God has given children to us as a blessing, and we, as parents, have an obligation to raise them to the honor and glory of His name. This includes not only spiritual training, but also proper training and care of the child’s physical needs. God has provided natural ways by which parents can raise their young ones, and natural remedies they can use if their child becomes ill. Below, I have listed very practical things you can implement in caring for the well-being of your children. May God bless you as you follow His ways to maintain and restore health in your precious children.

First of all, the very best food for the infant is, of course, mother’s milk. God designed mother’s milk to be the first natural food for the baby. He, in His wisdom, perfectly designed mother’s milk to furnish the baby with all the necessary nutrients to build a healthy immune system.   After the birth of a baby, even before breast milk comes in, the breast of the mother secretes a clear yellow liquid called colostrum which is high in protein and certain vitamins and minerals. The colostrum also contains antibodies that protect the baby from infections, allergies, and e. coli, which is the cause of about 80 percent of the cases of meningitis in the newborn.   

Therefore, breast-fed infants have the following:

• 1/2 the incidence of inner ear infections,
• 1/5 the incidence of respiratory infections,
• 2 1/2 times fewer digestive upsets than do bottle-fed babies.

Other advantages of breast-feeding are these:

• the protein in mother’s milk contains all the necessary amino acids the baby requires;
• it is easier to digest;
• the iron in mother’s milk readily absorbs into the body;
• mother’s milk contains friendly bacteria which in turn produce vitamin B’s, which are essential for the absorption of minerals;
• mother’s milk protects infants from colds, diarrhea, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which is almost unheard of in breast-fed babies;
• infantile eczema and other skin problems, asthma, and obesity are very rare in breast-fed infants.   

I am often asked the question, “What can a mother do to produce more milk when her production is low?” It must be understood that breast size has nothing to do with how much milk one can produce. Milk is produced partly at the time of feeding. Large breasts simply have more fat tissue, but it is the glandular tissue that produces the milk. The more vigorously the baby sucks, the bigger his milk supply becomes. To produce more milk, the most important thing a woman can do is to drink at least three quarts of water per day. Insufficient water drinking always results in insufficient milk production. The following remedies will also aid the mother in producing more milk: mix 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast in 8 oz. of juice 3 times a day for 1 week; drink herb teas made from blessed thistle, milk thistle, alfalfa, or red raspberry; eat whole grain cereals, especially oatmeal, or drink oatmeal water.

Colic: 

Catnip and chamomile tea will help eliminate colic in your baby. Make a tea from either of these herbs and place a couple teaspoons of cooled tea in the baby’s bottle. Also, be sure to check what the mother is eating if she is breast-feeding the infant. Foods that can cause gas and colic are these: beans, cabbage, garlic, onions, chocolate, eggs, corn, tomatoes, and wheat. Cow’s milk has been suspected of causing colic in babies. Research from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that the colic-causing substance found in cow’s milk can make its way into breast milk after the mother eats dairy products. Mothers should not consume any dairy products for 7-10 days and see if that is the cause of the colic. Burping the baby and keeping the abdomen warm by an application of a warm water bottle will often bring relief.

Solid Food: 

When your child reaches 6 to 8 months of age, you can start introducing solid food into his/her diet. If solid foods are introduced too early in the baby’s life, allergies may frequently develop later in life. Introduce only one new food every 4 to 5 days. It is best to start with fruits for three weeks, then fruit/vegetables for three weeks, and then add vegetables. For example:

• Fruits–A smashed banana is best as it is high in iron and potassium and is easily digested. Prunes, pears, peaches, and apricots pureed are other good fruits. Citrus fruits, apples, and strawberries should not be introduced into the diet until after the child is a year old, for these are causes of food sensitivities.
• Fruit/vegetables–Zucchini, peas, green beans, etc.
• Vegetables–Yellow and green vegetables are excellent.

Recipe:

• 1/2 cup vegetable or fruit
• 1/2 to 2 T. liquid blend

Some other suggestions you should follow when feeding your child are as follows:

• Do not eat fruits and vegetables at the same meal, as they are difficult to digest together and may cause fermentation.
• Use a blender to blend raw and cooked food for the child. Make your own baby food by blending appropriate foods and then freezing them in ice cube trays. Store these cubes in a zip lock bag in your freezer, and then use 1 to 2 thawed cubes per serving. Carrots and beets work excellently in this manner.
• Grains should not be introduced until after the infant cuts teeth. Saliva contains the starch-splitting enzyme alpha-amylase needed to digest grains. This enzyme does not develop in an infant’s saliva until the teeth are present. Therefore, introducing grains too early can result in food allergies later.
• Children need a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts. Large amounts of raw foods are excellent for the child and easy for moms to serve. Especially vital are the colorful vegetables and fruits. These contain important carotenes and flavonoids that are high in antioxidant activity. [Carotenes, which convert into vitamin A, lower the risk of cancer, enhance the immune system, and fight free radicals. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antiviral, anticarcinogenic agents that support joint structures and benefit collagen, which holds together tissues of the body].

