Fennel seed is suitable for babies over two weeks old, and you'll find it in single-dose sachets. It will be effective in soothing stomach aches as well as colic, and will also calm the baby.
Breastfeeding mothers can also consume this seed, as its benefits pass into her milk and the baby will benefit from it. She'll be advised to drink a cup twenty to thirty minutes before breastfeeding; this will also have a stimulating effect on lactation.
In addition, it's possible to make an anti-colic herbal tea from fennel seeds, green anise seeds, and caraway seeds; these seeds being widely used by the physicians of old in the Muslim world. You'll need about thirty grams of each for this herbal tea, which can also be consumed by the mother as well as the baby. For the latter, however, single-dose sachets remain more practical.
What the science says: for children, medicinal plants
What published research says about the remedies mentioned above, for context — the studies concern material causes, healing belongs to Allah.
For children
In infants, the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri reduces colic-related crying according to a meta-analysis (Pediatrics, 2018) (Acta Paediatr, 2024); in children, honey soothes nighttime cough (after one year of age) (Cochrane, 2018), fiber and hydration treat constipation (J Pediatr, 2022), and omega-3s are being studied for hyperactivity (Neuropsychopharmacology, 2018). Precaution: never give honey before one year of age, no essential oils before age 3 (age 6 for peppermint), doses adjusted to weight; any fever in an infant under 3 months old is an emergency.
Medicinal plants: using them properly
Moringa, for example, has shown an effect on blood sugar according to a meta-analysis (Molecules, 2021) and its safety has been reviewed (Phytother Res, 2015); more generally, plants act — and therefore interact: the review of plants for anxiety (Pharmacol Res, 2022) or for painful periods (J Int Med Res, 2020) reminds us of this. Precaution: follow the recommended doses, avoid mixing many plants, check compatibility with your medications, pregnancy, or breastfeeding; buy quality plants from a controlled source.
