Chamomile for babies: features of use and preparation

What it is?

Chamomile tea is the only tea that is allowed for children from the first months of
life. Chamomile tea is almost the only drink that is allowed for children in the first months of life. Chamomile flowers have many beneficial qualities; the tincture contains trace elements and vitamins that are so necessary for the normal functioning of all vital systems of the body. It is useful for:

• digestive;
• circulatory;
• nervous;
• immune system.

Chamomile is sold as a collection of dried flowers. The tea must be prepared immediately before use; using the decoction the next day is not recommended for small children. You can bathe newborn babies in chamomile tincture - it has a beneficial effect on the skin, moisturizing it, relieves irritation caused by the diaper, and is good for prickly heat. Vapors from chamomile infusion during bathing soothe the baby and promote sound sleep.

Benefits of chamomile

Chamomile tea or decoction has a whole range of properties that are widely used in the treatment of various diseases.

This plant has a variety of effects:

1. chamomile has an antibacterial effect;
2. the anti-inflammatory effect can be useful not only when taken orally, but also during external inflammatory processes;
3. she calms;
4. helps cope with colds;
5. A decoction of the flowers of this plant helps strengthen the immune system;
6. relieves gum pain during teething;
7. As a result, chamomile helps improve overall well-being, which lifts your mood and eliminates chronic fatigue.

Beneficial features

Chamomile tea is useful, it:

For what diseases is chamomile tea taken?

• has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• relieves nervous tension in children;
• effective for insomnia;
• normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• eliminates increased gas formation in the intestines;
• effectively fights many bacteria and viruses;
• strengthens children's immunity;
• has some analgesic functions, especially for gastritis and stomach ulcers;
• effectively removes stones from the gallbladder.

The most important property of chamomile tea is that it helps with infant colic. The very concept of colic does not have clear definitions - it is discomfort in the intestines, both adults and babies suffer from it. But infants, whose intestinal microflora has not yet been formed, are most susceptible to them, and food is poorly digested. The result is increased gas formation, constipation or, conversely, diarrhea accompanied by colic.

The child constantly cries, is nervous, sleeps poorly and is slowly gaining weight. If the pediatrician has not found other causes for this condition, then you can give your baby chamomile tea. Numerous studies have proven its effectiveness.

Chamomile tea benefits and harms

Ingestion

Very often, the infusion is given to children orally as a dietary supplement to eliminate various health problems. Since this plant is an excellent antiseptic, you can give chamomile infusion to wash the gums during teething. It is also an effective immunostimulant, so decoctions are prepared to combat the runny nose and cough.

1. In order to overcome coughing attacks and improve expectoration, you need to brew a small amount of inflorescences and strain them. A warm decoction of chamomile will quickly relieve your baby of a cough. For infants, it is enough to give 1 spoon 3 times a day.
2. In case of disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, it is also useful to give tea with chamomile for infants. You can prepare it yourself or buy a special ready-made mixture. At the same time, it is important not to overdo it with the daily norm, and in the first weeks it is better to refuse such drinking altogether.

Instructions for use

To brew healthy tea from chamomile flowers, it is recommended to purchase pharmacy preparations, since collecting it yourself, without knowing all the intricacies, can be hazardous to health. For example, flowers grew along a highway and are contaminated with exhaust gases, or there may be radioactive substances, chemical waste, etc. nearby. You need to know during which flowering period chamomile has the best healing properties.

Granulated chamomile tea

Ready-made pharmacy preparations can be sold in various forms:

• in loose form;
• dosed, like tea bags. This option greatly simplifies the process of preparing the drink - no need to worry and worry about how many inflorescences are needed for one cup of water;
• granulated - this form is common for baby food. The granules contain chamomile extract and dissolve quickly in warm water. Sometimes this drink is slightly sweetened with maltodextrin to improve its taste. This option should be preferred when preparing a drink for infants.

To avoid allergies, a child aged 1 to 5 years can be given regular chamomile tincture only half a cup per day.

How to brew correctly?

How to brew chamomile tea
Each package contains a recipe according to which tea should be brewed for a child:

• for oral administration: a teaspoon of dried flowers should be poured with one glass of boiling water. Cover with a lid and kitchen towel. Leave to sit for 15 minutes. If the child refuses to drink in its pure form, you can add a little honey or sugar. You should be careful with honey, since consuming it can cause an allergy in a child up to one year old.

How to brew chamomile

Using chamomile for colds

If the baby’s mother sees that the child has become lethargic and the first signs of a cold have begun to appear, you can inhale with chamomile decoction, rinse the nose, or give tea based on a medicinal plant to drink.

Important! The plant has an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect, and in the early stages it can cope with many diseases. Or make their flow much easier.

Inhalations with the plant are not used until acute inflammation is relieved with medications. Otherwise, the procedure can only cause harm. Foot baths have also been found to be useless.

Preparing the decoction

For children under one year of age, a very weak decoction is made, since strong tea may contain dangerous substances. From the age of 5 you can safely take the decoction, but you need to prepare it. Keeping children's proportions:

• dried chamomile flowers – 1 – 1.5 tsp;
• boiling water – 300 ml.

You need to mix the ingredients and simmer for about 40 minutes in a water bath. Then the composition is filtered and left for about half an hour.

