Home remedies for babies

Though you cannot totally rely on home remedies, it always comes handy in case of emergencies. I have added some home remedies here for various common illness that occurs in babies. remember that each baby is unique and what suits one may not work for the other.

 Do not rely on home remedies if,
-baby is less than 8 months old
-has severe chest congestion
-has breathing difficulty or noisy breathing
-develops rashes or other symptoms of allergy or infection
-has cold for more than 10 to15 days

For cold

• Always keep a nasal saline solution, mucus bulb and humidifier to releive nasal congestion in babies less than 8 months old.

For babies 8 months and above follow the remedies given below.

Remedy 1:

• Beetle leaf
• Pepper corns
• Jeera
• Palm candy or panam karkandu

Boil all the ingredients in a cup of water. Wait until water reduces to half a cup. Give this (5-10 ml) three times a day.

Remedy 2: 

For chest cold

In a beetle leaf apply gingely or coconut oil.

Heat it in a lamp (preferably mud lamp/agal vilaku) when it is in bearable heat place ot on child's chest and repeat the process for 2 to  3 minutes. Change the leaf if it gets blackened.

Remedy 3:

Tulasi leaves

Peppermint or omaValli leaves

Squeeze the leaves and extract the juice. Feed it to baby about 5 to 10 ml once a day.

Remedy 4:

Heat ghee in a pan and add dhal tulsi leaves beetle leaf and karpoooravalli and saute well.

Grind this into a smooth paste. Mix honey and give it to the baby for relief from chest cold.

For cough

Babies 10 months and above

• Mix a tsp of turmeric and palm sugar in a cup of warm milk and give it to your baby at night before bed time.
• Give palm candy or palm sugar to keep in mouth and as the baby swallows the salaiva it will give a soothing effect to the throat and reduce cough due to dryness.
• For babies one year and above:Take half inch each of sitharathai,adhimadhuram,Sukku,thippili and few Pepper corns. Dry roast them until it turns black add a cup of water and palm sugar and boil until it reduces to half the quantity. Filter and feed 10 ml to the baby.
• For babies above 1 year: Mix a pinch of pepper powder in a spoon of honey and give it to the baby once daily.

For indigestion or stomach pain
Babies 10 months and above

• In a pan dry roast omam or ajwain seeds,jeera,Sukku, one garlic pod and a pinch of Asafoetida add one cup of water and boil until it reduces to half cup. Filter and add pinch of salt,give 10 ml three times a day.
• Give warm jeera water on daily basis.
• You can also give a spoon of oma water that you get in shops for babies.  

Constipation
Soak 15 to 20 dry grapes in water overnight,in the morning mash the grapes well and filter the water. Feed the water to baby on empty stomach.

Urai marundhu or ezhai marundhu
This is an age old medicine given to babies on a regular basis. It is said to have many benefits like warding off cold , cough, flu and indigestion and is said to increase baby's appetite. It was prepared at home in those days but now you get it in form of tablets from ayurveda shops or naatu marundhu kadai. You just have to dissolve it in warm water and give it to the baby.
6 to 12 months baby: 1/2 tablet
12 to 24 months baby: 1 tablet
24 months and above: 2 tablets

For dry skin
Almond oil or olive oil can be applied to baby's skin to prevent dryness.


Diaper rash

• Coconut oil is the best medicine for diaper rashes. Apply coconut oil on baby's skin before putting the diapers on.
• You can also use calamine lotion.