Weird and wonderful health cures for kids

TWO in five mums use old wives’ treatments to treat their kids’ ailments, research shows – such as putting raw meat on a wart or verruca, rubbing a wedding ring on a stye, or using breast milk to clear up conjunctivitis.

But not all tricks are urban myths – and here are 13 with a solid track record for effectiveness... pepper, called piperine, has strong antibacterial properties, which would suggest it is helpful for healing. It also forms a crust over a cut to keep it clean.

“Adding ground pepper to small cuts helps blood coagulate for faster healing, while simultaneously killing lingering bacteria and reducing scarring,” says Cathy Wong, author of The Insideout Diet. When a wasp stings, no doubt your child will let you know. Rubbing a slice of onion on it will reduce the swelling and speed up the recovery time. There are enzymes in fresh-cut onion that help break down the compounds in a sting that cause inflammation.