Natural Herbal Remedies for Children

Are you looking for safe, natural, and toxin free treatment options for common childhood health conditions?

Maybe you’re concerned about the continual use of antibiotics every time your child gets a sniffle, infection, or a bout of diarrhoea?

Herbal medicine provides many affective treatment options for common childhood complaints. You may not think it, but every time you sit back and enjoy a cup of peppermint, chamomile, lemongrass, or any other tea, you are using one of the oldest known forms of complementary medicine. Simplistic to make and easy to administer, herbal teas are an effective and therapeutic form of natural medicine that is just as affective on children as on adults.

Herbs for Diarrhoea

There is nothing worse than a bout of diarrhoea for an adult, and how much worse is it for a child. Stomach upsets and diarrhoea are a common part of growing up that can be brought on by food allergies, intestinal bacteria imbalance or an inability to digest some forms of food such as dairy. Long term it’s important to identify the underlying cause of the diarrhoea.

Common herbs used for diarrhoea include:

• Ginger to reduce the associated stomach cramps and abdominal pains;
• Marshmallow root and / or chamomile to calm the stomach and soothe the intestines;
• Raspberry leaves to reduce inflammation in the stomach and slow acute diarrhoea;

A tea is a particularly effective preparation, allowing the healing properties of these plants direct access to the mucous membranes and tissues of the stomach and intestines.

Herbs for Tonsillitis

The burning, scratching sore throat that just never leaves! Tonsillitis is such a common childhood condition that few people make it to adulthood with their tonsils still intact. Fortunately, herbal medicine has many remedies that can prevent this vital part of the immune system from being removed!

Some of the more commonly used herbs for tonsillitis include:

• Echinacea to reduce the inflammation and stimulate the immune system;
• Sage and Thyme, two powerful antiseptic herbs to cleanse the area;

When treating tonsillitis with herbal teas, brew the tea as you normally would then use as a mouthwash or gargle. To improve the taste why not flavour with a drop of peppermint essential oil?

Be sure to use the sage and thyme herbs not the essential oils when working with children. Sage and thyme essential oil can both be toxic if ingested, particularly so for smaller bodies.

Bronchitis

Another common inflammatory condition, this time affecting the respiratory tract. The constant coughing as a child tries to clear the buildup of mucous can be not just heart breaking but set the scene for more serious respiratory infections like pneumonia.

Several herbs are effective in combatting bronchitis including:

• Echinacea, one herb that should always be thought of in conditions where an immune reaction is required;
• Liquorice to soothe and relax the muscles of the throat;
• Horehound to help in clearing the buildup of mucous;

How to Make A Tea

Herbal teas are an exceptionally easy way to administer herbs to children. To make a tea, simply add two teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of your selected dry herbs to a teapot and allow to steep for ten to twenty minutes. It is particularly important with children to be careful of the temperature. Honey, or liquorice is a good addition to sweeten the taste.

Dried herbal teas can often be found in a health food shop or online. Be sure when choosing herbal teas, to purchase tea that is designated for therapeutic purposes.