Chinese Medicine for Babies and Toddlers

Michelle Schreiber, MSOM, L.Ac., CNC

Often when our babies and children fall ill or seem to have a slight imbalance in their health, we have trouble finding a holistic solution. Chinese Medicine provides a viable and valuable option. It encompasses pediatric Tuina (massage), herbal remedies, gentle acupuncture, and other techniques.

During the first years of a child's life, we say that a child receives nourishment from the parents. This comes from the milk of the mother if the child is breast fed, but also the overall physical and emotional health of the parents. Therefore, a conscious effort to preserve our own balance in health, as parents, is paramount.

At six months of age, a baby's digestive system is under maximum stress. The baby is growing, staying awake, and moving for longer periods throughout the day. Often solid foods are introduced. If the digestive system becomes overloaded by these new habits, other problems may develop, including diarrhea, vomiting, asthma and eczema. Often we find that when the digestion system is treated, these illnesses resolve. Another stressor is the overuse of antibiotics. If they must be used, you should also administer pro-biotics (specifically formulated for babies) to keep the healthy flora active and to prevent further complications.

At around age two, children become more aware of their individuality. Their interest and desire for things around them heightens. The illnesses that often accompany this transition are referred to as heat or febrile conditions in Chinese medicine. Incidentally, stronger-willed children tend to be prone to heat conditions. This might manifest as short-lived fevers (which are not serious if unaccompanied by swollen glands or flaccid behavior). If the condition does present more seriously, this implies a lingering pathogenic factor, which would require treatment. Additionally, the colds, coughs, stuffy noses, and seasonal allergies, which are so common at this age, respond well to Chinese Medicine.

During these formative years, the breastfeeding mother as well as the child eating solid foods should refrain from consuming refined sugar. You might also consider eliminating high allergen foods; gluten, cow dairy, all food additives, citric acid, peanut butter, and shellfish. Other foods found to be allergenic (possibly due to genetic modification, or simply the degradation of food quality, causing difficult digestibility) are chicken and bananas.

When we treat children, we often show the parents massage techniques that they can perform on their child at home. Herbs are given in a powdered or tincture form (administered orally), or ingested by the breastfeeding mother to pass along to the child through breast milk. If the condition calls for acupuncture, the technique is extremely gentle. There is a quick in-and-out motion of a hair-thin needle (not at all like receiving a shot from the doctor). Chinese Medicine provides a powerful resource that children respond incredibly well to. When looking for a natural and effective approach to keeping your family healthy, it offers a tried-and-true method of healing.