Several herbal treatments may safely relieve childhood diarrhea, abdominal pain, and infantile colic, with benefits varying by the specific gastrointestinal condition.
The review systematically searched major medical databases for randomized controlled trials of herbal therapies in children and adolescents with gastrointestinal disorders. Two reviewers extracted information on study design, participants, herbal interventions, comparison treatments, outcomes, adverse events, and risk of bias.
Across the included trials, certain herbal options showed promising benefits: tormentil root, carob bean juice, and a chamomile-containing preparation for diarrhea; peppermint oil for functional abdominal pain; and fennel-based preparations for infantile colic. No serious adverse events were reported, although the evidence base was limited because relatively few studies examined individual herbs or specific conditions.
