BACK TO ASK THE HERBALIST INDEX

FROM KAREN
COLD IN AN INFANT
QUESTION: Hi there!  Thanks for your time number one!  I have an 8 week old and she has had a cold for 3 weeks, affecting mainly the upper respiratory.  My pediatrician saw her two days ago and said that she just has a bad cold and that we should just continue to watch her.  I am at this point very concerned and frustrated as I feel helpless in her healing process.  I do breastfeed, I do eat dairy, and we do have a cat and a dog.  Hum?? allergies I am wondering?  Her congestion can become so severe at night that she has difficulty eating and has to open her mouth to breathe.  We do run a humidifier and that has seemed to help.  It just seems like this stagnate cold  isn't getting any worse but has remained the same for 3 weeks.   And it just doesn't seem right for a 2 month old.  SO I was seeing what you suggested.  A naturopath friend told to try Oregon Grape tincture for myself every hour to then pass onto her via breast milk.  I also purchased "herbs For Kids" tincture blend of Astragulus/echinacea however, she is probably too young to administer this too correct?  How about homeopathy?  Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.  I at this point feel her immune system not be too strong.  And oh ...yes we have an older sibling of 3 years that could be passing on the germs!   Thanks very much for helping! 

ANSWER: It could very well be allergies, but I find that children brought up around animals and normal dust, rather than secluded from it, develop a strong immune system and don't have issues with allergies. If you have a 3 year old and he goes to daycare, that could very well be the source of the germs coming into the house. Hard to avoid. The best thing to do is build up that immune system. I think the Kid's herbs are fine for the 3 year old, but the 2 mo old is definitely too young for such things. The humidifier is a good idea. Put some eucalyptus oil in it to help your little one breath. You could take some echinacea tincture and it would pass on to your little one.
         Remember that eggs, dairy, wheat, sugar, orange juice and all refined, processed foods can contribute to congestion, so you should avoid these as much as possible while your baby is sick. Also, believe it or not, chicken soup with astragalus, dandelion root, burdock root, and echinacea added can do wonders for your baby as well as you!
            If you have access to herbs, you can make a great respiratory tonic tea with fennel, rose hips, lemongrass, calendula, coltsfoot, mullein and red clover. If you don't have access to the herbs, I'd be happy to make it for you. Just send me an e-mail with CUSTOM ORDER in the subject and ask for Respiratory Tonic Tea. Or go to my website and in the apothecary, under medicinal teas, select custom under blends. Then in the comments put Respiratory Tonic Tea. That's really the best way to go, as I don't ship without payment in full, so you can pay online and I can make the tea and ship it right away. You will need to drink 3-4 cups a day of this, so be sure to order enough. If you have a tea ball, the loose in a tin is the more economical choice. That way, if your 3 year old or anyone else in the house gets sick, you have the tea on hand.
 
REBUILDING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
QUESTION: Hi,  I know of a little four year old that has suffered from Cancer most of her life.  Recent blood work done shows no signs of this disease since surgery, but it does show that her immune system is in pretty poor shape. In order to fight off the Cancer returning they need to build her immune system up.  She is four going on five years old.  Could you recommend an Herb that would do this? I have heard that echinacea does build the immune, and I know that some herbs should not be given to children at the same amount meant for an adult. Please this is very important to me as a friend.  Your immediate reply would be most appreciated.  Thank you so much.

ANSWER: Of course your first line of defense is her diet. I cannot get over how many people want to continue to put junk in their bodies and expect some "magic herb" to cure their ills. It doesn't work that way unfortunately.  Make sure she is eating a healthy diet. NO sugar, preservatives, White flour, artificial sweeteners - at all! Next, the best supplements for the immune system are vitamins A, C, E and Selenium and Zinc. You can get this at the Health food store. It is called ACES and is made by a company called Carlson. Last, the best herbs for building the immune system are Astragalus, Echinacea, red clover,  and goldenseal, although that should not be taken for more than a week at a time. I have an immune system building tea on my website at www.allgoodegifts.com  in the Apothecary section under medicinal teas. A tea is gentle enough even for a child. That would be my suggestion, rather than pills or caps.

QUESTION: Can I feed my premature baby peppermint tea?  She is 3 months old.

ANSWER:  Certainly. I would dilute it a little more than you normally would. Are you giving it for a particular reason? Make the tea, brewing at least 10 minutes, then add half again as much water to the tea.

RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS:
QUESTION: I would like to know the best herbs or herbal formulas to give to my grand-daughter for an upper respiratory infection. She is 14 months old.

