While it's easy to find natural ways of looking after ourselves as adults, it's much harder to find natural ways of dealing with the countless illnesses of our little ones.
An article by Marion Pezard, naturopath and producer of the 'Healthyliving' podcast
Let's start by reminding ourselves that it is normal for a child to experience various seasonal illnesses and other skin eruptions in the first few years of life, as these build up their acquired immunity, complementing the innate immunity passed on by their mother during pregnancy. The immune system is built up from the womb onwards and is fully mature by the child's 7th to 9th birthday.
A child builds up its immunity through contact with its environment, so the 1st piece of advice would be, as far as is safe, to let it explore its surroundings, put things in its mouth, be in contact with nature and any pets it may have. Avoid aseptic interiors, which studies have shown do nothing to protect your child from disease - quite the contrary.
Of course, before giving you any natural and healthy lifestyle advice, I would like to remind you that it is essential for your child to be monitored by a paediatrician or general practitioner, and that you should seek medical advice if you have the slightest doubt.
A fever, for example, should be a warning sign for a baby under 3 months of age, and should be closely monitored regardless of the child's age. However, fever plays an important role in the body's defence system, so it's better to stimulate the body's self-defence mechanisms naturally in the first instance, rather than artificially blocking the fever directly. In fact, fever may even be a way for the body to acquire the new skills needed for physical and mental development.
Hydrology
In the event of a mild to moderate fever, you can support the body with a choice of clay or castor oil poultices, or the Gardelle method of using heat and cold to help the body eliminate toxins.
Depending on the age of the baby or child, drift baths, for example, can be very useful, with small ice packs applied to the crotch twice for 30 minutes a day.
As a preventive measure against illnesses, and even though it's something that our little ones don't really like at first sight, we suggest cleaning the nose every day using a suitable syringe and physiological saline solution to prevent ENT problems in particular.
In the event of illness, 1/3 colloidal silver can be added to a mixture of saline water instead of saline solution.
Plants
If there's one plant I'd recommend to support children's immunity to winter ailments, it's blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) in gemmotherapy.
Use one drop per year of age diluted in a glass of water twice a day for 2 to 3 months.
It can be combined with a specific bud for particular disorders, for example alder bud for localised sinus problems, cranberry bud for digestive problems, etc.
Echinacea and elderberry, which can be chosen in the form of standardised fresh plant extracts, will also support the immune system in their own way. They can be used from a child's first birthday onwards, taking 1 ml per 10 kg of weight 2 or 3 times a day.
It's also a good idea to diffuse an essential oil such as red myrtle, which is very gentle for the little ones and a real boost to the immune system. Ideally, you should diffuse it in a room for ten minutes or so, then turn the diffuser off before the child enters. This technique can be used from the age of 6 months, 2 or 3 times a day for a week.
Food supplements
Several food supplements may be useful, adapted according to your child's age and needs.
First of all, it is important to maintain a course of vitamin D, with a dosage adapted to your child's age, between 400Ui for babies and up to 1000Ui for teenagers. For younger children, opt for a plant-based vitamin D, made from lichen, as this is less likely to be allergenic than its lanolin-based cousin.
Then, vitamin C cures from autumn onwards will be very useful, for example with organic acerola chewable tablets, which have the advantage of having a rather mild taste and should therefore not be ignored.
It is obviously essential to look after your child's microbiota to support their immunity, through a balanced, varied and seasonal diet, and with the help of probiotics or symbiotics if necessary.
For babies, most of this is done through breast-feeding, but if necessary, you can opt for probiotic drops or put a powdered capsule on the nipple or teat. For older children, depending on the form you choose, you can easily slip it into a compote or purée if they don't like the capsules. Don't hesitate to ask a natural health professional to help you find the strain of probiotics best suited to your situation.
Finally, some adults still remember being cradled by this cure in their childhood: the trace elements ‘Copper gold silver’. They are very gentle, suitable for all ages, have no particular taste and help to support the body against the ailments of autumn and winter. The cure can be enjoyed by the whole family, young and old together!
I'd also like to point out that it can be useful to check your child's deficiencies in omega 3, zinc, iron and magnesium. Here again, don't hesitate to ask for help to identify these particular weaknesses and choose the most suitable course of treatment.
Hand techniques
Hand techniques are among the most popular in the naturopathic toolbox. Massage is very pleasant, helps you to relax deeply and become more aware of your body, and can also help the youngest children to develop a skin microbiome that is very useful for their immunity.
For example, you could massage your baby or child in the evening, and again add 2 drops of red myrtle essential oil to its oil base (sweet almond oil if there are no allergies, jojoba oil, or calendula oily macerate for its gentleness). As well as supporting immunity, this essential oil has the added benefit of promoting sleep.
From the age of 6 months, add 1 drop of essential oil to 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and massage 1 or 2 times a day for a maximum of one week. Always remember to check your mixture in the nook of your elbow to make sure your child is not allergic to it.
Food
As far as diet is concerned, I'm not going to reiterate the basic principles of a healthy, balanced diet here, but simply point out that if your little one regularly suffers from ENT problems (ear infections, tonsillitis, sinusitis, etc.), it may be worthwhile to take a break from dairy products for a while to see if things improve. Try a 3-week ban and see what happens.
If illness strikes, it will also be useful to adapt the diet by offering foods that are light to digest, warm and remineralising (soups, broths, vegetable juices, vegetable proteins, etc.) and by avoiding dairy products and sugar in particular.
Rest
Rest is essential to recharge the batteries and allow the immune system to function fully. I'm well aware that children's sleep is a huge subject, so without going into detail here, find out about the amount of time your child needs to be awake and asleep, depending on their age, to make sure they get enough, or get help if the subject is a sensitive one in your family.
And if in spite of everything, germs do manage to infiltrate your little sweethearts, remember what the very intuitive animals do in such cases: rest in the warmth and eat a very light diet.
You're all set for the change of season!
Marion Pezard is a naturopath specialised in accompanying women and children.
https://healthyliving-bymarionpezard.com/
