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| Home > Aromatherapy for Children > Remedies For Common Childhood Diseases
| | | Remedies For Common Childhood Diseases by Aromatherapy
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A good aroma can make anyone happy and children are no exception. Baby massage is quite traditional in the east, especially in India. Though it takes a little time for the mother to adjust to the idea of massaging a wriggling baby, but she would gradually start enjoying it when the baby would respond to the mother`s touch. Massage is a wonderful way of strengthening the bond between the mother and the child.
 When using aromatherapy oils on children, make sure that the quantity of aromatherapy oil in the carrier oil is reduced to half. The ideal blend would consist of two drops of aromatherapy oil in 4 fl oz (100 ml) of carrier oil. The baby`s body is very small in size and too much of aromatherapy oil can have a slightly toxic effect.
Remedies For Common Childhood Diseases
Although aromatherapy is not recommended to treat problems like measles and tonsillitis, it can definitely give the relief needed by the child. Problems like travel sickness, chapped skin, grazes and coughs can however be treated with the choice of the right oil and a little care and attention of the mother.
Children often hate to take medicines particularly pills and syrups that taste unpleasant. Aromatherapy treatment is beyond the bars of bad taste and unpleasant smell and children are not fussy about accepting this idea. Psychologically, this is a good thing because by believing and accepting the treatment they are already on their way to feeling better.
Travel Sickness
Try the following aromatherapy treatment if the child feels travel sick.
Blend six drops of peppermint oil into 4 fl oz (100 ml) of a carrier oil. Massage it on your child`s tummy and temples prior to the journey. Also apply a little under the child`s nose to inhale. Take the peppermint oil with you so that the child can inhale it during the journey.
Grazes
Sometimes grazes can be slow to heal, particularly on knees and elbows where the constant bending pulls the skin. The following aromatherapy blend can help.
Firstly clean the graze with ½ pint (300 ml) of warm water, to which you have added four drops of lavender oil. Then, use more lavender oil in a carrier oil (wheat germ is good for this) to soothe the graze. Repeat the oil application two or three times daily until the graze has healed.
Bruises
Apply either of the following:
Add three drops of marigold and three drops of camphor oil to carrier oil. Apply to the bruise several times a day.
Make a compress out of cotton wool soaked in cool water. Apply a couple of drops of neat camphor oil to it and place on the bruice. This will quickly bring out the bruising.
Cuts
Add four drops of tea tree oil to ½ pint (300 ml) of warm water and use it to rice the cut. Then apply neat tea tree oil to the cup.
Nose Bleeds
Soak a flannel in 1 pint (600 ml) of cold water added with six drops of frankincense oil. Fold it in half and place over the bridge of the nose. This will stop the bleeding.
Toothache
Clove oil, an old remedy for toothache, has been used to deal with toothache. Clove oil has an anaesthetizing effect on the nerve that lessens the pain and gives a lot of relief until the child gets to the dentist.
Dip a cotton bud in neat clove oil, and then apply to the offending tooth. Repeat as necessary.
For a teething baby, rub the sore gums with a little neat camomile oil several times a day.
Mouth Ulcers
Mouth ulcers can be a nuisance, and sometimes quite painful. To treat them dip a cotton bud in neat myrrh oil and apply to the ulcer. Repeat as necessary.
This mouthwash can be used as a preventive measure.
Add six drops of myrrh oil to a cup of warm water and rinse the mouth out really well. Children often find this interesting as it involves a lot of spitting.
Bites and Stings
Dab the bite or sting with neat lavender oil as required.
Sore Throat
Either of the following remedies can help soothe irritation. You can also use both the remedies together if the patient does not object.
Often children don`t like to gargle. In that case mothers can apply oil to the throat.
To make a mouthwash/gargle, add two drops of lemon, two drops of eucalyptus and two drops of lavender oil to a cup of warm water.
Alternatively, you can add the above oils to 4 fl oz (100 ml) of carrier oil and rub the mixture into the throat and chest, then up into the glands behind the ears, at regular intervals.
Eczema
This is a very common childhood complaint and aromatherapy is a very effective way of helping it.
Dry Eczeme
Add six drops of geranium oil to 4 fl oz (100 ml) of avocado oil and apply to the effective areas several times daily. You can also add six drops of geranium oil to your child`s bath daily.
Weeping Eczema
Add six drops of bergamot oil to 4 fl oz (100 ml) of avocado oil and apply to the effective area several times daily. You can also add six drops of bergamot oil to your child`s bath daily.
Hiccoughs
Children often find hiccoughs a novelty, but they can be irritating at times. To stop hiccoughs you can try the following:
Add six drops of fennel oil to 4 fl oz (100 ml) of carrier oil. Rub the mixture along your child`s diaphragm, then up his/her chest and throat. You can also allow him/her to inhale neat fennel oil from the bottle (you can use this remedy yourself, increasing the amount of fennel to 12 drops).
Tummy Ache
Gentle massage is soothing on its own, but aromatherapy makes it more effective and beneficial.
Add two drops of camomile, two of fennel and two of peppermint oil to 4 fl oz (100 ml) of carrier oil. Gently rub this on your child`s tummy, using soothing massage strokes. Also, try adding the above oils to a warm bath- the heat helps pain and there is no need for carrier oil.
Asthma
If your child suffers from asthma, aromatherapy can help in several ways.
Add four drops of benzoin and four drops of rosemary oil to the child`s bath daily.
Make up massage oil using three drops of benzoin and three drops of lavender oil. Rub it on the chest at regular intervals daily.
Also, try using a vaporizer in the child`s bedroom at night, with benzoin, pine and rosemary oils (or any one of them).
Coughs
Add three drops of eucalyptus and three drops of thyme oil to 4 fl oz (100 ml) of carrier oil. Massage or rub it on your child`s chest and throat. These oils are also helpful when inhaled in steam and you can use them in a vaporizer in the child`s bedroom at night by placing it beside the bed.
Boils
To get rid of those painful boils make a small compress out of a cotton wool pad and soak it in hot water. Apply neat lemon or myrrh oil to the boil, and then cover with hot pad. Repeat applications regularly to draw the boil.
Sunburn
Apply neat lavender oil if the area of the sunburn is small. For larger areas, make up a spray by adding 12 drops of lavender oil to ½ pint (300 ml) of cold water. Spray the affected areas as needed. This is very effective for sore skin as it is very soothing and avoids having to touch the affected area.
Nappy Rash and Sore Chapped Skin
Commercial baby oils are made with mineral oils, which can eventually be drying to delicate skin< sweet almond oil is better for the skin of children. To make aromatherapy baby oil, add four drops of rose or camomile oil to 4 fl oz (100 ml) of sweet almond oil. This is very soothing when stroked on nappy rash or irritated skin.
Chapped Skin
Often children are in a hurry and don`t dry them properly. This can lead to chapped, sore skin, especially in winter.
Add six drops of benzoin or myrrh oil to a carrier oil and rub into the affected areas several times daily.
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