Videos you might be interested in
Videos you might be interested in
Videos you might be interested in
Suggested for you
Eucalyptus Oil for Babies - Is It Safe?
Essential oils have been used for treating various ailments for a long time now. They are used widely now as they possess various medicinal properties. One such essential oil, which is used as a home remedy for respiratory problems, is eucalyptus oil as it possesses antiseptic and antibacterial properties. For the various benefits it offers, you might be tempted to use it on your baby if he suffers from a cold or congestion, but should you use it on your baby? It is important that you understand whether it is safe for babies or not.
What Is Eucalyptus Oil?
Eucalyptus oil is obtained from the leaves of eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus oil is used in medicines, as a perfume, and also has some industrial uses too. It is a colourless liquid and has a sweet and strong woody smell. More than 700 species of eucalyptus are found in the world, of which only 500 odd species are used to produce the essential oil.
Are There Any Benefits of Using Eucalyptus Oil?
Eucalyptus oil is used as a natural therapy to treat pneumonia, bronchitis, cough, cold, and other respiratory diseases. It helps strengthen the immune system too. It improves respiratory circulation and has antioxidant properties. Cineole present in eucalyptus oil is an organic compound which offers a lot of benefits like lowering pain and inflammation.
Eucalyptus oil offers a cure for the following:
Cold and flu – The essential oil cleans the body of harmful microorganisms and the toxins that cause common cold and flu.
Hair damage – Eucalyptus oil is used with olive and coconut oil to moisturise the hair and treat dandruff and itchy scalp. Eucalyptus oil helps nourish the hair.
Allergies – Eucalyptus oil helps treat sinus and allergies and is also used as a room freshener. The anti-microbial properties of eucalyptus oil also help kills germs.
Is Eucalyptus Oil Safe for Babies?
A common query among parents is whether eucalyptus oil is safe for babies or not. While it is true that eucalyptus oil has many beneficial properties, using eucalyptus oil for a baby suffering from cold may be unsafe because of the following reasons:
Eucalyptus oil may have very high cineole content which can lead to breathing problems and nervous system issues in young children. The amount of cineole will depend on the chemotype or the species of the plant.
Even if the variety of essential oil you use does not have high cineole content, it may still have compounds that can harm children. These compounds may cause irritation or a burning sensation on your baby’s skin.
Eucalyptus oil, if ingested, can lead to vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, and other side effects like breathing problems and wheezing. Its application may also lead to extreme cases of coma and seizures.
This oil can also trigger asthma attacks in some babies.
Using Eucalyptus Oil for a Cold
If you do want to use eucalyptus oil on a baby’s blocked nose, it is important to know the right and safe way of using it. Plus, you should also know what type of eucalyptus oil is safe for babies. You should avoid using Eucalyptus globulus for children, as it is not safe for kids under the age of 2. Eucalyptus radiata can be used, but even this should be used only after consulting with a paediatrician.
How to Use Eucalyptus Oil for Babies
You can use eucalyptus oil to soothe and open the airways of your baby’s nostrils if you follow a few precautions.
To use eucalyptus oil for a cold, put two drops of the oil on a tissue or cotton ball and keep it at a safe distance from your baby.
For a blocked nose, add three drops of oil to a bowl of boiling water and place it under the baby’s crib. The rising steam releases the essential oil and can provide comfort to your baby.
The oil should not be applied near the child’s mouth or nose as it may cause respiratory problems to him.
Although eucalyptus oil may be used with some precautions, it is still not recommended for babies because of its side effects. So here are some alternative methods you can try instead of using eucalyptus oil.
Alternatives to Eucalyptus Oil for Treating Baby’s Congestion
Instead of using any essential oil for treating congestion, you can follow the methods mentioned below to put your baby to ease. These include the following:
1. Nasal aspirator
A nasal aspirator can be used to clear mucus from the baby’s nose. It can also be used to clear the baby’s airways so that the child can breathe easily.
2. Hot water compress
Using a hot water compress can loosen the thick mucus blocking your baby’s nose, throat, or his chest. Take a small cotton cloth dipped in hot water and squeeze out the excess water. Apply the hot water compress on the affected area to treat congestion. Remember, that you should not put the hot cloth directly on your baby’s chest. Furthermore, the cloth should be warm or else your baby may get hurt.
