Folk remedy for colic

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Date: February 15, 2006 Re: Cultural Diversity in New York City Yields Many Folk Remedies for Colic Bernstein N. For city kept sleepless by colic, no end to cures in melting pot. New York Times. 2005; November 11:. Colic, unexplained, persistent crying in healthy babies, which affects 10-50% of all babies in their first three months of life, often leaves parents "ready to try almost anything". In New York City, where 60% of newborns now have at least one foreign-born parent, natural options for treating colic from around the world pass among immigrants, and are tried even by parents whose own ancestors "came over on the Mayflower".Author Nina Bernstein talked with pediatricians and parents from a variety of cultural backgrounds about colic remedies. Tight swaddling, warm baths, belly bands, and cowrie shell bracelets

have all taken their place alongside such traditional American "machine age" methods as long rides in the car. Some are now found in copyrighted, mass-market versions such as "Miracle Blanket", "Lull-a-Band", or teddy bears which mimic womb sounds). Many colic remedies are herbal, and involve either teas or massage oils, reflecting, one health administrator said, "a population that isn't used to popping pills to deal with pain".Herbal anti-colic teas may include cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.), used in Columbia; anise seed (Pimpinella anisum); fennel (Foeniculum vulgare); chamomile (Matricaria recutita); spearmint (a.k.a. yerba beuna or hierba buena; Mentha viridis); or rosewater (from spp. petals), used in Egypt. A tea used in Trinidad, made with cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens), met with skepticism from the Brazilian-born mother to whom it was recommended. "Gripe-water", a commercial colic remedy with many formulations, is popular with families with roots in the former

British Empire or England itself. Banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some traditional preparations contained 8% alcohol. Non-alcoholic gripe-water, now available through Internet sources, generally contains fennel, ginger (Zingiber officinale), dill seed (from Anethum sowa or A. graveolens), or the fruit of Chinese star anise (Illicium verum). [This last differs from anise seed, used in anti-colic teas, and is another reason for the FDA's concerns about gripe-water. Chinese star anise is indistinguishable, in its dried, commercial form, from Japanese star anise (I. anisatum), which contains a toxic compound not found in the Chinese variety. For a clarification on this issue, please see the article “American Botanical Council Clarifies Safety Issue on Star Anise Tea” in HerbalGram No. 60, available at http://herbalgram.org/herbalgram/articleview.asp?a=2600.] Vervain (Verbena officinalis), licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.), and "balm mint" (possibly common or lemon balm,

officinalis) are also "championed" by some in the multicultural battle to shush the colicky child.-nn Garner-WizardHerbs for Health Suzi What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. health/ http://suziesgoats.wholefoodfarmacy.com/

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