Chamomile Tea for Babies – Is It Safe?

Nutrition is an essential part of your baby’s development as a lot can depend on his nutritional intake. This is especially true if your baby is still too young to feed himself and his immune system and organs are still too underdeveloped for him to eat food that is considered healthy. Hence, it is best to proceed with caution when introducing new foods to your little one.

Tea is considered a healthy part of any diet. It is rich in minerals and antioxidants and has calming properties. Chamomile tea is one of the most popular and healthy teas available in the market today. The question here, however, is – while chamomile tea is safe and healthy for a fully-grown adult, is it safe for babies?

What Is Chamomile Tea?

Made from dried chamomile flowers, chamomile tea is considered to be one of the healthiest forms of tea available. It is known to help soothe nerves, calm you down, settle digestive issues, and better a sore throat. Dried chamomile can, in fact, be used to make oils and compresses that are used to combat anxiety and sleeplessness. The use of chamomile as medicine is so ancient that it can be traced back to the pharaohs of the Egyptian empire.

When Can You Introduce Chamomile Tea to Your Baby?

Chamomile tea is full of rich minerals and antioxidants that are great for our bodies, but when it comes to your baby,  chamomile has a unique characteristic – it is commonly used to help combat colic in babies. That said, doctors recommend that you introduce chamomile to your children only after the age of 6 months and that you start them off with extremely small doses.

Nutritional Value of Chamomile Tea

One of the most important points to consider when adding anything to your baby’s diet is nutrition, and chamomile is packed with nutritional goodness.

• Chamomile tea has small doses of essential vitamins like vitamin A.
• Chamomile is also extremely rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, and folate.
• Chamomile has properties that are anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, antipyretic, and it is a great immunity booster.

When you consider all these points, you cannot ignore the immense nutritional benefits that come with introducing your child to chamomile.

Amazing Benefits of Chamomile Tea for Infants

Chamomile tea has immense benefits for both adults and children. Here are a few of the amazing benefits of chamomile tea for babies:

1. Prevents Infections

Chamomile tea is known as a great anti-bacterial addition to your baby’s diet. These anti-bacterial properties can help fight some types of infections that are very common in babies.

2. Improves Digestion

Chamomile tea is considered a great digestive aid. Young babies are known to have gas,constipation, and other digestive issues that can cause discomfort in your little one. Doctors recommend chamomile tea for a baby’s constipation as an easily accessible home remedy.

3. Combats Colic

Chamomile tea can be used to prevent and combat colic in your baby. Colic is a common form of discomfort in young children, and chamomile tea for colic babies is especially beneficial. It is recommended that you give your little one some chamomile tea at least 3 times a week.

4. Aids Sleep

Chamomile tea is a natural sedative that is both safe and healthy. This tea is great for calming your baby down and putting him to sleep – not only does the tea act as a natural and safe relaxant to help your baby go to sleep without a fuss, but it also drastically improves the baby’s quality of sleep. In fact, chamomile tea for infants to help sleep schedule implementation is one of the most commonly used hacks for new parents.

5. Eases Teething Pain

One of the biggest benefits of chamomile tea is that it acts as a natural mild pain reliever. While it won’t ease severe pain in adults, chamomile tea has pain-relieving properties that are potent enough to ease baby teething pains.

6. Combats Disease

The anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties present in chamomile tea can play an important role in combating diseases that your baby can be susceptible to due to his still-developing immune system.

How Much Chamomile Tea Can You Give to Your Baby?

One of the most important points to remember when introducing this tea to your young one’s diet is the dosage. If you aren’t careful with the dosage, this tea could harm your child. The recommended dosage of chamomile tea for babies is one teaspoon of chamomile tea mixed with a glass of warm water, fed every 24 hours to 48 hours.

How to Buy the Best Chamomile Tea for Your Child

It is important to remember that buying the right kind of chamomile tea for your baby is as important as the dosage or preparation technique. Here are a few tips to help you buy the best chamomile tea for newborns:

• Buy organic chamomile tea
• Buy chamomile tea leaves instead of tea bags
• Buy pure chamomile tea without added caffeine

Are There Any Side-Effects of Chamomile Tea on a Young Child?

As with any type of food or drink added to your baby’s diet, there can be side-effects if the quantity is not monitored. Here are a few side-effects of excessive consumption of chamomile tea:

1. Digestive Issues

In limited doses, chamomile tea eases gas, prevents and combats constipation, and improves digestion. When consumed in larger doses, though, it can cause diarrhoea and tummy aches.

2. Skin Problems

Limited doses of chamomile tea can strengthen immunity greatly. Over-consuming it, however, can lead to skin conditions like itchy skin and rashes.

3. Breathing Trouble

Within limits, chamomile tea can ease a sore throat due to its anti-inflammatory properties. When over-consumed, however, it can cause breathing difficulties in your child.

4. Vomiting

As with the over-consumption of any food, if you feed your baby too much chamomile tea, he will vomit. This can cause him to eat less and bring in more complications.

How to Make and Serve Chamomile Tea for Babies

Here are a few tips on how to make chamomile tea for your baby:

1. Boil some water in a kettle or saucepan.
2. Add one teaspoon of chamomile tea.
3. Add a drop of lemon and half a teaspoon sugar (optional)
4. Let it cool.
5. Serve in a bottle or with a dropper.

Remember to buy chamomile tea for your baby that is caffeine-free as caffeine can be detrimental to your child’s health. Consult a nutritionist and doctor before adding anything to your child’s diet to understand if it is safe and how much is safe for your baby.

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