In recent years, CBD has jumped to the front of the line for all kinds of promising new research in clinical trials, including those in pediatrics. We can also see over the past few years, parents of children with serious intractable conditions, have been increasingly turning to the healing properties of cannabidiol (CBD).
CBD has coined its fame thanks to its anticonvulsant properties in children with rare forms of epilepsy. Still, this cannabinoid can also alleviate less severe conditions, being a great supplement to keep children in good health in a natural way.
Below are the most common uses of CBD oil in children and how it may improve selected health problems.
Keep in mind that just as in adults, so in children, both the amount of CBD intake and the time of the day can affect how you or your child responds to CBD oil. Morning intake, using lower doses, improves focus and calms the nervous system. Evening intake of CBD oil eases breathing and calms down before going to bed. Adults as well as children, can take CBD as a daily supplement to maintain higher concentrations of endocannabinoids in their circulatory system.
CBD oil for Children with ADHD.
CBD can help with symptom management if your child has an attention disorder — quickly getting overstimulated and having problems maintaining focus. Research on CBD as a potential treatment for ADHD is limited, due to the knowledge about the link between CBD on ADHD, stems from studies on cannabis as a whole and not the specific CBD compound.
Nevertheless, there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence from parents giving CBD to their kids that CBD oil helps manage their hyperactivity symptoms.
Furthermore, a 2014 study published in Current Neuropharmacology suggests that CBD can be a wake-promoting agent at low doses, making users more alert throughout the day.
Interestingly, our sleep-wake cycle largely depends on our level of alertness during the day, so CBD oil may also help when your child has problems falling asleep at night.
CBD oil for Children with Anxiety
CBD utilises several actions in the brain, which regulate our brain’s response to feelings of fear and anxiety. The research in this subject being mostly preclinical or based on animal studies, yet there are thousands of testimonies from parents whose children find relief from anxiety in CBD oil.
CBD’s effects on Anxiety Disorders
Research suggests that cannabidiol inhibits serotonin reuptake in the brain. In other words, it makes serotonin more available for the body. With better control of your serotonin resources, CBD could help stabilize mood and reduce anxiety.
The second benefit is associated with CBD’s ability to prompt the endocannabinoid system to produce more natural cannabinoids. This includes anandamide — the endocannabinoid regulating emotions such as fear, bliss, and euphoria.
Insufficient anandamide production has been linked to low mood or overreaction to anxiety triggers.
As with serotonin, CBD stimulates the release of anandamide and helps it stay in the body for a longer duration — assisting the user in maintaining sanity.
Last but not least, CBD may stimulate the hippocampus (a critical brain area playing a vital role in an array of brain functions) to regenerate neurons. These findings are particularly interesting because brain scans of patients suffering from anxiety and depression often show a smaller hippocampus.
CBD oil for Children with Autism
A study led by the director of pediatric neurology at Jerusalem’s Shareek Zedek Hospital, Dr. Adi Aran, treated 60 autistic children with CBD oil for at least seven months.
After the treatment period, parents were asked to fill out assessment questionnaires about changes in their child’s condition. The researchers asked questions about behavioral changes, anxiety levels, and communication skills.
According to the collected data, 80% of parents noted a decline in problematic behaviors, with 62% reporting great improvements. Half of the examined children showed improved communication, and 40% of parents reported significant decreases in their children’s anxiety.
While these are some really promising results, we need more longitudinal studies on larger groups of patients for the research to be conclusive.
Benefits of CBD oil for Children
CBD is a highly versatile supplement that has a special relationship with our endocannabinoid system. If you intend to give CBD oil to your child for general supplementation purposes, you can expect the following benefits:
- Improved focus
- Better memory
- Higher alertness throughout the day
- Better quality of sleep
- Boosted immune function
On a practical note, CBD is easy to use, has a long shelf-life, and you can administer it to your child in many different ways.
How to use CBD oil for Children
The best way to give CBD to your child is through the sublingual method, which involves placing a few CBD oil drops beneath the child’s tongue. Once there, they need to hold it for about 30–60 seconds until the oil gets absorbed into the bloodstream and then swallow.
It can occur that your child has a dislike of the distinct taste of the CBD oil. In this case, the recommended administration method is through CBD gummies. Delicious CBD Vegan Gummies come with all the cannibinoidal goodness you expect from Klostiki in a plant-based recipe, containing natural fruit concentrates. Each gummy comes with a fixed dose of CBD, making it a great way to receive the best of both worlds.
CBD oil dosage guidelines for Children
The optimal dosage for any given CBD user — including children — depends on their weight, metabolism, unique body chemistry, and desired effects.
For the pediatric population of CBD users, experts suggest starting at a low dosage, slowly increasing and adjusting the dosage to how your child reacts to CBD without causing any side effects (e.g., dry mouth or lightheadedness).
Quick Reference Chart for Children’s Dosages
| Weight (kg) | Low Strength | Medium Strength |
| 13 kg | 2.6 mg | 7.8 mg |
| 18 kg | 3.6 mg | 10.8 mg |
| 23 kg | 4.6 mg | 13.8 mg |
| 34 kg | 6.4 mg | 19.0 mg |
| 45 kg | 7.5 mg | 22.5 mg |
CBD oil is an excellent tool for enhancing the quality of one’s life, not only for adults but also for children. Because of the non-psychoactive nature of CBD, this compound doesn’t impact their mental development and comes with only a few mild side effects, such as dry mouth or dizziness when consumed in larger amounts.