In my childhood, there were moments when plantain literally saved me and my peers. When I really wanted ice cream, my friends and I collected this plant and carried it to the pharmacy. There our booty was weighed and given 10-20 kopecks for it (the money for children of the mid-80s is quite decent!).
Only many years later it became clear why pharmacists were so willing to take the leaves of this seemingly unprepossessing plant. The fact is that plantain is part of many medicines, fees. It is an excellent cough suppressant. In this article we will talk about plantain and children, or rather, how this plant is used to treat babies.
Interesting Facts
Plants with large wide leaves growing along roads and paths (hence the name) are unexpectedly diverse: there are about one and a half hundred species of plantains in the world, but only a few are of value from the point of view of medicine. These include the large plantain and flea.
In Europe, it is eaten, added to salads as a greenery. We are talking about the deer-horned plantain.
Representatives of this botanical species growing in Russia are one of the favorite delicacies of many butterflies.
The flea plantain is used in the production of textiles, printing ink, ice cream and as a light narcotic.
And certainly a mystery of nature: plantain is considered the most common weed, but many of its varieties are included in the Red Book.
Medicinal properties and contraindications
Plantain has hemostatic properties, anti-inflammatory effect, as well as analgesic and antiseptic effects. This herb produces so many tannins that their content may well be compared, for example, with oak bark. The plant is considered to be a strong natural immunostimulant.
Plantain helps to get rid of cough, both in acute respiratory illness and in more severe diagnoses - pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, whooping cough, pleurisy.
The plant copes well with a number of diseases of the stomach and intestines, including peptic ulcers. In addition, both informal medicine and traditional medicine recognize this herb with large leaves as an effective remedy for diseases of the bladder, for skin problems.
In medicine, all parts of the plantain are used - leaves, roots, stems and seeds. Each part of the plant contains a special set of substances.
Plantain can be taken for treatment by both adults and children. But in some situations it is better to refuse the use of this plant. Contraindications apply to those who have stomach or intestinal ulcers in the acute stage, people with allergies to herbal ingredients, those who have increased blood clotting and accelerated thrombus formation.
Doctors tend to talk about the age limit for children's use - most of the popular recipes for coughs with this medicinal plant are intended for children from 3 years old and older. Outwardly (for the treatment of skin problems) can be used for children who are already one year old. From the same age, however, with caution, it is allowed to give a child pharmacy plantain syrup.
Instructions for use
As already mentioned, this plant is unquestioningly accepted by both traditional medicine and traditional healers. In pharmacies you can find a lot of drugs in which the main active ingredient is plantain. This is well-known "Herbion" - syrup for dry and unproductive cough, syrups Mukoplant and Natur Product, which are intended to treat a wet cough, when it is required to have an expectorant effect and help the child get rid of the accumulation of phlegm in the bronchi as soon as possible.
Plantain juice sold for patients with diseases of the intestines, stomach and urinary system.
Granules "Mucofalk" with plantain are intended for the treatment of rectal fissures and intestinal dysfunctions.
In addition, on pharmacy counters you can find herbal preparations, which include plantain, and separately this plant, collected, processed and dried, packaged in cardboard boxes.
Children can also prepare medicines from this plant at home.
From the ready-made pharmacy collection, you can make a decoction, infusion and syrup.
Syrup. You will need fresh plant leaves and sugar. Take a half-liter jar and put a few leaves on the bottom, sprinkle it with sugar, then fold the plantain leaf layer again, and sprinkle it with sugar again, and so on until you reach the neck of the jar. Then the jar should be closed, removed to a dark and cool place, and kept there for about 90 days. Then the resulting syrup can be drained, stored in the refrigerator for no more than 8-9 months.
Infusion. To prepare this product, you can take both fresh leaves and dried medicinal raw materials. Two tablespoons of finely chopped plantain leaves, a couple of lemon wedges and a teaspoon of honey. Leaves are brewed with boiling water, lemon wedges are squeezed into the resulting liquid with your fingers. Insist for about an hour, and then filter and add a spoonful of honey.
Broth. Everything is pretty simple here. Plantain leaves and seeds in the amount of 2 teaspoons should be boiled with boiled water, which was previously cooled to 90 degrees. Then hold the container with liquid in a water bath for about 15 minutes. Strain the resulting product, and give to drink when coughing or add to tea for a child. The broth can be added to bath water if there are skin conditions.
Dosage and indications
When coughing, syrup can be given to children in a dosage not exceeding 2.5 ml at a time, no more than four times a day. From 6 years old, the dosage can be increased to 3.5 ml, from 12 years old, children can take from 5 ml at a time.
Children with atopic dermatitis, allergies or diabetes should not be given plantain in syrup. For treatment, it is better to choose another form, for example, a decoction.
A decoction for coughing can be given to a child several times a day, 2 tablespoons at an early age and a quarter of a glass at a time from the age of 5 years. A decoction and an infusion of plantain can be given to drink with cystitis (inflammation of the bladder), as well as to increase immunity to a child whose natural defenses of the body have suffered as a result of a long illness.
Teas with plantain decoction can be given to a child no more than twice a day for the treatment of intestinal diseases. The drink should be warm to eliminate the bitter taste, you can add a few fresh viburnum berries, black currants or a slice of lemon and half a teaspoon of sugar to the tea.
Plantain juice, which is sold in pharmacies in 100 ml glass bottles, is convenient to use and store, it does not require any preliminary preparations. It can be given for diseases of the stomach and intestines in a teaspoon, diluting it with plenty of water 20 minutes before a meal several times a day.
It is good to treat a cough for respiratory infections using the same pharmacy drops. Children should be given no more than a teaspoon three times a day after meals after 15 minutes.
For skin diseases, plantain juice can be added to the water for bathing a child, as well as compresses, lotions with the drug directly on the affected skin. They should be changed every 2 hours.
Price
Plantain preparations and the raw materials themselves are inexpensive.
Such treatment can be considered budgetary:
Herbion syrup - 200-230 rubles.
Plantain juice - 147-160 rubles.
Plantain leaves in a cardboard box - 60-65 rubles, in filter bags - about 70 rubles.
Reviews
Moms and dads about plantain and preparations containing it respond mostly positively. A rather pleasant taste and a quick medicinal effect are noted. However, some funds have a significant disadvantage - they are quite expensive. This does not apply to the drugs listed above. But, if you want to buy a child for cough "Mucoplant" (syrup), then the cost of such a medicine starts from 850 rubles, although the composition contains the same familiar and familiar plantain.
Many parents prefer to buy ready-made pharmaceutical preparations; there are not so many fans of preparing decoctions and tinctures on their own. Many people recommend this herb for the preparation of solutions for inhalation for influenza and acute respiratory viral infections, according to mothers, this is an excellent general tonic.
