Skip to content

Top Navigation

Parents Parents
  • GETTING PREGNANT
  • PREGNANCY
  • BABY NAMES
  • BABY
  • TODDLER
  • BIG KID
  • FUN
  • HEALTH
  • PARENTING
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAY
  • News & Trends
  • Raising the Future
  • OUR MAGAZINES
  • Podcasts
  • Kindred
  • MORE

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Pin FB

Explore Parents

Parents Parents
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 22 Chore Ideas for Every Type of Kid

      22 Chore Ideas for Every Type of Kid

      Find a chore your kid loves to do, and start a habit of wanting to help out that'll last a lifetime. Read More Next
    • Top 5 Mom Friend Problems—And How to Fix Them

      Top 5 Mom Friend Problems—And How to Fix Them

      Parenting is so much easier with good pals. Learn to overcome friendship hurdles and bond with women who get you. Read More Next
    • How to Sleep Train Toddlers and Big Kids

      How to Sleep Train Toddlers and Big Kids

      Do you struggle to put your kiddo to bed—or keep them there? Read on to find out how to sleep train toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids. Read More Next
  • GETTING PREGNANT

    GETTING PREGNANT

    See All GETTING PREGNANT
    Your Chances of Getting Pregnant, During Every Phase of Your Cycle

    Your Chances of Getting Pregnant, During Every Phase of Your Cycle

    When sex coincides with your most fertile days, your chances of getting pregnant increase. Get to know each phase of your cycle to help you conceive (or avoid) a pregnancy.
    • Ovulation
    • Reproductive Age
    • Maximizing Your Fertility
    • Pre-Pregnancy Health
    • Trying to Conceive
    • Dealing With Infertility
    • Genetics
  • PREGNANCY

    PREGNANCY

    See All PREGNANCY
    9 Signs That Labor Is Approaching

    9 Signs That Labor Is Approaching

    Anxiously awaiting your baby’s arrival? Learn to recognize the signs of approaching labor, which signal that your little one might make an appearance soon.
    • Signs of Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Week-by-Week
    • Giving Birth
    • Labor & Delivery
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Due Date Calculator
    • Pregnancy Complications
    • Fetal Development
    • Gender Prediction
    • Baby Showers
  • BABY NAMES

    BABY NAMES

    See All BABY NAMES
    These Baby Names Are Predicted to Be Popular in 2022

    These Baby Names Are Predicted to Be Popular in 2022

    From Bridgerton to travel destinations, learn what's inspiring the baby name trends of 2022.
    • Baby Girl Names
    • Most Popular Names
    • Names by Origin
    • Twin Names
    • Baby Boy Names
    • Names by Religion
    • Celebrity Baby Names
  • BABY

    BABY

    See All BABY
    How to Decode Your Baby's Cough

    How to Decode Your Baby's Cough

    Caring for a baby with a wet or dry cough? Listen for wheezing, hacking, or barking first, then read on to find out what's normal and when it's time to worry.
    • Newborn Care
    • Crying Baby
    • Health
    • Baby Development
    • Safety
    • Gear
    • Breastfeeding
    • Diapers
    • Sleep Issues
    • Feeding
    • Nursery
  • TODDLER

    TODDLER

    See All TODDLER
    • Preschool Activities
    • Behavior & Discipline
    • Toddler Development
    • Milestones
    • Potty Training
    • Starting School
    • Health
    • Safety
    • Childcare
  • BIG KID

    BIG KID

    See All BIG KID
    How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents

    How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents

    Mean kids aren't just a middle-school problem. The trouble has trickled to the youngest grades. Learn how to spot it—and how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school.
    • Education
    • Health
    • Food & Nutrition
    • Bullying & School Problems
    • Child Development
    • Safety
    • Manners & Responsibility
  • FUN

    FUN

    See All FUN
    17 Budget-Friendly Kids' Birthday Party Ideas

    17 Budget-Friendly Kids' Birthday Party Ideas

    A fun celebration doesn't need to cost a pretty penny. Throw a memorable bash with these clever cost-cutting kids' birthday party ideas.
    • Birthdays
    • Indoor Activities
    • Outdoor Activities
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Printable Coloring Pages
    • Kids' Entertainment
    • Best Toys
    • Holidays
    • Family Vacation Ideas
  • HEALTH

    HEALTH

    See All HEALTH
    All About Coronavirus COVID-19: A Concerned Parent's Guide

    All About Coronavirus COVID-19: A Concerned Parent's Guide

    Here’s everything you need to know about the disease that originated in Wuhan, China.
    • ADD & ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Autism
    • Cold & Flu
    • Coronavirus and COVID-19
    • Cough
    • Down Syndrome
    • Emergency Aid
    • Fever
    • Medication & Vitamins
    • Obesity
    • Rashes
    • Stomach Aches
    • Vaccines
  • PARENTING

