Should Children Use Herbal Remedies?
herbal-children-questions
Generally speaking, herbal remedies should not be used by children under 12 years old unless under physician guidance (or children’s dose stated clearly on herbal product).
For mild ailments such as colds and infections – echinacea may be used (follow dose directions). Use should be restricted to several weeks.
In all cases the family physician should be notified of any herbals being used by child.
Considering the safety and toxicity issues around herbal remedies as relevant to children, it is clear that recent UK research reveals that herbal treatment for children has dramatically increased.
Adverse reactions have been found in children, however the main causes for these adverse reactions have been due to poor quality products ie: toxicity of herbal ingredient, heavy metal contamination, and adulteration of the remedy with undeclared synthetic drugs! Therefore choosing a reputable brand as found in a good health food store is paramount.
Care is needed as there is a greater susceptibility in children to the toxic effects due to differences in absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.
It should also be noted that plant chemicals can be transmitted to an infant through breastfeeding.
The importance of a good diet, appropriate supplements and exercise cannot be overstated. Consider the diet and activity levels of the child. Exercise is important for the lymphatic system and immune response.
The 5-a-day (fruits/vegetables) message is important. One way might be to juice fruits and vegetables.
Consider also, was child breast fed? If not, a course of probiotics is likely to be beneficial for supporting immunity and gut integrity.
A good suggestion is using smoothie recipes as a good method of boosting fruit and nutrient intake in children – incorporating a quality ‘green food’ blend with nutrient packed wheatgrass or barleygrass, a children’s multi-vitamin but take care to avoid those with added sugars. The best kids’ multivitamins are in capsules rather than tablets and will avoid all nasty additives. You can also add EFAs (omega-3 oils) to a smoothie. This gives it a nice creamy taste, too. Acerola powders can be a useful source of vitamin C through the winter or to help with allergies.
Gentle safe botanicals that are certainly applicable for children include – cranberry, ginger, garlic, chamomile, lemon balm, Californian poppy, echinacea, avena sativa. Dose – half capsule, with food.
It is also important to consider the unborn child and so I will also touch on pregnancy and lactation here.
Herbal remedies should not be recommended for pregnant women unless prescribed by a physician. An exception is Red Raspberry which is a very supportive uterine tonic.
The first trimester especially critical due to foetal organ development. Some herbs are known as ‘arbotifacients’ and must be especially avoided during this vulnerable. These include oregon grape root, black cohosh, sage, and rosemary.
If you have any doubt, do not give a herbal remedy to a child without consulting a healthcare practitioner.
Tags: Adulteration, Adverse Reactions, Children Questions, Food Blend, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Green Food, Health Food Store, Heavy Metal Contamination, Herbal Ingredient, Herbal Product, Herbal Treatment, Lymphatic System, Nutrient Intake, Plant Chemicals, Poor Quality Products, Reputable Brand, Smoothie Recipes, Synthetic Drugs, Wheatgrass
