Many of the plants right outside our doors 🌱 or even commonly found on the grocery aisle offer us safe and effective remedies for common day ailments. By increasing our experience with these herbs little by little each day, we can use them confidently to help ourselves and our little loved ones.
Why Use Herbs for Children?
Chances are if you are already reading this, then you’ll already know the benefits of using herbs 🌿. But for those of you who are just transitioning from using over-the-counter medicine, or perhaps for those few skeptics out there, this is a good question to address.
Herbs have been used to help those that are sick for time immemorial. When used correctly, they are safe and effective. Growing medicinal herbs yourself and buying herbs in bulk make these safe and effective remedies cheap as well. Organic herbal remedies are a wonderful way to address your child's health with nature’s medicine. I often wonder, why don’t more people use herbs for their child’s illness?
Dangers of Over-the-Counter Medicine
Statistics say that as children’s immune systems are developing, they will get a respiratory infection 5-8 times a year and a gastric infection 2-3 times. If you’ve ever had a sick child on your hands, then you’ll know how unpleasant it is to see them so uncomfortable. The 2007 ruling by the FDA panel left many parents wondering how to handle their child’s discomfort.
Herbal medicine is the answer! 🌿
Do Herbs Work?
I often hear from people that herbs aren’t strong enough, or they don’t act quickly enough. Some people are open to using herbs but when they don’t get the results they want, they go back to using over-the-counter medicines. Most of us grew up in a culture ruled by western medicine. In this paradigm, people get diagnosed with a condition and then are given the pill for that condition.
In contrast, holistic family medicine focuses on addressing the root cause of illness rather than simply suppressing symptoms. For example, Tylenol® doesn’t address why someone is in pain, it just temporarily stops the symptom of pain.
When people start studying about herbs their questions often reflect this western medicine paradigm. I often hear people ask “I have a _______, what herb helps with that?” But the art of herbalism goes far beyond the this-herb-for-that-disease strategy. Herbalism is a sophisticated study of matching herbs to people. Instead of asking ourselves “What herb is good for coughs?” We investigate the type of cough and the person who has the cough in order to find the best herbs for this particular kind of cough.
One of the most powerful aspects of herbal medicine is that herbs can do more than simply suppress the symptoms temporarily.
Herbs can support our immune system and they can build our resistance to illness.
While herbal medicine isn’t as simple as popping a one-size-fits-all pill, once all the aspects of herbalism are learned, herbs provide safe and effective care for a variety of ailments.
Supporting Our Immune System
Symptoms of colds or the flu are signs that our immune system is working. Fevers develop to help rid the body of pathogens. Mucus is produced to fight off infection. Coughing ensues to help remove excess mucus from the body. Over-the-counter medicines suppress our body’s inherent immune functions. Lowering a fever, drying up mucus, and inhibiting coughs is like lowering the defensive gates while being besieged by bandit pirates!
In herbal medicine, we ask: What is the body trying to do? Coughs are evaluated more closely. When someone has a boggy-sounding cough that produces mucus, we can give herbs to thin the mucus and promote expectoration. For dry, hacking coughs with pain and inflammation, moistening herbs soothe the dryness and irritation.
Using herbs with children provides an excellent opportunity to engage them with natural healing traditions and incorporate them into daily life. Making it a fun, exploratory experience allows children to connect with nature’s spiritual medicine and feel empowered during their healing journey.
Getting the Medicine Down the Hatch
I’ve seen a lot of parents get really excited about using herbs to help their child’s minor health complaints. They read up on how to use these flowers and pieces of bark. They’ve stocked up the pantry with organic herbal remedies in case of illness and sure enough the day comes that their little one needs their supplies. Imagine little Susie is hot and uncomfortable and her tummy really hurts. And then here comes mom or dad with a strange smelling liquid in hand, assuring her it will help her feel better. Good luck!
The best way to ensure your kids will be up for taking your herbal potions when they are sick is to incorporate herbs into your lives before the kids are sick. If tea time is a regular occurrence at your house then a special tea when they are sick might be welcome.
Reading stories about herbs and how wonderful they are during times of illness will help prepare your child as well. While pulling out the chosen herbal blend you can remind your child of those stories. “Remember the story of the elder tree and how the berries helped save a village of sick people?” Sometimes the illness might require different applications than your child is used to, like drops of oil in the ear or chest poultices. Again, stories featuring these applications will help prepare them. Also, I’ve had luck demonstrating these applications on children while narrating the adventure. “See how teddy’s ears feel all better now? This warm oil is really soothing.”
As you probably already know from prior experience it is seldom worth it to force a child to take something that they are resistant to. I really encourage parents to work with their child to get them comfortable and open to taking herbs both in times of health and in times of illness.
Recently one mother told me that while she would like to use herbs with her child, her child just wouldn’t take them. But her child would take over the counter medicines like tylenol, so she reluctantly gave the child that instead. I am certainly not writing an article on how to parent, but I urge parents who feel similarly to critically look at this situation. With patience and observation, holistic family medicine can transform how we care for our loved ones.
According to the FDA over the counter medications are not safe or effective for children. I do not believe children should be given the power to decide what medicines they should or should not take.
Explore our image gallery from our Seeding Resiliency workshop 🌿 and see how incorporating herbs into family life can be fun and engaging for children
Dosage Considerations for Children ⚖️
Dosage is perhaps the trickiest but also one of the most important aspects of herbalism. In herbalism we have many variables to consider.
The potency of herbs. If you use herbs that have been sitting on your kitchen shelf for the past five years, you will undoubtedly have a different experience than herbs which have been freshly harvested.
