Herbal drinks for babies

Giving babies herbal drinks to relieve intestinal gas and aid digestion is a long-standing tradition in Egypt. However, while herbal drinks have no immediate side effects, health practitioners point out that they must be used with care.

Most babies and children like herbal teas that have a mild flavor. Start them on spearmint, peppermint, chamomile or hibiscus or any combination that include these herbs.

Begin giving baby diluted herb tea in the bottle at age two. Always be advised to hold the bay in the mother arms rather than laying him down alone with a bottle propped up on a pillow.

Anise, chamomile, fennel, caraway and peppermint are the most popular herbs brewed for infants, either in various combinations or singularly. In addition to effectively reducing stomach pain and treating diarrhea, some mothers report that herbal drinks help their babies sleep more soundly.

If the baby seems particularly tense, relaxing herbs such as catnip, dill, limeflowers, chamomile, lemon balm or hops can be added to the herbal tea and bath water for baby.

Normal amounts of common herbs used in cooking do not usually affect the baby.

But if they are natural and have no side effects, why not offer them to babies continuously? Firstly, because babies may drink less milk if they are satiated with herbal drinks, and this can lead to weight loss for formula fed babies and to decreased milk supply for breastfeeding mothers.

Secondly, pre-packaged products are often made up of up to 96% sugar, which harms the little teeth present below the gums from birth. Therefore, parents are advised to avoid them as much as possible to protect teeth and stave off a sweet tooth later on.

It is important not to give extra sugar to babies under two, or you could set them up to become fat adults by giving them a taste for sweets and by causing them to have extra fat cells."

When preparing home-made brew, add the herbs to mineral water and heat them until warm (about one minute), but do not boil because boiling causes water to evaporate, thus increasing the concentration of salt and minerals.

Herbal teas are used in many cultures or lactating women; however, caution should be exercised because some herbs such as chaparral, comfrey, germander, pennyroyal, and blue cohosh have been documented to cause problems in the baby, such as hepatotoxicity, anti-cholinergic symptoms and cardio-toxicity.
Herbal drinks for babies