Age restrictions and contraindications

There is no age limit for chamomile tea, but proportions must be observed.
Tea made from chamomile flowers is healthy and recommended for use by adults and children from the first month of life. Therefore, there are no age restrictions as such. The only condition is compliance with the proportions and brewing technology. You must act in strict accordance with the instructions, and also make sure that there is no individual intolerance to this drug.

Chamomile infusion is prescribed as a preventative and therapeutic agent. For infants, you need to pay special attention to the preparation process and follow the instructions given by the pediatrician.

Possible problems for babies

When can you give chamomile remedies to your baby? The plant is not the main medicine, but rather a general strengthening, soothing component. It is used to relieve itching, irritability, kill germs or strengthen the immune system.

• One of the most common cases is prickly heat. Diaper rash, skin irritation, rashes and itching are all a consequence of improper child care. However, this phenomenon occurs quite often due to the characteristics of the baby’s delicate skin and the constant need to change the diaper.

To eliminate the problem, bathing with brewed chamomile is used. You can also wipe the affected areas with a decoction or make short compresses to soothe the itching.

• Another common problem is related to the period of teething. The gums are constantly sore and irritated, and there is a risk of infection in the oral cavity. Chamomile decoction is used as an antiseptic. It is also effective for some gastrointestinal disorders and many other diseases, including those associated with the nervous system.

The prepared infusion from this plant can also be used to speed up the healing process for colds. This is an excellent cough remedy. For internal use, you can prepare children's teas. Some commercial baby formulas contain chamomile flowers as one of the main components of the mixture. Inhalations are also good for coughs, but they must be used with extreme caution.

In general, the use of chamomile for infants is supported by pediatricians, but preliminary consultation is still a prerequisite.

Are there any contraindications

Of course, like any medicine, there are cases when drinking tea is not advisable and can cause harm to the body:

Contraindications to the use of chamomile tea

• individual intolerance – allergies often occur unpredictably. The body reacts this way to an increased intake of any substance or group of vitamins. If an allergy to chamomile tea was previously identified, then you should not provoke its occurrence again and refrain from consuming it;
• You should not drink chamomile tea at the same time as other medications, such as sedatives and diuretics. This is due to the fact that the drink made from chamomile flowers also has sedative and diuretic properties; an overdose may result;
• You cannot self-medicate, even preventatively, brew a drink “by eye,” or use personally collected herbs;
• Breastfed babies do not need to be given this drink in large quantities. This is due to the fact that chamomile interferes with the absorption of iron, which is already contained in very little breast milk. If you actively give your baby chamomile infusion, you can include vitamins containing iron in the diet, especially when its deficiency is identified.

Doctor's recommendation:

• like all medicines, it must be used in accordance with the prescription and recommendations of a specialist;
• to calm the baby and relieve pain from colic, it will be enough to give 15 ml of tea after each feeding (after 30 - 60 minutes);
• a child under one year old can drink no more than 100 ml of this drink per day;
• stop drinking if an allergy occurs until the cause of its occurrence is determined.

The benefits of chamomile tea for children are undoubtedly great, but it is necessary to use it correctly, follow the pediatrician’s advice, choose a quality product, and give the child food in accordance with the recommended dosages.

During the period of treatment or prevention, it is necessary to monitor the baby’s condition so that allergies do not occur.

At what age can you drink chamomile?

Scientific medicine strictly regulates the use of chamomile infusion by young children. In particular, according to the recommendations of doctors, children under one year of age can only use bathing with a medicinal plant and instill the infusion into the nose for a runny nose.

Important! The problem is that the decoction can cause allergic reactions and contribute to the leaching of iron.

After reaching three years of age, chamomile can be used internally in the form of a weak tea or an unsaturated decoction. It helps cough up and provides a diaphoretic effect.

Lotions and wipes

As an external remedy, chamomile has few competitors. This plant relieves inflammation, stimulates skin regeneration, has a beneficial effect on blood circulation in the epidermis and disinfects. Lotions and rubbing with chamomile decoction are used to prevent and treat diaper rash, heal wounds, and treat eye diseases.

For lotions and rubbing 1 tsp. dry raw chamomile is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused in a porcelain, enamel or glass container, and then filtered through cheesecloth. If you are preparing a decoction for washing your eyes, it is better to take packaged chamomile.

Wait until the liquid cools to a comfortable temperature. The prepared decoction can be used to treat folds on the child’s neck, arms, legs, and belly, and to wash the butt. When treating the eyes, do not forget that manipulations are performed from the outer corner of the eyes to the inner. One sterile cotton pad soaked in the broth can be used to wipe only one eyelid.

How to properly bathe a child in chamomile

After the umbilical wound of a newborn has healed, you can proceed to bathing in a decoction of the plant. First, it is made in low concentration. Gradually, the decoction can be made more and more rich, while always paying attention to the condition of the baby. If a rash or redness appears, the use of chamomile baths should be stopped. And urgently seek advice from a specialist.

Many mothers ask if babies can take chamomile. Pediatricians do not object to parents using baths from a decoction of a medicinal plant for newborns. Water procedures help relieve tension, have a positive effect on the baby's sleep and disinfect its skin.

To prepare the bath you need to take 1 tbsp. spoon of chamomile and pour a liter of boiling water. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Strain the resulting broth and pour into bathing water. Be sure to monitor the temperature. It should be about 36 degrees. The duration of the chamomile bath should be no more than 10 minutes.

It is not recommended to constantly bathe a baby in such a decoction. It is best to do this no more often than once every 7-10 days. Bathing must be done carefully so that the child does not swallow water.