Fennel tea to treat Colic
Doctors define colic as a baby who cries for more than 3 hours at least 3 times a week for at least 3 weeks. Parents know it is a heart-rendering time when their baby cries, appears to be in pain and can’t be comforted in the usual ways.
Modern medicine does not have a cause or cure for colic, so it is often a case of waiting until the colic stops. Colic stops in most babies by 3 or 4 months of age, but it can last as long as 6 months.
There are natural remedies for colic that are effective for many children.
The simplest herbal remedies are herbal teas. Like your normal cup of tea, a herbal tea is made by adding boiling water to the leaves of a plant. Herbal remedies are safe to use on babies as long as they are not given too much.
Obviously, a herbal tea is cooled before being given to a baby and you wouldn’t expect a baby to have a full cup.
Fennel Tea
Fennel is a perennial herb that grows to 2.5 metres tall and is actually considered a weed in Australia and the USA because it grows so prolifically and can damage neighbouring plants. The bulb, leaves and seeds of the plant are used for both cooking and medicinal reasons.
There are many parts to fennel (such as rutin, estragole and rosmarinic acid) and most are anti-oxidants. Some of the useful properties of fennel are antispasmodic, carminative (release of internal gases), stomachic (strengthens and tones the stomach), anti-inflammatory, laxative and diuretic (increase flow of urine).
So far, there is no conclusive evidence that fennel tea cures colic. However, many parents have found it successful and an Israeli study of 68 babies showed fennel tea helped babies more than a placebo drink. Another study in 2003 showed that fennel seed oil reduced colic symptoms by 45% and stopped the colic in 65% of the babies.
Seeping chopped fennel leaves or crushed seeds in water to make fennel tea is quite simple. Alternatively, your local health food shops and even supermarkets may stock fennel tea bags.
About ¼ cup of diluted fennel tea is enough for a baby and it can be given before or after a feed. Breastfeeding mothers may find that drinking three cups of fennel tea a day might help their baby’s colic, too, as the benefits of fennel can be found in breastmilk.
You can even make fennel tea by adding crushed fennel seeds to warm milk and letting it sit for 2 – 3 minutes before drinking. This can be done with formula milk and presented to the baby as part of a normal feed.
Fennel has a mild flavour that is similar to aniseed (or liquorice) and is tolerated by most babies. It can be mixed with peppermint for a fresher flavour.
Fennel tea blends
Other herbs can be used with fennel as a colic treatment.
One study showed that a tea of fennel, chamomile and lemon balm calmed over half of the babies – compared to few babies calming in a group given only water. An Italian study of 33 babies showed that a tea of chamomile, fennel, vervain, liquorice and balm reduced colic in 57% of patients.
All of these herbs can help to relax the digestive system and therefore reduce the symptoms of colic. Chamomile has the additional benefit of relaxing the baby’s nervous system so that any distress is also lessened.
Posted by justinewhitfield 
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