Things to Keep in Mind Before Using Eucalyptus Oil on Your Baby
No doubt, eucalyptus oil offers a number of benefits, but it is not suitable for children, particularly for kids who are below 10 years of age. Using eucalyptus oil on babies can lead to side effects, which could range from mild to severe. If you do use eucalyptus oil on your baby, and he experiences any breathing difficulties after inhaling the oil, consult a doctor immediately. Some people think that using diluted eucalyptus oil won’t harm the baby, but that’s not correct. Even the diluted eucalyptus oil can harm the baby. Remember: eucalyptus oil is not safe for babies. Hence, you should refrain from using this oil for babies and toddlers.
Even small or diluted amounts of eucalyptus oil can lead to serious reactions in babies, and it is advisable to steer clear of it. Use one of the recommended alternative solutions to clear your baby’s congestion. Read more
Suggested for you
Suggested for you
Interesting Facts About White Tiger for Kids
Children usually bond with household pets, residents at a petting zoo, classroom pets, and even the neighborhood cat, as these creatures spark a lifelong love of animals. However, encounters with wild animals can be extra-special and become a child’s treasured memory, especially with the magnificent white tiger characteristics. Seeing wild animals in nature opens up a whole new world of wonder which makes them curious about their appearance, behavior, lifestyle, and habitat. Read on to find more amazing White tiger facts and information for preschoolers.
White Tiger Lifespan and Appearance
The fascinating appearance of white tigers makes them look like mythical creatures. Here is some information about their appearance and lifespan.
A subspecies of tigers, the white tiger is the pigmented variation of the Bengal Tiger.
All white tigers have blue eyes with round pupils. Their eyes can be green and amber color as well.
Due to their white coat, they are often referred to as bleached tigers—the color results from the genetic mutations that are part of their natural species diversity.
The absence of pheomelanin, a pigment found in the normal orange tigers, results in white furs.
It has grey and light brown stripes on a light cream-colored coat.
Its distinctive coat pattern with stripes are like fingerprints, with no two tigers having the same pattern.
As the white-and-black color of white tigers makes them stand out from their surroundings, they often fall prey to other carnivores or hunters.
They have white-colored face fur and a rose pink nose.
White tigers fully grow by 2-3 years.
The white tigers live for around 10 to 20 years in the wild.
The weight of a White male tiger can be between 200 to 230 kilograms. They grow up to 9.8 ft. in length.
The average length of a male white tiger is about 8-10.2 feet, while the female tiger measures between 7.1 to 8.5 feet.
White tigers are bigger from birth and continue that pattern into their adult years.
As per the recent breeding records of 1700 Bengal Tigers kept in Indian zoos, the mortality and longevity rates of orange and white tigers are the same.
White Tiger Behavior and Lifestyle
White tigers are incredibly quick, agile, and very capable swimmers, allowing them to cross boundaries such as rivers and moats. However, they are very poor climbers. Some interesting facts about their behavior and lifestyle:
White tigers are crepuscular – they hunt primarily in the morning and evening.
They stalk their prey in the night by approaching it quietly and attacking by surprise.
The white tigers prefers to live in its territory that covers a radius of 10-30 sq miles.
As white tigers swim well, they can kill their prey even while swimming.
They sleep for about 16-18 hours per day.
Their speed can go up to 50-60 km per hour.
The male white tiger might share several women Tiger’s territory for mating.
White tigers are more muscular, stronger, and more aggressive than Orange Tigers.
Reproduction of White Tiger
Reproduction between white tigers is slightly different from how similar animals generally reproduce. Here are some fun facts:
Specific recessive genes of two Bengal Tigers combine for a white tiger to be born.
Male and female white tigers get attracted to one another by their roars and scent marks. A white tigress reaches the age of sexual maturity in around 3 to 4 years.
The gestation period of a White Tigress is for three and a half months, and approximately 5 cubs are born at a time.
