May I tempt you with a cup of chamomile?

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) is a well loved and well known herb. The saying “Familiarity breeds contempt” can apply here, and often if we are looking for herbal remedies we may look past this this sweet flower but it’s popular for a good reason. I’m going to cover treating children's stomach pain with a special mention if linked to anxiety, a condition known as abdominal migraines.

In Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit, Peter’s mother soothes his stomach with a spoonful of chamomile tea. Children’s stomach pain will often resolve by itself, and are well known and common.

The NHS states that most children with chronic abdominal pain never have a cause found, and in any case, chamomile can be a really useful and safe at home treatment for stomach pain.

Symptoms

Stomach pain around navel, occasionally accompanied by nausea, loss of appetite, pale skin, some children may have headache pain, and if abdominal migraine children who suffering are often symptom free between attacks. (Sanghavi, 2018).

Prognosis

Can be linked to IBS, but often changes to traditional migraine after age 10. (Sanghavi, 2018).

Cause

Not fully understood but linked to changes in serotonin, brain – gut connection, changes in neuroendocrine system. (Sanghavi, 2018).

Safety

Stomach pain can be a viral or bacterial infection, constipation, food poisoning, appendicitis, and immediate medical advice must be sought if a child becomes weak, vomits with blood, becomes drowsy or hard to wake, has severe pain or testicular pain in boys, and seek a GP appointment or call 111 if any of these symptoms occur https://www.alderhey.nhs.uk/conditions/symptoms-checker/abdominal-pain-tummy-ache//

 History

German chamomile, or Mayweed has a traditional history being used to soothe digestive systems for thousands of years, and Nicholas Culpeper back in the 17^th Century told us chamomile “taketh away all pain of the colic”.

 Fig 2. Author's own

How does this plant help?

 Digestive Relief:  The compounds sesquiterpenes (a-bisabolal, bisabol oxide) and sesquiterpene lactones are anti- inflammatory, antispasmodic, carminative, and so these compounds help ease gut inflammation, gas, bloating, and occasional indigestion. (Hoffman, 2003)

 Nervous system relief:  Flavonoid glycosides (apigenin, luteolin, quercetin) are compounds that bind to specific receptors in the brain to encourage relaxation, are mildly sedative, anti anxiolytic and calming to the nervous system. (Ganora, 2021)

Safety Asteraceae allergy

Sustainability No issues with sustainability or ethical issues, if foraging seek permission from the landowner, harvest sustainably, be mindful of the use of pesticides nearby or animal urine and wash well.

 Treatment

Just like Mrs Rabbit, offer a cup of cooled chamomile tea at the onset of symptoms and take as needed. 

Use dried flowers, steep the flowers for 15 minutes in boiling water and cool, or easily found in tea form in local shops.

The medicine is found in the volatile oils, if using tea bags, use two at a time and cover the mug to avoid the loss of these oils in the steam. Dr. Aviva Romm has some great advice for making herbal teas for children here:

 And don’t forget to smell the flowers – there has been studies to show that even the aroma of the oil released can lower stress and boost mood (Mills, Bone, 2000).

 Fig. 3 Chamomile flos. Author's own

References

Abdominal pain (tummy ache) - Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust. (2023, June 14). Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust. https://www.alderhey.nhs.uk/conditions/symptoms-checker/abdominal-pain-tummy-ache/

Author’s own (anon) 2026. Figure 1. A Child of Chamomile

Authors own (anon) 2026. Figure 2. Matricaria recutita (L). 2026

Authors own (anon) 2026. Figure 23. Matricaria recutita  (L). flos. 2026

Bone, K., & Mills, S. (2013). Principles and practice of phytotherapy: Modern herbal medicine (2nd ed.). Edinburgh Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier.

Ganora, L. (2021). Herbal constituents, 2nd edition foundations of Phytochemistry. HerbalChem Press.

Gupta, S. (2010). Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with a bright future. Molecular Medicine Reports, 3(6). https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2010.377

Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism : The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press.

Stobart, A., & Francia, S. (2014). Critical approaches to the history of western herbal medicine. A&C Black.

Sanghavi, D., Children’s Health^SM. (n.d.). Abdominal migraines in kids. Children’s Health. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/what-is-an-abdominal-migraine

 Social Media post with above images in a video reel

Ouch my tummy hurts! Did you know that anxiety or stress in children may present as tummy pain? Visit my blog discussing how German chamomile can soothe both a little one’s upset stomach and nervous system, and how the clever constituents in this well loved herb works.