Anise is NOT suitable for baby colic; it can be a toxic remedy for our little ones. Anise seeds, also known as pimpinel, are obtained from Pimpinella anisum, a plant of the parsley family. And in addition to its uses in the kitchen, anise has always been used for medicinal purposes and, above all, it has been a widely used remedy to calm colic. At FastlyHealwe will find out why anise is NOT suitable for baby colic, a home remedy that has been used forever but that you have to stop using right now.
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Star anise for babies: a NOT recommended combination
We know that the most conventional practices, those baptized as “grandmother’s remedies,” pointed out that to calm a baby’s colic, it was best to give them a little water with star anise. This has been a widely used remedy since always. However, it is currently recommended to avoid it as much as possible.
Anise is not suitable for baby colic since, from March to September 2001, a series of tests were carried out by the National Institute of Toxicology of Spain since, during the previous years, the appearance of an abnormal medical condition in children under three months. The little ones experience symptoms such as digestive and neurological problems, something that they eventually associate with the consumption of star anise.
What happens is that there are different species of anise, the Illicium verum and Illicium anisatum; the first variety is toxic to humans, and the second is the good, healthy variety that can help with colic. However, the differences between the two species are very complicated. Therefore, it is recommended that you do NOT consume anise for baby colic.
How to calm colic in babies in a healthy way
Now that we know why anise is NOT suitable for baby colic, we want to help you understand the best way to calm this uncomfortable situation for your little one. There is no miracle method, but there are a series of tips and tricks that you can carry out and, thus, achieve an improvement. They are as follows:
- Massage your baby: to calm your child’s colic, it is best to give him a gentle massage in the belly area to alleviate the discomfort. But you must be attentive to his reaction, and if he does not like it or does not relax, it is because perhaps you are doing him more damage.
- Relaxing sounds: Keep in mind that, for most children, hearing a pattern of sounds can help them relax and feel better. For this reason, you can also try putting the washing machine or the dryer on, relaxing music, singing a song for him to relax, and so on.
- Absolute silence: it may also be that your little one needs a moment of maximum relaxation to calm down and be able to control himself better; therefore, you can try creating an environment of silence and tranquility so that, thus, he can regain calm and well-being.
- Move it gently: it is also widespread for little ones to relax the calm movement, for example, that of a rocking chair or that felt when you walk them with the stroller. Therefore, if your child is troubled by colic, you can go for a walk or take him in your arms and rock him; it is one of the best ways to calm down and feel safe.
In this other article, we will discover different tips to relieve colic in a baby.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.