A Few Sips of Mild Jeera Water for an Older Child
A few cumin seeds boiled in water, cooled until warm, and offered as a few sips to a child over two. It is not for babies. It does not treat dehydration.
Important: this remedy is only a supportive home measure. Keep taking any medicine your doctor has prescribed, monitor your readings, and consult your doctor before adding anything new.
A weak sip for an older child, not a baby feed
Cumin boiled briefly in water makes a pale, mild drink. For a child over two who is already eating family food, a few warm sips after a heavy or gassy meal can be a kitchen habit. The water should look barely coloured. It is not a strong kadha, and it is not medicine for fever, vomiting, or loose stools.
Do not give this to a baby. A child who is not drinking, is limp, has blood in the stool, is vomiting often, or is breathing hard needs a doctor, and may need oral rehydration as a doctor advises, not jeera water. Honey does not belong in the cup.
Ingredients
- A pinch of cumin seeds, not a spoon heaped high
- Drinking water
- No honey
How to prepare
- Boil the pinch of cumin in a cup of water for three or four minutes. Strain.
- Cool until it is warm to the inside of your wrist. It should be pale, not dark and strong.
How to use
- Offer a few sips to a child over two.
- Do not fill a bottle and leave it for the day.
- Stop if the child refuses it or the stomach seems worse.
Helpful habits
- If the cup tastes sharp, you used too much cumin. Dilute it with warm water or throw it out and start with fewer seeds.
- Make it fresh. Do not store it in a warm room.
Precautions
- Not for babies, and not a feed instead of milk.
- Not a treatment for dehydration, fever, blood in the stool, or repeated vomiting.
- No honey in the cup.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put this in a baby's bottle?
- No. This page is a few sips for a child over two. It is not a baby feed.
The child has been vomiting and is not drinking. Is jeera water the treatment?
- No. A child who is not drinking, is limp, or is vomiting often needs a doctor. Do not rely on cumin water.
Can I add honey so it tastes better?
- No. No honey. For a child under one, honey is unsafe. Keep the cup plain.