The cubs are incubated within her uterus and are nourished through the umbilical cords. They are born live. The cubs are born in a secluded den that the mother prepares for them.
Crossbreeding Bengal tigers with Siberian tigers increases the odds of producing white cubs.
All white tigers are inbred within the family members and are not purebred.
White Tiger Diet
White tigers are carnivores that eat only meat by hunting other animals. Some interesting facts about their diet:
It mostly eats plant-eating herbivores found in the forest and its outskirts. Langur monkeys, goats, buffaloes, wild boars, and deer are some animals they usually kill.
It can eat about 18kg of meat at one go and will hunt again after a few days of feasting.
The diet of a Captive white tiger includes chicken, horse meat, or kangaroo meat.
Due to their large size, they use their weight to throw down their prey and bite its neck to kill it. They have formidable and retractable claws that help to capture and hold on to their prey.
In the case of the unavailability of herbivores, they may also hunt leopards, young wolves, young elephants, and rhinoceros.
White Tiger Habitat
White tigers in the jungle share their habitat with the orange Bengal Tigers. Some more interesting habitat facts are:
Their habitat depends upon the animals it usually hunts and eats in the forest.
Abundant food, water, and trees make up the best habitat for white tigers. The grassy areas and their stripes help give them some camouflage!
Like all Bengal tigers, white tigers used to live in the wild in Asia, particularly in countries like India. They now live in captivity, which helps to keep them protected.
White tigers cannot survive in snow.
No known white tiger exists in the wild anymore. They are all found in captivity, mainly in zoos, circuses, rescue sanctuaries, and places designated for animal display.
White Tigers have no natural predators; humans hunt them for exotic skin color, trophy hunting, traditional medicine, exotic pet trade, and habitat destruction.
Other Fun Facts About White Tiger for Children
Some fun facts about white tigers in detail:
Besides the Bengal tiger, the white tiger is believed to be the world's second-largest tiger species after the Siberian tiger.
Uncontrolled trophy hunting, loss of habitat, and habitat fragmentation are the reasons for the extinction of wild white tigers and the dramatic decline in wild tigers in general.
White tigers have enzymes in their fur which react to temperature, causing them to grow darker in the cold.
The white tiger has cultural significance as well. It is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. Also called the White Tiger of the West, the animal is known as Baihu in Chinese, Byakko in Japanese, Baekho in Korean, and Bạch Hổ in Vietnamese. White tiger represents the west in terms of direction and the autumn season.
The earliest record of the existence of white tigers was put on display at the Exeter Exchange in 1820 in London.
The inbreeding of white tigers in strict captivity often cause certain genetic issues, like Down syndrome, scoliosis, cleft palates, mental impairments, and cross eyes.
Only 12 white tigers were seen in the wild throughout the twentieth century.
White tigers are bred only for entertainment and not for conservation purposes. Thus, The American Zoological Association (AZA) believes that these cats should not be bred and directs AZA-accredited zoos against breeding.
Teaching wildlife conservation through fun and interactive education can be a first step towards protecting the natural landscapes that wildlife needs to survive. The growing awareness of white tigers can make them more appreciative of the natural world and sensitive towards their friends and family. Many conservation biologists are trying to protect wildlife so that kids can live in a world where animals like white tigers still exist. Thus, learning about biodiversity and sharing what they know with their friends can enhance their emotional development and build their social skills.
Also Read:
Cool Lion Facts for Kids
Fun Cheetah Facts for Children
Interesting Zebra Facts for Children Read more
Suggested for you
In Parenting, Is There a Clear Definition of How Much is Too Much?
It's not just a sentence, but these terms have become a feeling for a first-time mother, especially when she's taking care of the child all by herself!
How Much is Too Much Exactly?
Be it in terms of any of the following, how do you know what is best or the right approach to that challenge?
