Is Chamomile Tea Safe For Babies?

Chamomile Tea for Your Baby

As a parent when your baby is in distress and not sleeping and crying and fussing frequently, you want to be able to give your baby relief. Nothing tears at your heart than watching your baby suffer and not sure what is the cause of this discomfort. You want to try healthy options to put your baby at ease. That raises the question “Is Chamomile Tea safe for your baby?

Chamomile Tea – What is it?

Tea can be a healthy part of any human beings’ diet. Chamomile is an herb from a daisy-like flower that has been used by the Asian culture for centuries. Chamomile Tea is made from drying the chamomile flowers and then infusing the dried flowers with water. To many, chamomile tea is considered one of the healthiest teas on the market and with chamomile tea being caffeine-free, it is a healthy alternative to many teas on the market. Chamomile tea has an earthy and sweet taste which appeals to many peoples’ taste buds.

Nutritional Value of Chamomile Tea

When it comes to your diet or the diet of your baby, one of the most important things to consider is the nutritional value it is adding to the diet. Chamomile tea is loaded with nutritional values such as:

• Low in calories

• Small dose of essential vitamins such as Vitamin A

• Rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and folate

• Anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic properties that boost immune systems

Why Chamomile Tea for Your Baby

Chamomile has been used as a traditional medicine for thousands of years to calm anxiety and settle upset tummies for people. You can turn to chamomile tea for your infant’s discomfort as well. Chamomile tea for babies can relieve heartburn, nausea, and vomiting. It also aids in sleep and relaxation.

Helps with Colic

Chamomile Tea is often given to babies that are colicky to ease the colic. Colic in your baby can be trying as a parent as there is no apparent reason for this distress and no amount of consoling seems to cause your baby relief. The natural herb of chamomile in Chamomile Tea often helps soothe your baby during colicky times allowing you to rest assured that your baby is happy and healthy.

Infection and Disease Prevention

Antioxidants found in chamomile tea have been linked with a lower incidence of certain types of cancer. Yes, your baby is very young to worry about that, however, the significance means that chamomile can lower inflammation in the body. Inflammation is your body’s immune systems reaction to fight infection. Inflammation can lead to many health problems. Chamomile can help your baby’s immune system that is still developing and fight any inflammation especially in the gastrointestinal tract.

Digestion Aid

Proper digestion is extremely important to all person’s overall health, babies included. You baby may have gas or constipation and even other digestive issues causing them discomfort and have them feeling cranky. Chamomile tea is a safe way to easy tummy problems and to have a smiling baby.

Sleep Quality

A baby not feeling well may mean a baby that is not sleeping well. Sleep is an important time in your babies’ days to help heal and rebuild. Chamomile Tea promotes sleepiness and reduces insomnia. Studies have shown that people that drink Chamomile Tea falls asleep faster and may wake less during the night, this holds true for your baby. Chamomile Tea is a natural and safe relaxant to help your baby go to sleep without a fuss and sleep more soundly for a happier and healthier baby.

When and How Much Chamomile Tea

As with many things when it comes to your baby, consult your child’s paediatrician before giving tea to your little one. The chamomile herb is considered safe for babies six months and older. At the age of one, when you introduce other foods into your child’s food repertoire, chamomile is considered safe since the chance of food allergies are less.

The first dose administered to your baby should be 0.5 ounces. As when introducing anything new to your infant, keep an eye on them and make sure that there are no adverse effects. If your baby accepts the 0.5 ounces well, then you can introduce 1 ounce when your baby is colicky, fussy, has gastric discomfort and any other conditions that Chamomile tea is suggested to relieve.

The maximum dose would be 5 ounces, but it is often recommended to keep the dose between 2 – 3 ounces per day or every 24 hours. Again, as with starting any new regimen for your baby, it is important to discuss this with your paediatrician.

Where to Find Reputable Brands of Chamomile Tea

It is important to buy the Chamomile tea for your baby from a trustworthy manufacturer. This will ensure that you are receiving pure chamomile tea without any alterations or contaminations. This goes hand in hand with purchasing it from a reputed store to make sure the tea has not been altered. The tea should not be mixed with any other flavors such as peppermint or lavender, it should be pure chamomile tea. Tea bags should be in sealed, individual packs to make them less prone to bacterial contamination. Never purchase loose chamomile tea as it can contain bacterial spores that can cause problems for your infant. After all, you only want what is best in your babies’ bellies.

Preparation

The chamomile tea is prepared by placing a tea bag in 8 ounces of boiling water and letting it stay for 5 minutes. You can then remove the teabag and allow the water to become lukewarm. Pour a quarter of the tea in your child’s bottle and/or a sipper and fill the remaining bottle/sipper with water.

The Fine Print

As with pretty much everything given to any human being, there are potential side effects. The common side effects is related to food allergies – hives, nausea, vomiting, swelling of the face and lethargy. If you suspect an allergic reaction take your baby to a doctor immediately. Allergic reactions are rare to chamomile, but it is important, as when introducing any new food, that you keep an eye on your infant. If you infant is on other medications, be sure to let your paediatrician know you are feeding your baby chamomile. Chamomile may react with some drugs including antifungal drugs.

Chamomile Tea Overall

Chamomile is a gently and soothing herb with many health benefits for your toddler or baby. Chamomile tea makes for an excellent, affordable home remedy for ailments in your infant.