    PARENTING

    See All PARENTING
    The Stay at Home Guide for Parents

    The Stay at Home Guide for Parents

    Everything you need to thrive at home as a family.
    • Positive Parenting
    • Parenting Style
    • Celebrity Parents
    • Family Dynamics
    • Divorce
    • Home
    • Adoption
    • Just for Mom
    • Money
    • Toy Recalls
    • Stroller Recalls
    • Moms Run the World
    • The Stay at Home Guide
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    • Family Recipes
    • Baby Food
    • Toddler Finger Food Recipes
    • Hints & Tips
    • Healthy Eating
    • Birthdays
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Meals
    • Food For Pregnant Women
  • HOLIDAY

    HOLIDAY

    See All HOLIDAY
    44 Fun Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids, Preschoolers, and Toddlers

    44 Fun Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids, Preschoolers, and Toddlers

    Spend an afternoon making these Valentine's Day cards, decorations, and edible projects. Bonus: Each one can double as a homemade gift for someone special!
    • Christmas
    • New Year's
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Father's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
  • News & Trends
  • Raising the Future
  • OUR MAGAZINES

    OUR MAGAZINES

    See All OUR MAGAZINES
    • Parents
    • Parents Latina
    • Ser Padres
  • Podcasts

    Podcasts

    • We Are Family Podcast
    • That New Mom Life Podcast
    • Pregnancy Confidential Podcast
  • Kindred
  • MORE

    MORE

    • Newsletters
    • Contests
    • #ParentsIRL
    • Adulting
    • First Year Playbook
    • Celebrate Your Way

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Babies
  3. Health
  4. Caring for Your Sick Baby
  5. 14 Natural Health Remedies for Children

14 Natural Health Remedies for Children

By Alexandra Grablewski
Skip gallery slides
Pin
stick of gum
Credit: Paula Hible
Looking for safe, doctor-approved cures for sore throats, coughs, stomachaches, and more? Check this out!
Start Slideshow

1 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Smart Health Solutions

natural remedy kit
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

Whether your child has a tummy ache, a stuffy nose, or a bug bite, doctors say that old-fashioned home remedies are often the best way to help him feel better fast. These time-tested treatments rarely have side effects, cost next to nothing, and use items you probably already have on hand. "Some, like ginger and chamomile, have even been confirmed by scientific studies to have healing effects," says Hilary McClafferty, MD, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' provisional section for complementary, holistic, and integrative medicine.

Of course, you should always call your pediatrician if your child's problem seems serious. But the next time your child has a minor ache or injury, you can find these smart solutions all throughout your house.

1 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Honey and Lemon Juice for a Sore Throat

honey and lemon juice
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

Lemon dries up congestion and honey provides a soothing coating, says Lane Johnson, MD, associate professor of clinical family and community medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. In fact, a recent study found that a spoonful of honey eased kids' coughs even better than cough medicine. Mix together a tablespoon of each, microwave for 20 seconds until warm (not hot), and have your child swallow the mixture a teaspoon at a time. Caution: Honey is not safe for babies under 1 year.

2 of 16

3 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chamomile Tea for Colic

chamomile tea
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

Peter Rabbit's mother fed him soothing chamomile tea in Beatrix Potter's classic tale, and you can give it to your infant to relax her intestinal muscles and calm her down, says Dr. McClafferty, a pediatrician in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Steep tea for four to five minutes, let it cool to room temperature, and then put one to two ounces in a bottle. Don't give your baby more than four ounces a day so that she'll be sure to have plenty of room in her tummy for breast milk or formula.

3 of 16

Advertisement

4 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Baking Soda for Bug Bites

Baking soda
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

"My nana used to make a baking-soda paste for me when I was a child, and when I tried it on my own kids, they said that it stopped the itching better than store-bought products," says Estelle Whitney, MD, an ob-gyn in private practice in Wilmington, Delaware. The alkaline baking soda helps counteract the acidic swelling, she explains. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda with just enough water to make a thick paste, smear it on the bites, and let it dry.

4 of 16

5 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

7 Surprising Ways to Use Baking Soda

5 of 16

6 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cayenne Pepper for Nosebleeds

cayenne pepper
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

This spice helps blood clot, and it has been used medicinally in cultures around the world, says pediatrician Lillian Beard, MD, author of Salt in Your Sock and Other Tried-and-True Home Remedies. Keep your child's head upright and pinch his nostrils together for several minutes. Then sprinkle a pinch of ground cayenne pepper on a moistened cotton swab and dab inside the nose on the area of the bleeding. "It seems like it might sting but, surprisingly, it doesn't," says Dr. Beard.

