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Health: Child scents;
Sunday Mirror (London, England); 9/16/2001 Byline: NICOLA NORTON CAN a drop of eucalyptus oil cure a child's sniffle? Or the scent of lavender send them off to sleep? As more adults resort to alternative therapies, experts say they can help children too. Each aromatherapy oil - made from essences of aromatic plants such as lavender, rosemary and geranium, or roots, seeds and fruits - has a different healing property. Lavender can help heal cuts, grazes and burns. It also induces sleep. Tea tree oil and eucalyptus can be used as antiseptics and for treating coughs, colds and flu. And camomile has a calming influence. "Essential oils won't be able to assist you with every crisis you'll have to deal with as a parent, but they can ease a lot of upsetting symptoms," says Valerie Ann Worwood, author of a new book on aromatherapy. Oils can be blended before being massaged on to the skin, added to a bath or used in a candle burner. Not all oils are suitable for children - so consult your chemist first - and they should never be swallowed. They can only be massaged into the skin once diluted into special formulas. Experts warn that you should always seek help from a doctor if your child is ill. Essential oils are best used as a compliment to conventional medicine. Here are top aromatherapy remedies for the most common childhood complaints. SORE THROATS A SORE throat is often caused by bacteria or a virus and usually clears up within a few days. However, it may be caused by a more serious condition so check to see whether the glands are swollen. If there is any inflammation or swelling, consult a GP. A LEMON OIL drink can ease a straightforward sore throat for a child over the age of two. Add one drop of lemon essential oil to a glass of hot water. Mix in one teaspoon of honey (or more to sweeten), two tablespoons of cooking rose-water and the juice of one lemon. Then pour the mixture through a paper coffee filter. When the drink is cool give to your child to sip. BLISTERS ONE of the most common ways of getting blisters is from shoes which have rubbed against the skin. To ease a blister, wet a teabag and put one drop of GERANIUM OIL on it. The teabag will help to reduce the inflammation - people have used teabags under the eyes for years to do this. It also makes a handy compress for pressing gently against the blister. Leave the blistered area uncovered so it has a chance to heal. CHICKENPOX IT'S distressing to look after a child with chickenpox, especially if they are covered with red inflamed spots which can erupt anywhere on the body. Treating the skin with aromatherapy oils may make a big difference to your child's wellbeing. The oils penetrate the skin and reduce inflammation while the aroma will help send them to sleep. This is important because children are less likely to scratch themselves (and cause unwanted scars) if they are asleep. There are three types of skin baths to try: OAT BATH Take a handful of oatmeal or raw oats and put it into a piece of material - you could use a clean tea towel or a piece of muslin. Put four drops of camomile and four drops of lavender into the material. Place the bundle under a running bath tap. Oatmeal is a traditional remedy used to help soothe and soften sensitive or irritated skin. SALT BATH Run a tepid bath and add one tablespoon of sea salt plus a drop of lavender and a drop of tea tree oil. These ingredients are antibacterial and will help to calm inflamed, itchy skin and prevent the spots from becoming infected. LAVENDER BATH Mix 100g of
baking soda with two drops of lavender and one drop of camomile. Baking soda is
traditionally used to help skin problems. Camomile is a calming oil and will
help to induce sleep. Once mixed, add to the bath water. CAR sickness is caused by an imbalance of fluids in the inner ear. Some children feel anxious at the thought of being sick even before they leave home. There is a home-made drink which can help nausea for children over two. First, make some PEPPERMINT AND GINGER TEA. Use a peppermint teabag and a ginger teabag in boiled water. Allow to brew for 10 minutes. Wait for it to cool down before putting it in a bottle for your child to sip on the journey. For babies and young children, make a special travel sickness mix from 10 drops of ginger, four drops of eucalyptus and two drops of coriander. Then dilute two drops of the mixture into one teaspoon of vegetable oil and rub a small amount over the child's back and tummy before the journey. FLU FLU can last anything from two days to two weeks. The symptoms eventually pass but home treatment with essential oils will cut down the suffering time. For children under three you can apply a special mix to their upper chest and back. Use one teaspoon of ALMOND OIL, which is a carrier oil, a drop of THYME and two drops of RAVENSARA. Tea tree and rosemary oils burnt in a special candle holder are excellent for freshening up a germ-filled room and brightening a low mood. Or try diffusing two drops from the following essential oil recipe in a bedroom before sleeping (don't leave overnight) - use two drops of red thyme, two drops of oregano, two of cinnamon and two of cloves. COLDS COLDS are an infection by different viruses - all contagious. Antibiotics cannot treat colds so it is good to have something to ease the symptoms. A child with a streaming nose and a blocked head will benefit from inhaling essential oils such as EUCALYPTUS, LAVENDER and TEA TREE which assist breathing and help clear a stuffy head. For a cold-busting formula, mix 10 drops of eucalyptus, five drops of tea tree, three of lavender and one of thyme. It is important not to make the dose too strong. For a child between two to 18 months, add one drop of the mixture to one teaspoon of vegetable oil. For a child of up to three years, use two drops. Between the ages of four and six, add three drops, and between seven and 11, four drops. Over 12s can have five drops. For babies under two months, put one drop of the mix in two teaspoons of vegetable oil and use only half a teaspoon in the bath. FEELING OIL RIGHT: Aromatherapy can help ease a range of childhood ailments Alternatively, put two drops of the cold-busting mix on a tissue for your child to inhale intermittently. Also keep your child snug and warm and make sure they drink plenty of fluids. HEADACHES MOST headaches are harmless and should disappear by themselves. However, you should get medical help if your child complains of a headache with nausea, neck ache or an intolerance to bright light as this may be a sign of meningitis or a head injury. For a mild headache, try adding 10 drops of LAVENDER, four drops of CAMOMILE and 10 drops of EUCALYPTUS to one teaspoon of vegetable oil. Eucalyptus has a distinctively sharp smell which is said to help clear a headache. Apply a tiny amount of the mix to each side of the head, taking care to avoid the eye area. Alternatively, add a few drops to a cool compress and gently place over the forehead. The cooling mixture will help ease the throbbing pain. Aromatherapy For Your Child by Valerie Ann Worwood is published by Thorsons, available at Amazon.com or your local book store. ** This information is provided for educational use only. It is not provided in order to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, illness, or injured condition of the body. Responsibility nor liability will be incurred to any person or entity with respect to any loss, damage, or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained above. Consult your health care professional if necessary. |
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Last modified: 03/24/08 |