Colic in babies is difficult for the baby suffering and for the parents who feel helpless to do anything. Safe herbs can be gentle enough to use to help ease the symptoms and possibly the causes of colic, and the same treatments will also be effective on similar/related complaints such as gas, indigestion, upset tummy, and cramps.
A Note About Dosage for Infants
Wong recommends use for infants "six months and older." I'm not sure why six months is the magic age, and I tend to think that giving infants under six months a gentle herbal preparation is okay, in most cases. But I never needed to give an herbal treatment to my babies under six months, so I can't speak from experience.
Susan Perri, a clinical herbalist, has this to say about treating postpartum babies: "The appropriate dosage can be given to the baby in tea (infusion) form. The tea should be warm, to a temperature consistent with breast-milk, and can be administered with an eyedropper. If necessary, slide the eyedropper into baby's mouth alongside the nipple while nursing. Give the baby some tea in this way each time you nurse if colic is consistent, or use only at times of distress. These herbs can also be given at regular feedings as preventive care" (1). If you're breastfeeding, you can take the adult-strength dosage of these herbal cures and let the baby benefit via breast milk.
A Note About Colic in General
Remember that some gas, some fussiness, and some tummy trouble may be just part of the infant life, as the digestive system matures, and may also be more about stress than tummy upset. The best things you can do to combat restlessness and irritability is to nurse regularly and on a stable schedule, to sit down, be quiet, and relax while feeding baby, to be sure your baby is sleeping enough (so fatigue isn't a factor in the fussiness) and to be calm and relaxed yourself.
Sometimes infant massage can be helpful, as well as gentle exercises like bending baby's knees up to her chest to help that gas work its way out. If you're still dealing with colic, gas, upset tummy, and irritability/restlessness, you might try some of the remedies below.
Fennel Seed
Fennel Seeds were "traditionally used for centuries to soothe colic" (2). Two options for giving fennel seed to a colicky baby: you can either make a tea and give it by the teaspoon or make a very simple paste and swipe a bit inside baby's mouth.
For a fennel seed tea, simmer about 1 tablespoon of fennel seed in 1 1/2 cups of water (Wong's recommended proportions). Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, then strain and let cool. Give 1 to 2 teaspoons as needed but, says Wong, don't give more than twice an hour.
For the very simple fennel seed paste, crush up 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds into a powder. Use a mortar and pestle, or double-bag the seeds in zip-top storage bags and beat them with a rolling pin, or if you have an extra coffee bean grinder, use it. (If you use your regular coffee bean grinder, get the fennel residue out by grinding up a handful of white rice. If you don't, your morning cup o' joe might taste like cup o' fennel. Ick.) Once the seeds are to a powdered consistency, moisten the tip of your finger and swipe up just a bit of the powder so it mixes into a paste on your fingertip. Put this under the baby's tongue or along the gumline near the back of the mouth. Follow the same dosage by not giving more than twice an hour.
Dill Seed
Dr. Linda Page calls dill seed "the herb of choice" when it comes to dealing with "flatulence or colic in infants or children's upset stomach" (3). For infants, you can make a dill seed tea following the same proportions and directions as for fennel seed tea. You can also powder the dill seed and mix it with a bit of water to apply as a paste. Page recommends using honey to make the dill seed paste, but for infants under 1 year old you should avoid the honey method.
Angelica and Anise
Angelica is a "digestive agent" (4). Wong gives a recipe for a tummy soother with angelica, but it also contains peppermint and juniper berries, both of which I would hesitate to give to a baby. Instead, I would combine angelica with anise (aniseed). Anise has a sweet, licorice-like flavor and is antispasmodic, which means it helps the walls of the stomach relax so gas can be expelled and cramping relieved.
Colic Relief Infusion
1 tablespoon fresh angelica or 1 teaspoon dried angelica (find in an herb or natural/health food store)
1 tablespoon anise/aniseed, slightly crushed
1 teaspoon star anise pods (optional; find in the spice section of larger grocery stores or in an Asian or Indian market or health food store)
2 cups water
Simmer the angelica, anise, and star anise, if using, in the water for 15 minutes. Strain out the herbs and let the infusion cool. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per dose, no more than twice an hour. This is something you could also use as a preventative, before feeding or before a regular "colicky time."
Orange and Thyme
Orange peel is "a digestive stimulant" which is "helpful for food stagnation, abdominal pains with distention, indigestion, and gas" (5). Of course, it has loads of vitamin C, too, which is nice. Thyme is used for colic, gas, lack of appetite, and other digestive issues. It's an anti-spasmodic. Combine thyme and orange into a sweet-tasting
Tummy Relief Syrup
Peel of 1 orange (remove the white pith)
2 teaspoons thyme (dry) or 2 tablespoons fresh
Step 1: Simmer the orange peel and thyme in 2 cups of water for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain, then return to pan over heat.
Step 2: Add 1 cup raw or brown sugar to the orange-thyme infusion. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly, and keep it there until it begins to get syrupy. Let cool, then pour it into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Dosage: 1/2 teaspoon of syrup, no more than 1 dose every hour.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional or a certified herbalist. The information provided on this website and all related publications, whether print or digital, whether implied or explicit, are not intended to be taken as medical advice; it is for informational purposes. I assume no liability for what you choose to do with this information. You should always be cautious and use common sense, do research and consult professionals when it comes to medicine, both herbal and otherwise. Consult your medical care provider for persistent symptoms, illnesses, and injuries.
Sources
1. Perri, Susan. HealthyChild.com. Herbs for Postpartum Baby, an excerpt from Perri's book The Complete Herbal for Pregnancy and Childbirth. See the article at
the HealthyChild website.
2. Wong, James. Grow Your Own Drugs: Easy Recipes for Natural Remedies and Beauty Fixes. London: Collins, 2009.
3. Page, Linda, N.D., Ph.D. How to Be Your Own Herbal Pharmacist: Herbal Traditions, Expert Formulations. Healthy Healing Publications, 1991, 1997.
4. Page, Linda.
5. Page, Linda.
Other: Healthy.net has
a nice listing of herbs and their medicinal uses, including a summary of pharmacological research, the primary constituents in the herbs and their effects.
