There are tons of parents who absolutely live by home remedies when it comes to their kids' minor illnesses. For many, these home remedies offer a way to for them to provide their children with relief without having to depend on over-the-counter drugs or make visits to the doctor's office. After testing out a lesser-known home remedy on her sick son, one mom claims to have found the perfect cure to the common cold.
Mom Debbie Vigan took to Facebook to share her find. "So [my son] had a little cold so I put potatoes in his socks last night around 8-9pm," she wrote. "He didn't cough through the night, nose isn't running, isn't as congested and he slept for 12 hours."
The mother also included a photo of the potatoes she had taken out of her son's socks in the morning. The used potato slices had oxidized completely, looking a sickly black color.
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According to her post, Debbie read about the home remedy in an article on the Internet. While there seems to be very little scientific evidence to support these claims, many people online credit the home remedy with curing the common cold and reducing fevers.
Some claim the potatoes work by drawing "toxins" out of the body, which reduces illness and helps absorb body temperature to reduce fevers. Again, there remains little to no scientific evidence that these claims are true. But pediatrician Jarret Patton tells CafeMom the practice of placing potatoes in kids' socks isn't necessarily harmful either. "Many home remedies are not harmful to your child. Putting potatoes into the socks at night falls into this category," says Patton.
Patton says if parents find this remedy works for them, that's great. And if it doesn't, he says they shouldn't be too discouraged, as there are plenty of other home remedies parents can use on little ones fighting off illnesses. "For children over the age of one year, honey is still a tried-and-true cough suppressant backed by science," he says.
As for the potatoes, there were a few parents who commented on Vigan's post claiming that the potato trick worked for them.
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Ultimately, Dr. Patton says that there is nothing wrong with trying out home remedies as long as they aren't risky. "For minor viral illnesses, trying a harmless home remedy is a great first step in the treatment of your child. Every cough and sniffle does not need to be evaluated by a physician unless the symptoms are prolonged."
