In a message dated 97-07-28 15:49:05 EDT, you write:

<< My first question is this:  In Cydney Weingart's (The Learning Curve)
 booklet on Coping with Crying and Colic, she suggests a recipe for fennel
 tea to be given directly to the infant.  Most authors (Thomas Hale, Ruth
 Lawrence, eg.) suggest much caution in using herbal products for infants.
 My patient who is using this-carefully- says it works wonders for her baby
 and she wants to tell everyone!  Is this something we can recommend safely?
  Any information would be appreciated. >>

My sister had her last baby in Amsterdam where fennel tea is recommended to
all postpartum mothers routinely.  However, the mother drinks it (3 to 4 cups
a day), and only in severe cases, does the mother give the baby a teaspoon or
so of the tea.  My sister swears by it; said she saw a real difference in
Rebecca when she did or did not drink it.  There have been cautions put out
about other herbals by other LCs (see the ILCA Globe; I think it was in one
of the earlier issues in 1993).  But I think the Dutch are all normal, and
they've mostly been breastfed and their moms, I presume, drank fennel tea.
 Rebecca is certainly a delightful child......

Jan B.