One of the eight branches of Ayurveda, known as Bala Tantra or Kaumarabhritya, deals with pediatrics and includes
aspects such as the care of the newborn, infant feeding, clinical examination,
dentition, management of childhood diseases, and principles of treatment and
therapies, as well as childhood samskaras (religious
rites and ceremonies to purify body, mind, and spirit). Childhood is a tender
but wonderful stage of human life. Because the dhatus are still immature, special care
during childhood is essential. The physical development and the mental state
during this period play a major role in the foundation of the rest of a
person’s life.
Ayurveda views and classifies childhood ailments from their
etiopathogenesis and suggests management of disease according to their cause,
signs and symptoms, and possible complications. Such a complex approach is out
of the scope of this article, so I will just go over some home remedies, Ayurvedic herbs, and
herbal compounds that can be safely used in most cases of common childhood
concerns, as well as other medicines typically used by Ayurvedic practitioners.
A Safe
and Holistic Approach with Ayurveda
In our modern world, particularly in highly developed countries,
it is easy to lose touch with the healing power within each one of us. From the
moment a child is born she is literally injected with the belief that her
immune system is not capable of doing its job properly without some artificial
means like vaccinations and other drugs. Furthermore, nowadays the treatment
for common childhood ailments consists mainly of allopathic drugs such as
antibiotics. Of course, there may be times when such drugs are necessary, but
all too often they could be substituted by a safer and more natural approach.
Ayurveda has much to offer in the way of gentle and effective health care and
disease prevention for children through diet and lifestyle, as
well as the use of medicinal herbs and spices. For thousands of years herbs
have been successfully used for addressing a wide variety of childhood disorders.
Many herbs can strengthen the immune system and support the health of children
of all ages in a safe and holistic manner.
One of the most important factors to consider for the health of
a newborn is the health of the parents. For this reason, Ayurveda recommends
that both parents undergo panchakarmabefore
they wish to conceive a child. This helps to prevent their vikruti (current state of health) from being
passed on to the baby. Once conception is achieved, the mother should be
relaxed during pregnancy, reading spiritual books, chanting mantras, eating a doshic
diet, receiving regular abhyanga,
doing gentle and restorative yogasana, and meditating.
From conception onward, Ayurveda places great emphasis on post
partum care for the mother to balance vata and
promote health and vitality in her, as well as to ensure the healthy
development of the fetus. After birth, both the newborn infant and the mother
are to be cared for throughout the first forty days with the utmost attention.
Traditionally, these duties consist of daily oil massage, bathing, and other
herbal therapies. Even today in much of rural India and Nepal there is a wealth
of wisdom on birthing and infant’s health care that lays in the hands of midwives
and grandmothers, even though many restrictions have been placed upon them.
Ayurvedic
Herbs for Colic and Constipation
Because food is our first and foremost form of nutrition, it
should be considered our primary medicine. In Ayurveda many common fruits,
vegetables, and culinary spices are used to help with a variety of childhood
health complaints without the need for any other treatment. For instance,
constipation in young children can be corrected by drinking a cup of warm milk
before bedtime with one teaspoon of ghee added
to it. Likewise, a good measure consists in including in the diet foods that
have a natural laxative effect such as soaked raisins or dates, honey, bran,
sesame seeds, mango, papaya, grapes, and fresh figs. Furthermore, encouraging
proper eating habits and food combining when possible, sufficient water intake,
high quality oils, and providing plenty of high fiber foods can be helpful in
the prevention of constipation.
In the case of infants, the mother can apply a small amount of castor
oil to her nipple before breastfeeding. For babies with intestinal colic, mix
equal parts of Cumin, Fennel, and Coriander powder and add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of
this mixture to a cup of hot water, let it steep for 15 to 20 minutes, then
strain well. This tea can be given as needed to correct vata in the colon. The mother can also
drink it to reduce the qualities of vata in
her breast milk. In the case of infants, it is useful to administer the tea
with a baby medicine dropper, available in most baby supply sections, and
dilute it a little, if needed, to make it more palatable. There are a variety
of Ayurvedic herbs and formulas that can be quite effective for constipation in
toddlers and children, such as Triphala churna, Sat isabgol, Gandarva haritaki ,or Avipattikara churna, but care should be taken to choose
the one that is most appropriate for the overall condition and constitution of
the child. Other typical formulas used for colic and intestinal disorders are Eladi churna and Hingwastak churna. It is good to keep in mind that a
good dosage for children is about one third the normal adult dosage, and even
less for infants. Allopathic laxatives and strong laxative herbs should be
avoided.
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