6 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Junk Drawer: Duct Tape for Warts

duct tape
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

The gray fabric tape seems to irritate warts -- which can be surprisingly stubborn -- and inhibit their growth. Place a small piece on the skin over your child's wart, but not so tightly that it hurts, says Dr. Johnson. Change the tape whenever it starts to get icky; in about a month, the wart should be gone.

7 of 16

8 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

A Bubble Wand for Anxiety

bubble wand
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

Breathing slowly and deeply will help your child relax when she's feeling stressed, says Lonnie Zeltzer, MD, director of the pediatric pain program at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA and author of Conquering Your Child's Chronic Pain. Have your child blow long, slow streams of bubbles from the soapy wand.

8 of 16

9 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

A Bandanna for Headaches

bandanna
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

Wrapping several ice cubes in a dish towel will help soothe your child's head pain (never place ice directly on his skin because it'll burn), but it'll be hard for him to hold it in place for long, says Dr. Beard. To keep the towel-wrapped ice from slipping, press it against his forehead or temples and secure it with a bandanna tied at the back of his neck.

9 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

A Sock for Tummy or Neck Pain

sock
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

Instead of buying a heat wrap, make one by filling a sock with uncooked rice and tying it closed with a string, says Paula Gardiner, MD, a researcher in the department of family medicine at Boston University Medical Center. Microwave the sock for one minute or until warm, and place it wherever your child has pain. When it cools off, microwave it again.

10 of 16

11 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Your Blow-Dryer for Swimmer's Ear

blow-dryer
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

This painful inflammation of the outer ear traps liquid and possibly bacteria. If the area has become infected, your pediatrician will probably prescribe antibiotic drops. But for mild cases, you can try evaporating the trapped water by standing a foot away from your child and aiming the dryer -- on the warm (not hot) setting -- at her ear, says Dr. Beard.

11 of 16

12 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Contact Lens Solution for Congestion

contact-lens solution
Credit: Paula Hible

For a child over 6 months, fill a bulb syringe with preservative-free saline solution, raise her head, and gently squeeze solution into one nostril at a time, says Dr. McClafferty. (Do it in the bath or over the sink.) In fact, a recent study found that using a nasal wash with a seawater solution (not yet available in the U.S.) helped kids get over colds faster -- and made them less likely to get sick again.

  • Shop for humidifiers

12 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Fresh Ginger Tea for Car Sickness

fresh ginger tea
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

"Ginger stops the stomach contractions that tell your child's brain he feels nauseous," says Dr. McClafferty. For children ages 2 and older, add a teaspoon of shredded fresh ginger to four ounces of boiling water, and let it steep for four to five minutes. You can add a bit of honey to make it taste better. After it has cooled, have your child drink it a half hour before getting into the car.

13 of 16

14 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cucumber for Mild Swelling

cucumber
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

If you go to a fancy spa, the facialist may use this salad staple to ease the puffiness around your eyes. That's because cool cucumber slices help soothe hot, swollen skin. You can place a slice anywhere your child has minor swelling, Dr. Beard suggests, and then simply replace it with another slice from the fridge after it becomes warm.

14 of 16

15 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

A Credit Card for a Bee Sting

stack of credit cards
Credit: donding - Fotolia.com

If a bee or wasp stings your child, remove the stinger to prevent additional venom from entering the wound. In order to avoid squeezing the stinger, which can spread the venom, use the flat edge of a credit card to gently scrape across the area until the stinger comes out.

15 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 16

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

A Stick of Gum for Indigestion

stick of gum
Credit: Paula Hible

If your child is age 4 or older, have her chew some gum when she complains of a full stomach after a big meal. "The extra saliva she'll produce will neutralize the problematic excess stomach acid," says gastroenterologist Anil Minocha, MD, author of Natural Stomach Care.All content on this Web site, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of this site and the information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

16 of 16

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Alexandra Grablewski

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 16 Smart Health Solutions
    2 of 16 Honey and Lemon Juice for a Sore Throat
    3 of 16 Chamomile Tea for Colic
    4 of 16 Baking Soda for Bug Bites
    5 of 16 7 Surprising Ways to Use Baking Soda
    6 of 16 Cayenne Pepper for Nosebleeds
    7 of 16 Junk Drawer: Duct Tape for Warts
    8 of 16 A Bubble Wand for Anxiety
    9 of 16 A Bandanna for Headaches
    10 of 16 A Sock for Tummy or Neck Pain
    11 of 16 Your Blow-Dryer for Swimmer's Ear
    12 of 16 Contact Lens Solution for Congestion
    13 of 16 Fresh Ginger Tea for Car Sickness
    14 of 16 Cucumber for Mild Swelling
    15 of 16 A Credit Card for a Bee Sting
    16 of 16 A Stick of Gum for Indigestion

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Parents

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • From Our Sponsors this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithParents.com is part of the Parents Network. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Parents. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.parents.com

    Sign in

    View image

    14 Natural Health Remedies for Children
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.