Parents perusing the aisles of herbal remedies available in many drug and grocery stores might wonder about the safety and efficacy of these natural "cures." While medical professionals consider some herbs, including chamomile, ginger and licorice, safe and mostly side effect free--others, like ephedra, potentially pose a danger to your child's health. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate herbal remedies so always talk to your doctor before giving any type of natural remedy to your child.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea, an old-fashioned remedy for digestive woes, might help alleviate colic symptoms and comfort a child suffering from a cold. Small sips of lukewarm, weakened chamomile tea can help soothe a child's sore throat and relieve congestion, according to the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board.
The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests offering infants a small amount of weak chamomile tea to help relieve some of the gastrointestinal symptoms, like stomach pain and gassiness, associated with infant colic. They define colic as crying that lasts 3 hours a day, 3 or more day days a week. Before giving any tea to your child, bring the herbal tea package to your doctor so he can make sure it doesn't contain additional herbs or ingredients that might harm your child. Your doctor can also recommend the correct amount of tea for your child--too much might interfere with his appetite for nutrient-rich breastmilk or formula.
Ginger
Ginger--dried and powdered, made into a liquid or fresh-- might help treat nausea, vomiting and headaches in children. The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM) cites evidence that ginger can help nausea symptoms resulting from motion sickness without some of the side effects present in conventional prescription and over-the-counter remedies.
If you purchase a commercial preparation, the UMM recommends giving children over 2 years old a third of the amount of the adult dosage. Never give ginger to children under 2. You can also grate 1 tsp. of ginger and mix it with hot water to make a tea can help alleviate cold and flu symptoms, and headaches. Make sure you cool the tea before giving it to your child.
Licorice
Offer your child a sweet remedy for sore throats by giving her some licorice root or licorice tea. Licorice, a wild herb containing ingredients 50 times sweeter than sugar, might help relieve your child's throat. The UMM suggests it acts as a demulcent--soothing and coating the throat. They recommend giving older children 1/3 of the adult dosage listed on the package of licorice root or tea. Never give this remedy to infants or toddlers and consult your pediatrician before using the remedy for more than one day.
Member Comments