A mild, minty tea from the catnip herb, long the go-to Southern remedy for a colicky, gassy, or fretful baby and for breaking a low fever through gentle sweating. The grandmother's first reach when a child can't settle.
Catnip tea is one of the most universal pieces of Southern grandmother medicine — nearly every Black family with Carolinas or Deep South roots has the memory of catnip tea given to a crying baby. It is intimate, domestic knowledge held by women across generations.
In humans (unlike in cats) catnip is a mild sedative and carminative. Its nepetalactone and related terpenes have gentle antispasmodic and calming effects on the nervous system and the gut, which is exactly why it has soothed colicky infants and anxious children for generations — it eases intestinal cramping and gas while quieting restlessness. As a mild diaphoretic, a warm cup promotes sweating to help break a low-grade fever. Rosmarinic acid and flavonoids add anti-inflammatory and antioxidant support. It remains one of the gentlest herbs in the folk pharmacy.
Steep 1 teaspoon dried catnip (less for children) in a cup of hot — not boiling — water, covered, for 5-10 minutes; strain. For infant colic it was traditionally given in tiny, well-diluted, cooled spoonfuls. Covering the cup preserves the volatile oils that do the calming work.
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