Immune System

The immune system is the body’s best defense against disease and illness. It is important to strengthen the immune system in order to keep your children healthy. Some members of the immune system include white blood cells, the lymph system (which can properly function only if stimulated by exercise or massage), immunoglobulins, interferon, and interleukin. The immune system can become damaged by years of abuse brought on a wrong lifestyle. Nutrition, along with the other seven laws of health, is vital to maintaining a healthy immune system.

Some substances that damage the immune system are the following:

• Aspirin—Irritates the stomach and intestines and hinders the ability of the intestines to absorb nutrients.
• Antibiotics & vaccinations—White blood cells become weak when antibiotics are used, thus leaving the body more susceptible to other problems. (The body will reduce production of immune fighting cells).
• Sugar—Impairs the ability of the white blood cells ability to destroy bacteria. (If one has taken no sugar, the white blood cells should be able to eat certain types of bacteria at a rate of about 14 germs in 30 minutes. With only six teaspoons of sugar, the white blood cells destroy only 10 germs in 30 minutes. There are six teaspoons of sugar in an ordinary soft drink; if you add a doughnut, you have 12 teaspoons, resulting in only 5.5 germs eaten in 30 minutes. Twenty-four teaspoons (banana split) causes only 1 germ in 30 minutes to be destroyed).

Some substances that can aid the immune system are these:

• Vitamin A/Beta-Carotene–antioxidants that inhibit free radical damage and strengthen the immune system;
• Vitamin C–an antioxidant that protects against immune-related illness such as colds, flu, and cancer;
• Vitamin E–aids the immune system as it helps produce cells to fight infection;
• Echinacea—an herb that stimulates the function of the immune system;
• Garlic—an herb that builds up the immune system. You should always try to get all of these immune-builders naturally in fruits, vegetable, seeds, grains, and herbs.

Diarrhea:

Some good natural remedies for diarrhea are any of the following:

• 1 teaspoon of charcoal in olive oil taken 3 times daily. You may also place powdered charcoal in a nursing bottle filled with water. If the stomach is very irritated do not use charcoal as such, but let water stand over 1/4 cup powdered charcoal or tablets in a 2-quart jar, pour off clear fluid on top, and use for all drinking water.
• Thin rice or barley water will also check diarrhea in an infant. This should be given until the looseness is stopped.
• Fresh lemon juice in pure water will relieve diarrhea.
• Slippery elm is excellent also for relief.
• Raw carob powder can also end this problem.   

The following carrot soup is good for diarrhea in infants and small children and may also be used for colitis:

Scrub 3-4 large carrots well, chop finely, and cook in one cup of water for 15 minutes, or until soft. Strain through a fine strainer and add enough water to make a quart. For infants, or very small children, put this in a nursing bottle.

Fever:

A fever is not to be thought of as an enemy, but a friend. A fever is usually caused by an infection in the body and is not a disease of itself, but a symptom. A fever causes the white blood cells to move to the site of the infection and combat the problem. Interferon, a chemical produced by the body, is enhanced by the fever and inhibits the spread of a virus. Hydrotherapy (water treatments) can be very effective in treating fevers. When there is a fever, the internal blood vessels dilate and the external blood vessels contract. When cold water is applied to the body, this condition is increased; and when hot applications are applied, the result is just the opposite. The blood is rushed to the surface of the body, where the phagocytes (cells that have the ability to ingest bacteria) are permanently located. Thus the body is aided in fighting the infection.

Instructions for Water Treatments:

• Give cool sips of water during treatment and make sure the child is not dehydrated. Even if all the treatments below are given, the fever may not go down if the child is dehydrated.
• The best treatment for fever is a brief exposure to heat in a hot water bath (100 degrees or slightly above) while being careful not to burn the delicate skin of the baby, or alternating hot and cold applications of water. To do this, place a dry towel on the child’s chest and then place over it a second towel that has been first dipped in warm water, and then wrung out. After 4 minutes remove towels and take a cold wash rag and rub the area for 30 seconds. Repeat this procedure three times. This will treat not only the fever, but the underlying infection by activating the white blood cells and the immune system.
• A cool-tepid enema may be given with excellent results. Catnip tea is very good for fevers and may be added to the enema bottle.
• The child may be placed in cotton sheets and the entire body sponged with cool-tepid water. This will help lower the temperature.