Who is the person receiving the herbs? In herbal medicine we take many factors into consideration such as weight, age and state of health. Someone who is relatively healthy may receive a different dose than someone who is very weak and sick.
Dosage varies tremendously depending on the herbs we use. Lobelia is a wonderful anti- spasmodic herb that is often used for spasmodic coughing and asthma. If you take a lot of this plant you’ll find it is also great at inducing vomiting. Other food-like herbs like astragalus or nettles would be really hard to take too much of.
I’ll tell you up front that I rarely follow the dosage guidelines given on herbal products. Those dosages are mandated by the FDA and do not reflect how herbalists use herbs in clinical practice. All of my mentors have always advised me to take at least twice the amount listed on the bottle!During acute situations like a cold or flu it is far better to dose herbs in smaller portions frequently. Syrups and teas can be given every hour or even half an hour for example. You will get poor results with giving an herb 2-3 times a day for acute situations.
How I generally work with herbs is to titrate up the dose. This means that I start with a relatively small amount of herbal medicine and then gradually increase this dose until I reach the desired effects. I then keep dosing at that amount for as long as necessary.
Here is what that might look like in real life:
Let’s say 10 year old Johnny has a dry hacking cough which is keeping him from sleeping. I decided that I want to give him California poppy tincture to help quell the coughing. I may start with 20 drops diluted with water. 10 minutes after he has taken the tincture he is still coughing. Now I may give him 10 more drops of tincture in water. In ten minutes if he is still coughing I may give him 10 more. By this time I hope his coughing is quieted and he is on his way to a sound sleep.
If he happens to wake up in the night with a cough I’ll give him 40 drops of tincture.
At some point you have to decide whether or not your tactics are working. I myself am pretty liberal with dosing herbs at higher amounts. Especially if you are using herbs that are safe for children, then any side effects from taking too much herbs will most likely be negligible. Of course it is always best to really know the herbs you are working with.
The following are general guidelines for dosages for children. Again, I personally take these into consideration but rarely follow them. I get the best results by titrating up the dose and especially by using herbs more frequently throughout the day as opposed to larger doses only a couple times a day.
Tinctures
When the adult dose is 2 dropperful (60 drops), the following is recommended for children
Age | Dosage |
Younger than 3 months | 2 drops |
3 to 6 months | 3 drops |
6 to 9 months | 4 drops |
9 to 12 months | 5 drops |
12 to 18 months | 7 drops |
18 to 24 months | 8 drops |
2 to 3 years | 10 drops |
3 to 4 years | 12 drops |
4 to 6 years | 15 drops |
9 to 12 years | 30 drops |
Teas
When the adult (age 12 and over) dose is 1 cup of tea, the following is recommended for children:
Age | Dosage |
Younger than 2 years | 1/2 to 1 teaspoon |
2 to 4 years | 2 teaspoons |
4 to 6 years | 1 tablespoon |
7 to 11 years | 2 tablespoons |
When to see a doctor
Parents often ask when they should take their little one to see a doctor. I always say that anytime your parental intuition bells are ringing, then take your child in. If you are really unsure, many clinics often have a nurse who you can talk to on the phone to further help you decide the best course of action.
The following list of severe symptoms indicates when you should seek medical help:
Persistent fever (>3-5 days) with no improvement
Stiff neck
Forceful vomiting Severe/unremitting headache Incoherence or unresponsiveness
Deterioration of symptoms
Visual disturbance
Severe facial pain
Painful breathing; difficulty breathing
Persistent sore throat (>3-5 days) with no improvement
Drainage from the ear
Dehydration; unwillingness to accept fluids Any signs of illness/infection in children under 6 mo old Signs of serious illness: such as measles, pertussis, pneumonia, and meningitis.
Signs of Dehydration
The biggest concern with most fevers, vomiting and diarrhea is dehydration. During these symptoms it is extremely important to keep the child well hydrated. Rather than insisting your child take in lots of liquids at one time, it is more important to give frequent small sips. Besides offering water, give your child electrolytes as well.
Severe dehydration is a medical emergency. Symptoms include very dry mouth, no tears when crying, no sweating, the child has had a dry diaper for more than three hours or if older, hasn’t urinated in over 6-8 hours, dizziness, dark urine, a depressed fontanel in infants, depressed eye sockets and skin that has lost its elasticity. If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms take them to the Emergency Room.
And the last one that I always smile on when I see parents panic :)
Myths about FEVER
All fevers are bad for children.
Fact: Fevers turn on the body’s immune system. Fevers are one of the body’s protective mechanisms. Most fevers are good for children and help the body fight infection
Fevers cause brain damage or fevers above 104°F (40°C) are dangerous.
Fact: Fevers with infections don’t cause brain damage. Only body temperatures above 108°F (42.2°C) can cause brain damage. Fevers only go this high with high environmental temperatures (e.g., confined to a closed car).
Anyone can have a febrile seizure.
Fact: Only 4 percent of children can have a febrile seizure.
Febrile seizures are harmful.
Fact: Febrile seizures are scary to watch, but they usually stop within 5 minutes. They cause no permanent harm.
Fact: Fevers only need to be treated if they cause discomfort. Usually fevers don’t cause any discomfort until they go above 102° or 103°F (39° or 39.5°C).
Fact: Wrong. Fevers from infection top out at 105° or 106°F (40.6° or 41.1°C), due to a thermostat in the brain.
Fevers and other common ailments don’t have to be a source of worry—they’re often signs of the body doing its job. With the gentle support of organic herbal remedies and the wisdom of nature’s medicine, you can help your children heal naturally and build resilience, fostering a deeper connection to their health and the world around them.
Wishing you and your family warmth, health, and harmony this ❄️ winter season! ❄️
Jaya & the Medicine Garden
Comments