Healing Your Baby Naturally

From skin irritations through to painful colic, nature offers an abundance of plants which have been used for centuries to heal these conditions and the trend toward natural and organic preparations of these plants is becoming evermore popular due to their efficacy, purity and concerns about harmful environmental toxins in non-organic products. The most common complaints of newly borns in the post partum period are :

• skin-rash & cradle cap
• colic
• jaundice
• constipation
• thrush

Skin Rash & Cradle Cap
Skin irritation around the nappy area or Nappy Rash may be due to sweating from wearing materials that do not breathe well, allergies to laundry products, inadequate nappy washing or irritation from urine and stool exposure. Acting immediately is important as nappy rash can progress into raw blisters and ulcers and is extremely uncomfortable for baby. Keep the area as clean and dry as possible, and use a designated cream, a combination of plant extracts that soothe itching, reduce inflammation and prevent infection. Avoid talcum powders and any creams with synthetic ingredients such as perfumes and preservatives as they will irritate.

At bathing time, you can add dried herbs such as relaxing chamomile, calming rose and soothing calendula petals to the bathwater, and let your baby slowly absorb the active ingredients of these warm aromatic herbs. To better conserve your babys natural skin oil levels, avoid over-bathing. Where a baby develops a rash condition over the body, it is useful to use anti-inflammatory herbs in an ointment or lotion form, to gently soothe the skin and prevent infection. Calendula and chamomile are both great choices.

Cradle cap is a crusty condition of the skin, and appears as thick yellow-brown adherent crusts around the scalp area. It is caused by excessive sebum production, occuring on the scalp as this is one of the more sebum rich areas of the body, and extending to the ears, face and neck. Scratching, over-cleansing and weather will affect cradle cap, so it best to adopt a gentle approach to healing it. To avoid infection and bleeding, never pick at the encrustations! To loosen them, gently rub into the scalp a small amount of Calendula oil and leave over night. The crusted areas that are ready to detach will do so when baby is next bathed. If you add other essential oils such as Lavender or Rosemary, use a maximum of 2% essential oils to base oils such as sesame or extra virgin olive oil, and always do a patch test on the arms first.

Colic
Signs of colic are impatience, irritability, periodical bouts of persistent crying, hardening of the belly, efforting to bend back while feeding at the breast, screaming, high levels of wind and disrupted sleep. To alleviate colic, look at your own diet and limit foods that have a tendency to produce gas or produce allergies such as beans, wheat, peanuts, excessive fruits, onions, garlic, sugar and nuts. Adding fennel, mint, caraway, cumin and ginger to your food will help. Avoid cold foods such as iced drinks and ice-cream. Stroking in a clockwise direction on the abdomen, rocking and playing with your baby will also help. The wind-relieving pose of yoga (legs bent and thighs pressed up toward the chest) helps to clear gas from the body and should be done slowly and gently with a baby. In some cases food allergies and constipation may be overlooked with a diagnosis of colic. So check that the baby is having regular daily bowel movements, and that there are no food triggers to the symptoms to first rule these out.

Jaundice
Higher than normal levels of bilirubin (5 mg/dl or higher), a substance found in the bile, causes a yellowish discolouration in the skin and whites of the eyes known as Physiologic Jaundice. It first appears in the face and eyes and then progresses downwards to the trunk, arms and legs. This occurs in approximately 60% of newborns, and is more common in pre-term babies (around 80%). It is less common in babies who establish a breastfeeding routine quickly and successfully. Healthy bowel habits and regular stools will ensure that bilirubin is constantly being released from the body, so a baby that feeds well is less likely to experience jaundice. As a guideline new mothers can aim to feed their babies up to 12 times daily on the first few days of life to minimize the risk of jaundice. Drinking teas that nourish breast-milk will help.

Constipation in babies
Constipation is a lack of bowel movements that causes pain and intoxication. Nobody likes to feel constipated, sluggish and stuck. So it is relieving to note that there are many things you can do for your baby to relieve constipation. It occurs in babies for both anatomical and dietary reasons. Also, breastfed babies are less likely to experience constipation, and if it does occur then check for allergy to foods consumed in a mother’s diet such as the wheat and dairy. Check that your diet contains enough vitamin C and magnesium, which support healthy bowel function, and can be shared with baby through the breast milk. Formula fed babies are more likely to experience constipation. Massage is helpful in baby constipation as it stimulates the intestinal movements and the bowels. Apply gentle massage in circular strokes around the abdomen, and to enhance the effect use a tablespoon of warm sesame oil. Baby probiotics may or may not be useful, ensure that there is no bloating or colic first before trying this. Natural yoghurt may be a better choice.

Thrush
The uncomfortable condition of Thrush is characterised by an overgrowth of candida albicans in the digestive system, creating more wind for a baby. Over 35% of newborns experience thrush in the second or third month of life. When baby thrush occurs in the first week of life, it is likely to have been contracted during delivery. The signs of baby thrush are a white coating on the mucosal surfaces of the mouth, which is tenacious and difficult to remove by wiping. The baby may not feed well, and with the abdominal symptoms (bloating and poor digestion), thrush may even seem to present as colic.
Treating thrush involves an anti-fungal program that uses nutrition, diet and herbs. Good nutrition will help, as the condition is more common in under-nourished babies. Ensure good nutrition by eating well yourself and taking herbal or nutritional supplements to stay relaxed and healthy. Breast milk itself contains prebiotics that are then passed to baby. Thrush indicates that bowel flora and digestion are poor, and baby probiotics including lactobacilli and bifidobacteria have been shown to be useful. One way to improve bowel flora health in mother and infant is to consume natural yoghurt.