Kids
with Runny Nose, Colds, and Flu
Little
Kids with Runny Nose, Colds and Flu
(Infants to 7 years old; 8 to 65 pounds)
Established
patients mentioning this ad can pick up some strawberry flavored
Echinacea C, or some Kids MultiVits, for 15% off .
Thanks for taking good care of your family!
Plant medicines
1. Echinacea Glycerite: dose every 2 hours for
first 24 hours then four times a day till symptoms are gone
Infant under 6 months: 5 drops
Infant 6 months to 12 months: 10 to 15 drops
Over 12 months: 20 to 30 drops
OR-
2. Larix: dose as above, add powder to water and
administer by dribbling into the child’s mouth off a spoon
or with a syringe or by bottle or cup; you may also mix with a tablespoon
of applesauce
Infant under 6 months: 1/16 to 1/8 tsp
Infant 6 months to 12 months: 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
Over 12 months: 3/4 tsp up to 1 TBS, age/size dependent
3. Eye Bright (euphrasia): for upper respiratory
infections with runny eyes and nose, congestion
Infants under 6 months- add 10 drops of tincture to 1/4 cup water;
give a teaspoon full every 15 to 30 minutes; up to 3/4 cup (30 drops
tincture total) a day
Infant 6 months to 12 months: as above, using 15 to 25 drops tincture
per 1/4 cup water, up to 1 cup (total of 60 to 100 drops tincture)
in a day
Over 12 months: as above, using 20 to 40 drops tincture per 1/4
cup water, up to 1 cup (total of 80 to 160 drops of tincture) in
a day, age/size dependent
Diet
No juice or fruit (if your child will not drink sufficient water
or tea, use fruit juice diluted in half with water, or fruity flavored
teas like chamomile, hibiscus, berry flavors)
No simple carbohydrates like sugar, syrup, honey, corn sweeteners,
molasses
No dairy foods (cow milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream etc)
Supplements
Vit. C: age in years times 50 mg every 2 hours
Vit. A: up to 50,000 IU/day for first 2 days in
kids under age 6; for first 4 days in kids 6 and older (consider
fish oil as a good source of Vit A)
Beta carotene: age in years x 20,000 IU/day not
to exceed 200,000 IU daily
Natural mixed carotenoids: age in years x 20,000
IU/day. Not to exceed 200,000IU daily
Zinc: age in years time 2.5 mg. Daily (not to exceed
30 mg daily) Combine with 1 mg copper if used for more than 1 week
Hydrotherapy
Saline nose drops: mix 1 TBS of salt in a pint
of warm water. Add a pinch of baking soda to avoid stinging. Have
a child over 4 years old lie on a bed with his/her head hanging
down over the edge of the mattress. Allow 1 to 2 droppers full of
solution to dribble into nostril. Ask the child to lie still that
way for about 5 minutes. Then have her/him sit up and gargle with
some of the saline mixture, and spit it out. Salt water will thin
the mucus and help shrink swollen mucus membranes.
For infant/toddlers: use 2 to 3 drops in each nostril and gently
suction out with a bulb syringe.
Hot foot bath: feet in water as warm as is comfortable
for at least 20 minutes; this moves the fluid volume out of the
head and upper body, relieving congestion and stirring up the immune
system; especially good at bedtime and followed by wet socks, below-
Wet socks: you need a pair of kid-sized cotton socks, and larger
wool socks. Soak the cotton socks in cold water and wring out well.
Put on very warm, pink feet. Cover with dry wool socks and go to
bed. The cold will force the outer circulation inward, the warmth
of the wool will open the surface circulation back up again. This
passive flushing of the blood draws congestion out of the upper
body and mobilizes the immune system for hours. Best if left on
all night, or at least 2 hours. If the child complains of cold feet,
remove the wet socks and warm then with a hot foot bath.
Wet T-shirt: same principle as above, more specifically
useful to bronchial inflammation and coughs. A little more dramatic
– kids often love permission to scream at the top pf their
lungs while donning the cool wet t-shirt, then get lots of cuddling
and praise for their bravery as the snuggly sweater is pulled on.
It also helps if you make an event out of going to the second hand
store and purchasing a very special sweater, for hydrotherapy only.
You will not want to use grandma’s best handiwork for these
treatments because the wool will be forever changed from its close
work with wetness.
Throat Wrap: again, same principle of cool wet
cotton covered by dry wool to move the underlying circulation of
blood and lymph, decongesting and delivering those white blood cells
more effectively. The throat wrap is for people who actually have
necks, so not the wee babies with the wobbly heads. It is great
for the first signs of any respiratory thing- glassy eyes, runny
nose, sore throat, ear pain, swollen glands. A cotton bandana folded
lengthwise, made cold and wrung out, covered by a wool sock, pinned
securely but obviously not too tightly. Often we can feel our pulse
pounding in out neck for a few minutes after starting with a throat
wrap—a good sign we have got the contrast right and the fluid
shift is happening.
Nan Dune, ND rev 2007 |
