The expanded GAPS ear-infection chapter names five plain herbal teas as alternatives to hot water with lemon and honey: chamomile, calendula, marjoram, eucalyptus and thyme. It gives a covered steep followed by straining, then places probiotic powder after the finished drink.[1]
These details belong to the chapter’s immediate care during an active childhood ear infection. The longer-term kefir and bedtime probiotic routine appears separately in the newer book.[2]
The Five Herbs Named in the Chapter
Campbell-McBride describes these herbs as having anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. She requires plain herbs without added ingredients. Her list gives alternatives; it is not an instruction to combine all five into a stronger blend.[1]
| Named Herb | How It Appears in This Passage |
|---|---|
| Chamomile | One of the plain-herb tea options. |
| Calendula | An alternative named in the same list. |
| Marjoram | A named herb, not a flavored mixed product. |
| Eucalyptus | The herb appears in the tea list; the passage does not specify an essential-oil preparation. |
| Thyme | Another alternative in the same covered-steep method.[1] |
A leaf or flower infusion and a bottle of essential oil are different products. The chapter supplies no essential-oil conversion for this drink. That distinction matters when you read a product label or compare something in your cupboard with the book.
The Covered Steep
The book’s brewing description uses one teaspoon of the chosen herb in a teapot. Boiling water is poured over it, the pot is covered for five minutes, and the tea is strained into a cup. A little honey is then added.[1]
Do not give honey to babies younger than 12 months because of the risk of infant botulism.[3]
The passage leaves the teapot’s water volume unspecified, so it does not define a strength per cup. That detail matters when you compare it with a packaged tea or another recipe. Keep the herb, product and actual preparation together when discussing what is appropriate for the child.
Warm Drinks and the Probiotic Step
The broader drink passage describes small sips offered by teaspoon, with care that the drink does not burn. It then places probiotic powder on the tongue after the drink. If the powder is refused, that acute passage allows it to be mixed with one teaspoon of warm water and offered afterward.[1]
The book is clear about keeping the probiotic out of hot water. Its explanation is that the live bacteria would be killed. The tea and the probiotic are two steps in this passage, rather than a single hot probiotic drink.[1]
That after-drink alternative is different from the older bedtime sequence, which follows toothbrushing and the end of food and drink for the night. The current book also names homemade kefir after meals and at bedtime. The oral-probiotic guide follows those timings.[1][2]
Where the Tea Fits in the Ear Routine
The tea appears beside warmth, garlic oil, an onion wrap and the chapter’s discussion of fever. It is not an ingredient to add to the oil or wrap. The ear-remedies guide keeps the preparations and their locations separate.
The older chapter says antibiotics may be needed if pain and fever have not subsided after two to three days. Its drink passage belongs within that larger acute-care discussion, not a promise that a particular tea will resolve an infection on a clock.[1]
For the ongoing food plan and the current care limits, use the main ear-infection guide and the food and dairy guide. Baby GAPS has its own first-food and weaning sequence for readers looking for infant-feeding guidance.
Make the Details Easy to Find Again
Keep the herb’s full name and the product label with your notes. Write down how it was prepared and what the child actually drank. A note such as “plain chamomile, covered five-minute steep” is more useful later than simply writing “herbal tea.”
My Care Team Log in the WFLI Shop has a place for those details and questions. You can use an ordinary dated page now, alongside the ear symptom checklist.
References
- Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Psychology Syndrome, expanded second German edition (2015), Part 3, Chapter 1, “Ohrinfektionen und Paukenerguss” (“Ear Infections and Glue Ear”). English explanations translated from the supplied German text.
- Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), A–Z, “Ear infections.”
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit. Updated April 14, 2026; “Honey before 12 months.”
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