Fevers can be scary, especially when dealing with fevers with your little ones. A fever is body’s natural ability to fight off any foreign objects either an infection or a response to a flu. Many times a fevers does not cause a concern but children can get very irritated and be restless causing them to loose sleep and that results in you not getting rest as well.
A fever is something that is over 100 F (37.8 C) compare to the normal body temperature of 98.6 F(37C).
The most concerning fevers are the ones that involve babies and should be evaluated by a health care professional if you have any concern about the fever.
General rule of thumb is that if there is a fever that is lasting longer than 3 days, if your child is vomiting repeatedly, has a seizure or has poor eye contact with you then that is a concern that is best handled with the help of your healthcare professional.
If you want general info about fevers check out this article from Mayo Clinic.
In this article I wanted to share a syrup and herbs with you that are safe for children and can be used to cool a fever when your child is dealing with a regular illness. Because this syrup has honey, it is recommended that it not be given to children that are younger than 1 yr old.
While there are many herbs to choose from, I choose three that are strong in their diaphoretic action, meaning they are herbs that stimulate the cardiovascular system increasing blood flow towards the surface of the body. Their main action is to open up the skin pores causing the heat to get out of the body by sweating it out.
Peppermint is also known to help with coughs and the respiratory system while catnip is known to be a mild sedative and is an antispasmodic in coughs as well. Meadowsweet contains aspirin-like compounds which offers a much needed pain relief with body aches that often times come with fevers.
Now that we have some familiarization with the herbs that you will be using, let’s see how you can prepare your own kid friendly fever reducing syrup.
DIY Syrup
Ingredients
5 teaspoons of Meadowsweet (filipendula ulmaria)
4 teaspoons of Catnip (nepeta cataria)
3 teaspoons of Peppermint (mentha x piperita)
1 cup of Raw Honey (if vegan you can use vegetable glycerin or maple syrup)
Directions:
You are going to make a basic herbal infusion using these herbs. Start off by placing all the herbs in a saucepan and pour around 2 cups of hot water over the herbs, cover and let it steep for 4-8 hours ( I like to leave it overnight).
Strain the infusion and return to the saucepan.
Bring tea to a slightly warm temperature and add in your honey. The general measurement is 1/2 to 1 cup of honey per the cup of your infusion. So if you have 2 cups of infusion you would use 2 cups of honey. Know that if you also want to increase your shelf life or prefer a sweeter taste, you can increase the honey. As an example, if you use 2 parts honey and 1 part infusion, it will keep for a year in your fridge, while 1 part honey and 2 parts infusion will keep for about three weeks.
Once honey is mixed in you can transfer to a clean glass bottle and label your mix.
Store in your fridge.
It is best to take this syrup warm so you can warm it up a bit by adding it in some warm water. Start low with your child with around 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp for around 3-4 times a day. See how your child progresses and reevaluate your dose if you need to.
Essential Oils
While herbs are a great support internally, there are essential oils that can help your child feel less irritable while the fever runs its course. A few of my favorites are: lavender, fir needle, chamomile, sweet orange, lemon, palmarosa.
Here is a compress that I often make for my own kids and I apply it directly to their forehead or feet to help draw the heat out:
(this compress is for 2 -6 yrs or older)
2 drops of Lavender
1 drop Lemon
2 drops Spearmint
1 Tbsp Aloe Vera Gel
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups water
Directions:
Combine aloe vera with essential oils, then combine with apple cider vinegar.
Mix the combination into 2 cups of water.
To use, take a washcloth and squeeze until damp.
Apply washcloth to forehead or feet.
For overnight, I sometimes take cotton socks, dip them in the water and squeeze until damp, put them on my child’s feet and cover with wool socks on top.
Final Thoughts
Fevers can be scary so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the emergency signs. Oftentimes, they just need to run it’s course. The herbal syrup can help the body sweat out the heat and the compress can be used throughout the day and overnight if you need to.
I hope this has given you some confidence in using these herbs and oils safely for your kids.
Do not hesitate to reach out if you need any support.
God bless you and yours.
Krystina
