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Home remedies for children
As a little girl, whenever I would eat something and my stomach does not agree to it or when I developed a stomach pain, a concoction would be made for me and in no time, I would be up and running.
Usually, my grandmother would boil hibiscus leaves and I would drink it warm. There are a few other herbs I would be given. Injections were the last resort. Parents have remedies they administer to a child in case they display signs of illness before rushing the child to the hospital.
Edith Nantongo, a mother of three, shares some home remedies that have worked for her household in relieving illnesses among her children. “Before administering a particular remedy, I look at the age of a child.” This, she explains is because some remedies could be severe for a child who is a few months old.
Sugar cane
“For a child a few months old, the ones that cannot properly bite into food stuffs, you can chew the sugarcane and then feed the child with the juice. This is a remedy for stomach pain. The pain can be due to worms and this comes in handy especially when a child cries uncontrollably.”
Flu and cough
Nantongo says when a child is suffering from flu or cough, “you can make orange juice although, you should use warm water as this helps clear the throat and provide relief against the flu or cold.”
Laban Arinaitwe, a businessman, says in his childhood, the mother used to make him swallow a raw egg to cure cough.” He does not remember how effective this was but says, it was a standard remedy before going to hospital.
Glucose
If the child has stomach pain or cries uncontrollably especially at around two months and above, mix a teaspoon of glucose at room temperature water in a small glass and give the child to drink.
Nantongo says, “for children, most times you will tell they are in pain when they cry uncontrollably, pass watery stool or when their temperature is high.”
Other quick remedies include using baking flour (wheat). Growing up, our neighbour always gave the child a wheat mixture whenever the child developed a running stomach.
The mixture would relieve the child of the constant running to the potty and also combat the problem.
Local herbs are medicinal in nature although some people have not embraced them. Some which provide quick relief include;
Herbal remedies
Eddie Muteguya, a chef, says Chenopodium opulifolium commonly known as omwetango can be squeezed and used on wounds when a child sustains injuries.
Judith Karimunda, a banker, uses aloe juice for burns and blisters. “Whenever my son goes out playing, he gets injured. I clean the injured part. Then, I slice an aloe vera leaf and rub the juice (which looks like gel) gently on the affected area.” This, she says, does not take more than three days to heal.
These, if applied correctly can save one hospital journeys and if some symptoms persist, seek a physician’s advice.
