Does Your Child Have a Cold? Herbal Remedies in Child-Safe Dosages is Key!
June 19, 2009 by Holly
Filed Under Health & Fitness, Illness & Disease
Every year once the weather starts to get warmer, we have a series of colds in this house where everyone gets sick right after one another. Living in Pennsylvania, all of our seasons are very harsh; our winters are very cold and then out of the blue, it’s very warm so the drastic change in temperature can have really harsh affects on our immune systems.
Parents are very weary of medication in most cases, and for good reason. Most medications contain harsh chemicals drowsiness, and those same chemicals that are in medications find themselves in our waterways quite frequently, which end up in our drinking water supply which is never good! Thinking about being medicated just by drinking a cup of water from your tap is pretty unsettling. Luckily, there are some great herbal remedies on the market for children, thus eliminating those harsh chemicals from our water supply and also leave your child feeling great, helping them get over their colds faster without sleeping the days away and becoming nocturnal!
The FDA actually recommends against treating children under four with drugstore cough and cold medicines, warning of potentially severe side effects and a 2007 pediatric study found that kids slept better and coughed less after a dose of honey than after a dose of honey-flavored cough suppressant; just keep in mind that children under one year old should not eat honey because of botulism risk. So what better reasons are there to look into herbal remedies!?
Some children’s herbal remedies and medications to look into are Herbs for Kids Throat Spray, it is certified organic, peppermint-flavored spray with echinacea and thyme, which thins mucus. It is recommended for kids age one and up. Traditional Medicinals Just for Kids Organic Cold Care is a tea with elderflower, which treats congestion and helps break fevers. It is recommended for kids two and up. Hyland’s Homeopathic Complete Flu Care 4 Kids is an immune-boosting, dissolving tablet that relieves fever, aches, cough, and congestion. It is recommended for kids two and up.
If you’re looking for a DIY at home herbal remedy so you know exactly what you’re giving to your kids, just mix 1 cup of honey with 1/2 cup of thyme and heat on the stove for 15 minutes. Serve 1 tsp warm (not hot!) three times a day. This is recommended only for kids two and up.
Donna B. on Thu, 23rd Jul 2009 8:55 pm
The fact that you link to and recommend anything labeled as or actually prepared as a homeopathic remedy renders everything else you suggest as suspect.
Medication for ADHD on Mon, 27th Jul 2009 11:36 pm
I believe herbal medicine can be a great help for such sickness like colds and others.Proper preparation of the plant is needed as well as the knowledge about the herbal med is also important for the mother if your doing the preparation at home.
Herbal on Thu, 6th Aug 2009 1:48 pm
With a growing flu epidemic all around the world, herbal remedies are not longer an option for colds. A face to face consultation with the doctor is a must during the first 24 hs from the first symptom.
R Bailey on Mon, 7th Dec 2009 9:31 am
Timely article.
Definitely avoid over the counter remedies for children.
Unpasteurized honey has many health benefits particularly when combined with herbs.
One thing I would recommend is vitamin D3 for children. The science around this this ‘vitamin’ (it’s actually more of a hormone) is now overwhelming. Worth checking out.