ANSWER: I wouldn't suggest you give your grand-daughter anything without speaking to her doctor first. Trying to treat young children can be very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Has she been diagnosed by a doctor, or are you just trying to treat symptoms you're seeing.

Many times, what we think are upper respiratory infections or conditions, are really allergy related. The first thing I would do is avoid cow's milk products, sugar, peanuts, or any foods with an allergic response or that are mucus forming, like cheese. Make sure she is getting plenty of fluids such as juices with no sugar, soups and herb tea. Avoid cold drinks.Vitamins A, C and Beta Carotene will help stimulate her immune system and aid in the healing process.

Finally, the herbs most often used for upper respiratory ailments are lobelia for coughs, echinacea to heal and prevent further infection, licorice to soothe the throat and for its antibacterial properties, marshmallow to reduce inflammation and soothe the throat, mullein as a respiratory tract tonic, ginger to stimulate the immune system, horehound to clear the congestion from the lungs, garlic for its antibiotic properties, peppermint for coughs and any herbal cough extracts you can get which contain fenugreek, comfrey, yerba Santa, hyssop and wild cherry.  I have a cough and sore throat tea that has many of these ingredients already in it. You can find it on my website at www.allgoodegifts.com  in the Apothecary in the Herb Shoppe.

COLIC
QUESTION: I am a nursing mother of a 5 week old who has terrible colic.  I am interested in using chamomile to settle her stomach and soothe her.  I began drinking German chamomile tea a few days ago hoping its benefits will be passed onto my child, because I do not know enough about herbs to give it directly to the child, and am concerned about giving her water and throwing off electrolytes.  What do you recommend for colic?  If chamomile, German or Roman, and if tea, how do I prepare it and how much do I use?  Thank you in advance.

ANSWER: You poor dear. My oldest son had terrible colic, so I sympathize with you. Since you are breast feeding, there are several things you can do. Small frequent feedings during these early days may be better than a few large ones. Make sure the baby's head is higher than the stomach while nursing. Don't eat any of the cabbage family plants. Broccoli, brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes, kale, collards, cauliflower and all types of cabbage, onions or garlic during the first six months of your lactation. These foods are rich in sulfur and although very good for you, they promote intestinal gas in you and your baby. Try massaging the baby's tummy in a clockwise motion while you are nursing. Also, you can put a drop of lavender or chamomile essential oil on your finger and massage that into the abdomen.  Last, there is an age old remedy called gripe water. My mother swore by it and had it imported from England for us as babies. There are lots of places to get it, but be careful, most of them contain sugar. I have my own recipe for gripe water and can make a custom tea for you if you're interested. E-mail me with the word ORDER in the subject line to get more information.

FROM DAVID
HERBS FOR CHILDREN'S COLDS
QUESTION:  I have a 7 week old little girl and she has a cold right now with a bit of congestion in her nose & chest. Are there any herbal remedies I can try for her? She is breast feeding and I don't want anything to interfere with that, this cold is doing just that. I was just not sure if you could use the same herbs for infants as you do for adults.

ANSWER:    At 7 weeks she is a little young to try remedies unless she can't get over her illness, most due in a week or so, she may not nurse as much, may lose some weight but she will bounce back.  If you are concern you can take her into the pediatrician. What I was wondering was where she picked it up, my suggestion would be a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  We do have some great books on herbs for babys if you would like to call and talk to my wife Susanna she can help you out with infromation from our store.  If she was not introduced to a bug from another person, is she allergic to anything, I would elliminate, soy and dairy products.  The best way to get herbs into your infant is through you, you take the herbs and it will pass through breast milk.  When she gets a little older, 6 months, you can try echinacea glycerite to boost her immune response, if she continues to have chronic infections, it is sweet tasting and she will like it.  The best part for her is you are passing part of your immune
system to her through your breast milk, you are protecting her, breast feeding your child is the best thing for her.

Herbs for kids include:
Echinacea Glyceriter is good immune potentiator, sweet tasting.
Peppermint, great for upset stomachs, add in Elder flower for colds and flu.
Elder flower is great for colds and flus, good antiviral.
Chamomile or Camomile is great to relax and calm, for teething and upset stomach from colds and flu.

A vaporizer in her room will help moisten the air, make sure to clean it everyday, also give her several warm baths during the day the steam will loosen the phlegm and mucus.  This is where you could introduce the chamomile and elderflowers as part of her bath, the steam will help get it in her and her skin will absorb some of it.  Make a strong tea of the Elder and Chamomile flowers and introduce the strained liquid into her bath.

We do have some supplements for kids to helps with colds and prevent them.