When My Baby Had a Fever, I Turned to My Grandmother’s Remedies — And They Actually Helped

Last winter, my 7-month-old suddenly ran a fever. As any parent would, I freaked out. It wasn’t high enough to rush to the ER, but it was enough to send me into a mild panic spiral. I remembered what my grandmother used to say: “Garlic and mustard oil work better than panic.” So I gave it a try.

I gently warmed some mustard oil with crushed garlic, cooled it to a safe temperature, and massaged it into the soles of my baby’s feet. Within minutes, she seemed more relaxed. Maybe it was coincidence, or maybe it was one of those old Indian home remedies that actually holds up. Either way, it gave me something to do while waiting to speak to our pediatrician.

After that, I decided to do more research—and found a surprisingly detailed breakdown on what’s actually safe and recommended for babies 1 to 12 months old. You can check it out here: https://askdocdoc.com/articles/772-indian-home-remedies-for-fever-in--to--month-old-babies

I was amazed by how many parents were sharing the same experiences online. This tweet really caught my attention: https://twitter.com/AskDoctors24/status/1950549519411667191 — it talks about how common the garlic oil massage still is. Then I found this helpful visual on Instagram showing how it’s done: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMu9FSFNK-_/

Pinterest, surprisingly, had one of the most organized collections of baby fever remedies I’ve seen: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/928445279436606630 — complete with notes on what not to try.

On Threads, I read a post that hit close to home: https://www.threads.com/@askdocdoc/post/DMu9F55hgSQ — a parent used ajwain compresses during a mild fever episode with good results. And over on Facebook, I came across this discussion: https://www.facebook.com/122099392514743210/posts/122135212772743210 — lots of parents chiming in, and even a few health professionals weighing in on what works and what should be avoided.

One post that really made me think was this one on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/askdocdoc_many-indian-home-remedies-for-infant-fever-activity-7356315268324741123-TKLX? — a doctor explains how some of these remedies have real scientific logic behind them, especially when used carefully and alongside modern care.

I’m definitely not saying home remedies are a substitute for medical advice—but sometimes, especially at 2 a.m. with a mildly feverish baby, you want to do something that feels nurturing, safe, and rooted in care. And now I know I’m not alone.