Being lenient or strict, or a blend of two
Breastfeeding the baby or trying to wean it off
Making them learn things through play or teaching the old-school way
Meal portions and a balanced diet
Trying to safeguard them from the ills & fears of the unknown (especially with the 'good touch, bad touch' and to always be around parents for safety)
Being a helicopter mom, because you are assured that your child is safe & enjoying the moment
Getting worked up by comparing the milestones achieved & yet to be accomplished by your kid
Feeling anxious about their food habits, appetite, balanced diet
Crying your heart out if the little one is in pain or suffering, yet standing tall in front of family
Changing all your routines to prioritize the lives of your children
I always say, there should be a balance of everything in life because after all, we are the role models for our children (for a good amount of time if not till eternity).
We should not stifle them, instead, we should lead such a life where we are able to create an atmosphere and nurture them with thoughts like these:
It's ok to let go (sometimes).
It's not our responsibility to correct every wrongdoing of others.
If you haven't aced something, maybe you need to practice it more. Practice makes a person perfect if the dreams are realistic and we need to teach this no matter how hard it is.
However, we need not show all our emotions of panic or angst when our child doesn't meet our expectations or cry ourselves when dropping them to school or college for the first time. Nor should we try to hide all our emotions, because sometimes they need warmth and at the same time they need strength too.
Parenting teaches us a lot, not just about ourselves but our spouse and the little being we brought to this world.
So, balance out everything, don't burden anyone with your expectations, but yes, make the people around you learn to differentiate between good and bad, reality and delusions. Don't stress out about some small unaccomplished victory of your child, because he might be acing things other children can't do yet (and you might have missed out on noticing it because you were too busy teaching him the ABC's because your neighbour's 2-year-old daughter knows all the alphabets).
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her. Read more
Suggested for you
Suggested for you
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
11 hours ago
Q. hllo am in 34 week of pregnancy,cramps in my hand and foots,my pulses is very fast,i feel tiredness internally,are these symptoms are normal
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
11 hours ago
A. get investigations particularly hemoglobin level. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
11 hours ago
Q. i feel some fever internally also
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
11 hours ago
A. please check the temperature and get the investigations. fever can be because of different reasons most of the times viral bacterial sometimes due to less immunity there can be recurrence better to treat only with paracetamol if the fever more than 100degr
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
10 hours ago
Q. Now I am having pain till then my miscarriage has been done at home
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 8 m old girl
10 hours ago
A. I’m sorry I’m unable to understand your query as you haven’t given any detail about it so whatever the situation is you should get a check with your gynaecologist the doctor would be able to give you better help in whatever treatment of precaution you need to require further
shilpi Bhandari has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
6 hours ago
Q. Hello
What is better normal or csec?
shilpi Bhandari
Mom of 2 children
5 hours ago
A. hello dear this is not about which is better this is all about your body and the condition of the baby no doubt the normal procedure is the painful but side effect are not there but after C6 you have to be little more careful and you have to take more precaution but again I am saying that this is not about the better one this is about the condition of your pregnancy
Santu has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
3 hours ago
Q. #asktheexpert
1) till how many days after delivery baby needs to keep on uterus temperatures/warm temperature?
2) Can baby & mother both take bath after 24 hours of delivery?
Santu
Mom of 2 children
3 hours ago
A. It depends on moms and babys health I feel and suggest It's better to check with your doctor and follow their advise. That would be one of the best and safest option for your baby as of now. Take care.
shilpi Bhandari has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
3 hours ago
Q. dual marker test is for what purpose??
shilpi Bhandari
Mom of 2 children
2 hours ago
A. The double marker test helps determine whether the unborn baby has any risk of developing neurological abnormalities or mental disorders
Check out this new Memory
Rahul Sharma
Father of a 1 yr old girl
New Memory
#kidno1
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Aayushi
Expecting Mom due this month
New Memory
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Jaspreet kaur
Mom of a 1 yr 8 m old boy and 1 yr 8 m old boy
New Memory
#grandphoto
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Pooja
Father of a 3 yr 8 m old boy
New Memory
#stylishbaby
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Rahul Sharma
Father of a 1 yr old girl
New Memory
#babyphotochallenge
0 Likes
0 Comment
Tell us more about yourself get More Personalised
- Infant0 to 6 Months
- Baby6 Months to 2 Yrs
- Toddler2 to 4 yrs
- Kids4-6 yrs
- Big Kids6+ yrs
- Expecting
- Trying to Conceive