Long before there were antibiotics, ointments and drops, African-American mothers relied heavily on remedies that have been passed down from generation to generation. These mothers reached out to their ancestors, nature and their surroundings to cure their child’s ailments.

Many of the old African remedies, wives tales and traditions have been embraced by other cultures; especially in homes where women of color have be employed as nannies to care for children of various ethnic backgrounds.

In Chrisena Coleman’s book, Mama Knows Best (Simon & Schuster; 1997), she lists some traditional remedies that can be traced as far back as slavery and some of them are still used by moms of today.

• A daily teaspoon of olive oil will insure that your baby has strong bones.
• A bath in cold oatmeal will help soothe an itchy child with chicken pox.
• A half teaspoon of cod liver oil from fall to spring will prevent a cold.
• A quarter cup of honey, a little vinegar and warm water will stop a bad cough.
• A drop of gripe water or boiled mint leaves and water will calm a colicky baby.
• Wipe the baby’s face with his/her urine soaked diaper to clear up blotches and give your child a smooth complexion (sounds gross, but it works).
• Squeeze a few drops of saline solution into baby’s nose to relieve congestion.
• A teaspoon of dark Karo syrup boiled into a cup of water will cure constipation.
• Rub mineral oil into the baby’s scalp to cure cradle cap.
• A steamy bathroom for at least 20 minutes will clear congestion.
• Place a slice of white potato under the baby’s arm to get rid of a fever.
• A wet piece of brown paper bag placed on the baby’s forehead will cure hiccups.
• Rub brandy on a baby’s gums to help with subside the pain of teething.