Chamomile tea prepares by infusing herbal properties of dried chamomile flowers in hot water without using black tea, any aromatic tea, green or yellow tea. Chamomile is a flowering plant, daisy plant of Asteraceae Family. You can find two common type of chamomile tea; one is the German chamomile and second is Roman chamomile. Both are with medicinal properties and using for digestive disorders. German chamomile is also using as a local application for treating inflammation sufferings due to hemorrhoids. It is also beneficial to treat insomnia and a good stress buster as it contains anti-anxiety properties.
Chamomile Tea, The Best Thing For Your Baby
The taste of chamomile tea
It has flowery and soft bitter honey sweet taste. Since chamomile tea preparing out of Asteraceae Family, there will be many daisy-sunflower like a plant, and you will have a mild taste of all vegetables blended.
Where is Chamomile tea originates?
Chamomile tea is preparing from Asteraceae Family plants. These family plants look like daisy-sunflower in shape and all flowering plants are falling under Asteraceae is using to make chamomile tea, with few exceptions. Asteraceae is a large Angiospermae (flowering plant) family and it consisting of 32,913 recognized species, 13 subfamilies. The name ‘aster' derived from Greek, denotes as a star, as the flowers look like a star.
The benefit of chamomile tea for babies
The dried and fresh flowers contain bioactive ingredients which help nourish the body, good for treating digestive disorders and for treating insomnia.
In spite of the advancement in medicines and technology, many mothers prefer home or herbal remedies for their infant babies. Herbal products have nil side effects and are therefore likely to cause no harm to the children. Over the counter medicines are expensive and may also have some side effects. Mothers often face problems while dealing with their kids' ailments.
The only way infants express their woes is by crying. The exact cause of this suffering is still unknown. Over the counter medicines cannot be used for children for a longer period. Though it can provide immediate relief, they cause many side effects and are harmful. Chamomile tea is thus one of the most useful herbal remedies. It has many proven benefits for kids. Chamomile is known to provide relief and respite from pain.
Chamomile tea is commonly using to treat regular complaints faced by babies. Some such uses are as given below.
Helps treat colicky kids
- It treats intestinal spasms and therefore works as a treatment for colic complaints. Since infants have a delicate tummy, they often suffer from gas trouble. Fennel present in chamomile tea helps treat stomach ache. They are unable to sleep well due to these problems and cry inconsolably. Tummy problems can control to a large extent by having Chamomile tea.
- Very often babies are seen to cry continuously. The colic problem is a primary cause of this distress.
- Doctors and researchers have not been able to detect the main reason for longer bouts of crying in babies.
- It has observed that a cup of warm chamomile tea when fed to kids gives tremendous relief to them by reducing uneasiness and pain.
Helps treat gastric problems
- Kids cry hours due to gastrointestinal problems. Chamomile tea is proved to be effective in reducing the pain.
- Children often suffer from stomach ache. Lukewarm chamomile tea treats the severe stomach cramps and gives a soothing effect.
Helps Teething
- Teething is another problem when infants undergo an awkward phase. To overcome this, chamomile is the best remedy. Take a clean washcloth, soak it in chamomile tea and allow your child to gnaw on it.
- Helps in reduction of swelling of gums and skin.
- The relaxant property of chamomile reduces the swelling of gums or skin.
- Its anti-inflammatory property gives relief from the pain.
Helps in sound sleep
- The soothing property of chamomile tea helps promote sound sleep.
- It helps reduce the anxiety and stress in hyper babies, and they can sleep peacefully.
- Researchers have identified that by feeding kids, a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime helps them gain a restful sleep at night.
Chamomile has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-allergic properties and thus provides relief from many ailments due to its nourishing property.
- Chamomile tea is a mild nerve and muscle relaxant. Chamomile binds the brain receptors, thereby inducing a soothing and calm effect helpful for sound sleep.
- Its muscle relaxant property helps relieve abdominal pains caused due to colic, gastric, constipation or indigestion.
- Antibacterial compounds present in chamomile helps strengthen baby's immune system.
- It can control blood sugar levels by increasing glycogen storage.
- Apple pectin present in chamomile extract is assumed to shorten the diarrhea course.
Some more uses of chamomile for babies
- It helps in reduction of swelling of skin and gums.
- Skin rash caused due to diaper can be treated by chamomile.
- Many a time, tummy ache happens due to gastric, colic, indigestion or constipation. A wet warm cloth soaked in tea when placed over the belly helps resolve the problem and reduce the pain.
- Chamomile works as decongestant caused due to sinus or cold.
Chamomile tea used in its purest form is beneficial for the kids, as this way, there are fewer chances of causing side effects. This tea is not known to cause any allergies or rashes on the skin, some of the common symptoms of side effects. There are many vitamins present in chamomile tea like Vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, folic acid which is beneficial for babies.
While administering chamomile tea for children, it is advised to consult a pediatrician. Sometimes the tea bags may have a metallic substance which is harmful to children, or in rare cases child may be allergic to the tea.
Many kids fall ill very often, every time giving them over the counter drugs may not be advisable. Chamomile tea is the best remedy here.
Dosage:
- Administer daily 2-3 ounces of warm chamomile tea to the babies suffering from colic ailments. It helps soothe the stomach ache and decreases pain.
- 2-3 ounces of chamomile tea helps improve the digestive system and aids in reducing the stomach cramps.
The method of making chamomile tea for baby
- Boil a cup of water.
- Add to it a teaspoon of chamomile flowers or chamomile teabag.
- Remove the tea bag or strain the flowers.
- Allow the concoction to cool down.
- If required add a pinch of sugar.
- Pour the tea into a baby bottle and feed the infant.
Do and don'ts while serving Chamomile Tea to your child
Do not serve more than 1-2 oz. to infants within 24 hours. Once the baby is one year old, this dosage can increase to 3 ounces. Always ensure that the chamomile tea product you purchase is caffeine free. You must make sure to feed chamomile tea in the right dose and be careful that it does not exceed the limit within 24 hours in case of infants. Sometimes overdose of chamomile tea may lead to side effects. Stomach ache, skin rash are some of the side effects of excessive consumption of chamomile tea.
It is advised not to over feed the tea, as overdose will not provide relief from symptoms of pain.
Best practices for administering chamomile tea to your child
- Have it in diluted form for a better result.
- Drinking chamomile tea before bedtime helps in providing sound sleep.
- Chamomile has muscle relaxant property; therefore it helps treat muscle pain and teething problem in kids effectively.
- It has a soothing effect and is useful for hyper kids suffering from physical or emotional distress.
- It provides children relief from a headache as well.
- It is known to eliminate eye infection for children suffering from pink eyes. A clean cotton ball dipped in chamomile tea when applied to the infected eye, helps eradicate the infection and soothes the eye region within 24 to 36 hours.
Image via Risarosa.no
Final Thought
We have seen the many medicinal uses and nutritive properties of Chamomile fit for infants to elders. Chamomile works wonders where many other medicines have still not proved their effect. It is one of the cheapest, safest and trusted forms of natural remedy, prescribed by Doctors as well. Chamomile is a safe, natural remedy, proven, reliable solution for many common ailments used since ancient times. Thus Chamomile herb is a boon to all parents. Since all babies and their physical conditions are different, you must be careful, if any persistent ailments continue for a long time, you must consult a pediatrician before doing further experiments with chamomile tea.
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