Many of our loved ones are heading back to school this month. As many of us know school is now much more stressful than years ago. With being in the digital age and trying to keep up with standardized education, kids have more pressure now than ever before.

Many parents and grandparents tend to head to CAM (Complementary Alternative Medicine) for results when their loved ones are dealing with stress induced ailments and symptomatology. 

Two studies that are attached to this article are recent studies delivering results from reviews on pediatric FAPD or Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders, HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and increased action on the ANS (Autonomic Nervous System). 

It is important to note that many of us turn to the internet when our loved ones are suffering, wondering if we can go out to our health food store or favorite online retailer and “fix it”, or to use “old wives tales". These studies have cleared some of this up and given real evidence of solutions that work for pediatric and adolescent stress and the symptomatology that follows. 

The number one winner in the FAPD study for pediatrics was peppermint (mentha piperita) oil. This oil has shown that quickly inhaling the oil or adding it to the stomach with a carrier relieved many issues of the gastrointestinal system in pediatric patients. This is a great oil, possible in a rollerball type application, to have in the house for when the little ones are having stomach distress from stress or food issues. Areas to place diluted peppermint oil are the neck at pulse points, the stomach themselves and even bottom of feet at nighttime.

There is a German OTC medication called STW5. This is under the brand name Iberogast. It’s ingredients are as follows:

We have seen this supplement in some high end health food stores, but we have not seen it readily available in the US. However, this study did have high results for children with digestive issues. 

Due to the nature of some children’s busy lives and their parents as well, we know that some children have constipation. Many parents reach out for aloe vera gel. In this study, research has shown that aloe vera gel ingested for constipation is not the greatest remedy for children and long term use has been associated with hepatitis. 

The last tested herbal remedy on FAPD was with ginger. Surprisingly even to us, ginger rated rather low as many of the studies used ginger in correlation with other herbs and not ginger in isolation. The good news is, even with the blended herbals that they tested, they were effective in the small pediatric studies that were done with them.

The other pediatric and adolescent study had to do with the ANS (Autonomic Nervous System) and HRV (Heart Rate Variability) of adolescents going through stressful times.

This small review study reported that intermittent stressful times (perhaps a large exam, fight with their friends etc), that the oils of lavender and sandalwood together were extremely effective in lowering stress levels quickly through inhalation.  The blended oils together worked more effectively than the oils by themselves.

As Aromatherapists, this makes us wonder if we break down the chemical constituents of both oils what we would find. As many know, Sandalwood is an expensive oil due to the overharvesting of the tree.  This is something that will be on our "list of things to do”.

The most interesting and important part of this study was that the long term use of lavender and sandalwood for stress did not work, and that it was that short term acute use was what was tested favorably. This brings us back to that daily use of oils for certain conditions may be counterproductive, but more research needs to be found. 

To read the first study, click here.

To read the second study, click here.