Herbs Used for Fevers:

• A tea made of yarrow or red raspberry is excellent. A tea of either peppermint, catnip, or slippery elm is also helpful. These teas provide nutrition and induce sweating.

Foods Used During Fevers:

• A tablespoon or two of fresh lemon juice may be given to the child to reduce the fever.
• Only fruit should be eaten.   If there is congestion with the fever, it may be relieved by following the instructions for congestion under the cold section listed below.COLDS:   Make sure the bowels are clean and moving. If they are not, it may be necessary to do an enema. If a child is just coming down with a cold, do a fever bath to increase the immune system’s ability to fight the cold. You may also give goldenseal, garlic, or echinacea tea, or drops, to the child every four hours. Below, I have listed instructions for a natural cough syrup and treatments for congestion.

Cough Syrup:

• 1 lemon
• pineapple juice, unsweetened
• honey

Bake the lemon at 350 degrees until it loses juice through the skin (about 15–20 minutes). Cool slightly, squeeze out all the juice into a measuring cup, and add the same amount of unsweetened pineapple juice. Then add just enough honey to sweeten it a little. Take 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. Honey removes mucus and eases coughing. It also helps to control infection. Lemon will ease a sore throat, contains antibiotic properties, while the acid in the lemon turns alkaline in the body and thus becomes a cleansing agent. Pineapple combats infections of the throat and body. The lemon and pineapple juice combined disintegrates the mucus in the throat.    

For Congestion:

Put several drops of eucalyptus oil in a humidifier, and let it run throughout the night in the child’s room; or place drops in a pan on the stove, heat and have the child inhale the steam, being cautious around the stove. You can also place diced potatoes and onions in a pan, boil gently, and have the child inhale the steam. This mixture has properties to relieve congestion. You may also give a steam bath with eucalyptus oil in the water, or rub peppermint oil on the child’s chest to break up congestion.EARACHE:   Eighty-eight percent of children never need an antibiotic for earaches. If an ear infection is treated with antibiotics in the first day or two, the child is much more likely to get another ear infection within a month. According to Dr. Lendon Smith, antibiotics upset the natural balance between healthy bacteria in the intestines, while chronic antibiotic use can lead to yeast infections.   Allergies to dairy products are one of the greatest causes of ear infections. Grains may also be a cause, another reason babies should not be given grains too early as food (contrary to the recommendations of pediatricians to give your infant rice cereal as their first food).

Natural Remedies for Earaches:

• Garlic oil for infection. Place 1-2 drops in ear daily.
• Mullein oil for the pain. Place 1-2 drops in ear daily. These two together work wonders.
• Cut onion in half, bake it for 5 minutes, then cool and tie it over the ear. This will give relief when pain is severe, and it also has antibiotic properties.
• * A lobelia, or slippery elm, poultice is very effective in treating the inflammation and pain.
• A hot foot bath, with powdered mustard in it, often gives relief.
• A poultice made of charcoal and placed on the ear will help relieve the pain and draw out the infection.
• Hot foot bath, as described above, with fomentation extending from one ear across the throat to the other ear will frequently help. Remove the fomentation occasionally; then rub with ice water, and dry.
• Give bifidus acidophilus—it will restore the good stomach flora the antibiotics destroy and fight the bad bacteria.

First Aid:

• Insect bites–If wasp or bee sting, remove stinger first; take a Band-Aid and wet the gauze part, dip in charcoal and place on the bite. Replace, as needed, until pain and itching is gone.
• Burns–(including carpet, grass, cement burns, etc.). Cut off an aloe vera leaf, split it open, and lay the inside of the leaf on the burn. Band-Aid, or tape, the leaf on. Repeat when the leaf is dry. Tofu is also an excellent thing to put on burns. It can relieve pain and prevent blistering.
• Sprains–Put ice on them (20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, several times), and then use hot and cold water treatments, either with fomentations or by soaking in water.

Remedies for Miscellaneous Problems:

• Ringworm–Cut open a lemon and rub the area with the juice. Repeat several times daily.
• Hiccoughs–Place juice of orange or lemon on the tongue; then swallow.
• Athlete’s foot–Squeeze the juice from one lemon; add a small amount of water if needed. Soak the foot in this for ten or more minutes at least once a day.  

I want to thank God for the natural remedies He has provided for us in caring for our young. Drugs are toxic and have side effects. They only mask symptoms, which may give relief; but they do not heal the patient. If we would become more familiar with using simple, natural alternatives and would pray to our Heavenly Father to aid us through healing, we would not have to run to the doctor for every ailment. Let us be true medical missionaries. Amen?

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