January 24, 2024, 10:02 am | Read time: 3 minutes
If a child is sick, parents don’t need to immediately resort to medication. For mild symptoms, a medicinal tea is often sufficient. What you should consider when purchasing.
Stomachaches and coughs in children are familiar to all parents. Quick relief is needed to alleviate the symptoms of the little ones. Medicinal teas for children are small helpers in everyday life. However, the Chamber of Pharmacists of Lower Saxony advises caution when selecting them.
Overview
What distinguishes medicinal teas from food teas
Medicinal teas undergo stricter controls than everyday food teas and can only be called such if they meet the quality requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia. A herbal tea is not automatically a medicinal tea.
Colds, stomachaches – which tea is suitable for toddlers and children
Parents should choose the specific type of tea primarily based on the symptoms and age of the child, as certain teas are not suitable for toddlers.
This includes peppermint tea, which is recommended for children over six years old for stomach cramps. Studies show that peppermint tea has pain-relieving and antispasmodic effects in the gastrointestinal tract. Anise, caraway, or chamomile, on the other hand, can help younger children with stomachaches and bloating. For colds and coughs, thyme tea is suitable for children from one year old. According to the Chamber of Pharmacists, they can drink up to three cups a day.
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Caution with fennel tea
The European Medicines Agency advises against fennel tea for children under four years old. And children up to eleven years old should only drink it sparingly, according to the agency.
Background: Fennel teas can contain high amounts of the substance estragole, which is considered liver-damaging and carcinogenic.
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Medicinal tea for children – overview and effects
- Peppermint tea (for children over 6 years): Has pain-relieving and antispasmodic effects in the gastrointestinal tract
- Anise tea (suitable for toddlers): Has antibacterial, expectorant, and relaxing effects – can relieve bloating in babies (more about it here)
- Caraway tea (suitable for toddlers): Relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract and helps with bloating (read more about its health effects and proper preparation here)
- Chamomile tea (suitable for toddlers): Has relaxing and antispasmodic effects; helps with stomach and digestive issues and, when drunk before meals, against heartburn. For minor gum inflammation or sore throats, gargling with lukewarm chamomile tea is pain-relieving – learn more about the versatile effects of chamomile tea here.
- Thyme tea (suitable for toddlers): The active ingredients thymol and carvacrol have a calming effect on the airways during coughs, are antispasmodic, pain-relieving, and antibacterial. More about the scientifically proven effects of the tea can be found here.
- Fennel tea (for children over 4 years and only sparingly): Has anti-inflammatory, digestive, and antispasmodic effects. Can help loosen trapped mucus to enable coughing and can be used to treat mild stomachaches.
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Pay attention to manufacturer instructions for dosage and age
In general, parents should consider the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the recommended age and dosage when choosing the appropriate medicinal tea, advises the Chamber of Pharmacists of Lower Saxony.
*With material from dpa