{"id":438,"date":"2007-09-06T02:56:35","date_gmt":"2007-09-06T00:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.radioislam.org.za\/wordpress\/2007\/09\/06\/the-very-best-home-remedies-for-kids\/"},"modified":"2007-09-06T02:56:35","modified_gmt":"2007-09-06T00:56:35","slug":"the-very-best-home-remedies-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/the-very-best-home-remedies-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"The very best home remedies for kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Medicine is a wonderful thing–and in some cases, it's the only thing that will make a sick child better. But as even your doctor will tell you, you don't always need a prescription to get an under-the-weather child back on his feet again. We asked doctors around the country for their favourite home remedies for common childhood ailments. Though not meant to take the place of medical attention (always call your paediatrician with any concerns), these remedies may help your child through a bad night or offer some comfort until his next doctor's appointment. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Ear Infections. Doctors often recommend placing warm compresses over your child's ear to help ease pain. Heat soothes and distracts–two pluses when you're trying to comfort a sick child–while increasing blood flow.
"And greater blood flow brings more infection-fighting white blood cells to the area," says a clinical instructor of paediatrics. A better solution than just a cloth: "Microwave a potato for five minutes, and then wrap a wet washcloth around it," "The potato will retain the heat–just make sure it's not hot enough to burn your child." Because some ear infections are caused by bacteria, call your paediatrician to ask if your child needs an antibiotic.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Burns. For second- or third-degree burns (in which skin is blistered), seek medical help immediately. But for first-degree burns (think mild sunburn), put a cold compress on the area. After 24 hours, smooth on aloe vera–use 100 percent gel or the extract from a broken plant leaf. Besides having antibacterial properties, aloe promotes healing by speeding cell growth. "Waiting 24 hours allows the inflammation to subside, so there's less risk of irritation," . You can also cover the burn with petroleum jelly. But avoid aloe-vera lotions; they don't contain enough of the real thing to be effective.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cuts. Few kids escape childhood without a slew of cuts and scrapes. When treating them, your first step is to clean the area with mild soap and water. Next, cover the wound with some of the papery skin from an onion and apply pressure. While the science of this isn't entirely clear, "the skin acts as a coagulant, helping stop the bleeding,". Once it stops, cover the cut with a bandage.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Croup. Croup–an inflammation of the larynx and trachea–is marked by a barking cough that often strikes at night and is usually caused by a cold or other respiratory infection. The best way to combat croup: Bundle up your child and take him for a nighttimes stroller ride, or drive him around in the car with the windows down. "Night air, especially in the winter, acts like ice on a bruise," explains ., a paediatrician. "It helps decrease inflammation." What if it's warm outside? Have your child breathe in the steam from a hot shower for 20 minutes. Get immediate medical help, however, if she's having any difficulty breathing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sore Throat. If your child is old enough to gargle–usually at about age 6 or 7–have him swish back a solution of one teaspoon salt and warm water (about eight ounces). "The warm water is soothing, and the salt acts as an antiseptic- tic, helping kill germs," says , an assistant professor of paediatrics at a Children's Hospital . Another throat soother: a few ounces of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of honey and the juice from half a lemon. "Even in small quantities," "lemon can have an analgesic effect, and honey can stimulate the immune system." Honey can have toxic effects in the very young; don't give any to a child under the age of 1.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Stings or Bites. To quell the swelling and itchiness of a mild bee sting or a mosquito bite, apply a paste made with two tablespoons baking soda and a few ounces of water (scrape out the stinger first if it's still there). "Leave it on for at least ten minutes," Dr. Gordon says. "The alkalinity of the baking soda combats the acidity of the venom, decreasing pain and swelling." Dabbing toothpaste on a bite is another remedy. "The mint flavouring cools the bite, easing discomfort," Dr. Sawni says.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Stomach-ache. Ease a child's upset tummy with a cup of diluted tea. "Chamomile or peppermint is best," notes Dr. Gordon, "because both contain antibacterial." Another cupboard cure: club soda. "The sodium bicarbonate in the soda acts as a gas reliever," says Dr. Sawni. "And when a child burps, it may relieve some of her discomfort." If your child's stomach-ache is accompanied by other symptoms–fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation–you should call your doctor. It could be a run-of-the-mill stomach bug, but she could be suffering from something more serious, such as a bowel obstruction.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Diaper Rash. Sure, commercial preparations may do the trick–but so can a kitchen staple. "Try Crisco or any vegetable shortening," Dr. Finigan says. "A barrier between the skin and the stool allows skin to heal. And the thicker and greasier the barrier, the better."<\/span><\/p>\n

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Motion Sickness. It's a familiar backseat refrain: "I feel sick!" Young children often get ill on car, boat, and plane trips because their inner ears sense motion but their eyes and joints do not. The conflicting messages received in the brain fire up a response that creates nausea, cold sweats, and fatigue. The home Rx? "Ginger root," says Dr. Gordon. "It's a great antinauseate. Put a pinch of powdered root in whatever your child will drink."<\/span><\/p>\n

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Nosebleed. Lean your child's head forward slightly, and pinch her nostrils between your fingers, applying firm pressure for about ten minutes. Like tying off a pipe that breaks, putting pressure on a bleeding nose compresses the ruptured blood vessel, helping stop the bleeding. Don't lean your child's head back; this can cause her to swallow blood and vomit. "And don't pack the nose with tissue or paper," Dr. Finigan cautions. "Ear, nose, and throat doctors may do it, but they have ways of getting the tissue out that you may not."<\/span><\/p>\n

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Skin Rash. Take the itch out of a skin rash with an oatmeal bath. (You can make your own by placing a cup of uncooked oatmeal in a washcloth, tying the cloth with string, and then tossing it into the tub water.) Oatmeal has anti-itch and anti-inflammatory properties.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cough. Try changing the humidity in your home, Dr. Finigan suggests. "Some coughs are aggravated by dry air, others by moist air," he says. "For instance, a lot of kids are allergic to dust mites, which thrive in moist environments. Turning off the humidifier sometimes helps a cough improve. On the flip side, we may tell parents to use a humidifier because the extra moisture might have a soothing effect and loosen up secretions."<\/span><\/p>\n

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Medicine is a wonderful thing–and in some cases, it's the only thing that will make a sick child better. But as even your doctor will tell you, you don't always need a prescription to get an under-the-weather child back on his feet again. We asked doctors around the country for their favourite home remedies for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[694,252,696],"class_list":["post-438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-collection-of-hints","tag-collection-of-hints","tag-handy-hints","tag-the-very-best-home-remedies-for-kids"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-74","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-18 20:25:17","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}