lavender and little children....I won't do this again!

[patrice]

one of my aromatherapy books suggests putting a drop of lavender on a child's palm having them rub their palms together and sniff for calming purposes.......my 2 year old grandaughter visited me a couple of days ago and i tried this.....worked fantastic.. ....her parents are splitting up, it was her first visit to THIS grandma's house.....my daughter in law isn't too keen on me....any way.....when my son took her home she got sick.. ...feverish,fussy,....he believes it was the oil and now i feel absolutely horrid thinking I actually caused harm when my intentions were to help :cry: . I will never do this again and i wish I had sought more information here rather than consulting my books. lesson learned, thought i would share...open to comments and wondering....could this application be used on an older child?
I won't ever use lavender neat on a child again but wodered what your experiences are regarding this....

 

[krissy]

i put lavender on my kids all the time. i keep a bottle with me just incase we end up where there are lots of mosquitos or if they get a cut or scrape on the playground. i have never had then do anything like what you say happened...

 

[agriffin]

Yes, that sounds odd that the lav was the issue.

What exactly were her symptoms?

 

[patrice]

feverish,congested ,trouble breathing,flushed....it was so severe that my son considered taking her to the emergency room....it was not pretty....and even worse due to the fact that it was her very first visit....we live 100 miles apart.....and I had such fun sharing the "magical oil" with her.......I really want it NOT to be the lavender...she has allergies as does her mother.....It occurred to me after I posted this this morning that perhaps the lavender caused her body to purge....or rather cleanse somehow.....does that make any sense?

 

[soapbuddy]

I'm sorry this happened to you. I hope it wasn't the lavender, but it might be a posibility. My daughter is allergic to lavender.

 

[carebear]

um, purge? cleanse? no.
allergic reaction? maybe.

fever, congested, trouble breathing? virus, most likely.

 

[Lindy]

I agree with Carebear - it doesn't sound like an allergy - it is most likely a virus. People can be allergic to anything, especially natural products. For young children you are better off mixing a few drops in a carrier oil (keep in mind the allergies when choosing your carrier) and then putting a drop or two of that mixture on her hands. Another method would be to put a couple of drops on a handkerchief (really easy to make) and let her sniff that to relax as well as to sleep.

Send your son info on lavender essential oil to ease their minds......

 

[patrice]

thank you all for your replies. as far as a virus....she got better within a couple of hours of reaching her home....so apparently the episode lasted about 4 hours. She has been using products with lavender in it for quite some time...something commercial, not sure what is in it but it definately smells like a true lavender not a fragrance....I have gifted both her and her mother with salves since the mom started showing but I quit when i came upon them....all unused....I suppose I am attaching way too much importance to this whole thing......I have been working with herbal medicines, homeopathy,bach flower and other flower essences for 30 years or so and this is the first time i have done something that caused harm rather than good.....or perhaps not.....heck....we were playing with my horses also.....the purge-cleanse idea I probably didn't express well........my thought was , could an essential oil raise the energetic vibration in a body to the point that it could move through some stuck energy?......I will use the carrier oil and handkerchief next time....if I am allowed near her again :wink:

 

[Lindy]

Patrice I don't believe you caused harm. As to the energetic effects of a possible purge I really don't know enough about that end to give even a guess. The only energy work I do is Reiki and I have seen it cause people to get worse before they got better to speed up the healing. Kinda a double edged sword type of thing - KWIM?

Don't beat yourself up.... some people just don't understand that handmade is better than commercial in many instances....

 

[PrairieCraft]

When people are dealing with emotionally difficult issues they might be overwhelmed by something that normally wouldn't bother them. It's almost like the body's defenses are down. It seems a little strange to me though that is was so delayed. I would think an allergic reaction that was seemingly severe would have started sooner. Maybe there was a situational issue that upset her that you don't know about. Maybe she was throwing a fit? A tantrum would make a child hot, red, congested and gasp for breath. Parents got into it because Mom was upset about her visit with you, something like that? I'm sorry that you have a granddaughter only 100 miles away and you didn't get to meet her until she was 2 :cry: A virus wouldn't show up and be gone within a 4 hr time span would it? I've never had an allergic reaction but have a sister who is allergic to so many things and it seems like the reaction happens fairly soon after exposure.

 

[patrice]

thank you both for your replies. Lindy, yes, in some cases with energy there is a "healing crisis".....a teacher of mine had a client file a lawsuit due to the effects a flower remrdy caused.....he has a radiology machine and was able to find the perfect remedy for her...it worked so well and caused so much of a cleanse that she believed she had been poisoned.....of couse, when the remedy was taken to a lab and tested...there were no desernable elemnts in it except good ol H2o!...thanks for telling me not to beat myself up...I have bben working on giving that particular useless exercise up for years....but I must admit I have tried to remember everything the child did here and was exposed to in the 7 hrs of her visit....and have concluded that it was all good.....she played in the "kid's pool"....hot tub....fresh water no chemicals.....picked cherry tomatoes in the garden...organic.....loved on the horses....she has been around horses before.....slept on a quilt that was washed with my soap.....al and all it was a wonderful visit....I have seen her before....was at the hospital for the birth...but this was the first time I have had a chance to play with her and get to know her without her mother hovering and correcting my every word....we had lots of fun and I trust that she will campaign to return. Prairie Craft, your statement regarding times of emotional difficulties and sensitivity was pretty helpful. Due to the relationship her parents have had....no excessive fights or anything just not happy...I think her past sicknesses and allergies are a reflection of an emotional imbalance.....that and a really toxic diet.....but these things I keep to myself....hence when I thought hey...I can't change her diet or her enviroment or her mother's need to control every move she makes, but perhaps i can turn her on to some "magic oil" and help support her emotionally throughout her years......and then got the report from my son that she had gotten so sick after she left " I thought she was going to die , mom" were his exact words.....it hit me really hard.

 

[patrice]

once again thank you all for taking the time to write to me. I really appreciate all the support I have recieved. I spend a lot of time alone,working in my garden playing with my animals ,creating stuff and thinking.....I suspect i enjoy my own company more than most folks....the support i have recieved here in the last few days has been extremely heartwarming....blessings to you all

 

[Lindy]

Namaste

 

[patrice]

namaste

 

[Bubbles Galore]

My grandson was about two when he was stung by a European wasp at my home. Knowing that the pain is intense for adults, I flew to the bathroom with him in my arms (just starting to scream with pain) and put neat Lavender on his hand. The pain went instantly and he stopped crying. His mum (my DIL) was fascinated and has never been without Lavender at home since.

Yes, people can be allergic to Lavender but there was a reason that you used it in the first place "to calm", so the little one must have been upset because you said that it "worked a treat". Don't be so hard on yourself.

I'm sorry that your son & DIL are separating but perhaps you will get to see the little one more often. Hugs to you. :wink:

 

[patrice]

bless you bubbles galore. your words were what i was seking when i posted this.p