of his treatment methods in Delhi, stresses the importance of involvement of the parents as the treatment is both intensive and extensive. “They need to be involved actively,” he says. He adds that he will try to take on as many cases as possible and ensure that best care is provided by his handpicked team.

*Names have been changed    ■