Can Chamomile Cure Your Colicky Baby?

Posted on September 17, 2009 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Holistic Remedies, Parenting

The ingredient in many nighttime teas, chamomile is known for its ability to sooth you into a sound sleep. Pediatricians agree, saying that a little chamomile tea can help babies with colic.

Colic is a common yet little understood condition that causes babies with no obvious health problems to cry and scream for long periods of time. It can be trying for parents, not to mention stressful for the baby.

Operating on the assumption that colic stems from intestinal irritation, a number of studies have employed chamomile as a treatment because it is known to sooth upset stomachs. The American Academy of Pediatrics reviewed two of these studies and concluded that chamomile can be an effective way to relieve colic. In one randomized clinical trial chamomile eliminated the colic in 57% of the babies, while the placebo tea pacified only 26%.

Chamomile tea is inexpensive, widely available, and cases of allergic reactions are very rare. Plus parents too can enjoy a warm cup to sooth their nerves after the baby finally falls asleep.