Skip to content

Coming soon. The store is not open yet.

Menu
Full Measure

Safety

Is lemon balm safe for kids?

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

NIH's lactation database says no data exist on lemon balm alone in infants. Studies in children used mixtures: a trial in 93 infants with colic, and open studies of valerian with lemon balm in 918 and 169 children. A 2023 review found mainly inconclusive evidence. Ask a doctor before giving it to a child or teen.1,2,3,4,5

Key facts

  • NIH's lactation database says no data exist on the safety of lemon balm alone in infants; infants have been given it only with other herbs.1
  • In a randomized trial, 93 breastfed infants with colic took a chamomile, fennel and lemon balm extract or placebo for one week, and no side effects were reported.2
  • An open study of 918 children under 12 who took a valerian and lemon balm product reported no adverse events related to the study medicine, and a study of 169 school children reported mild reactions in two.3,4
  • A 2023 systematic review of herbal medicines in children and adolescents found mainly inconclusive evidence for lemon balm.5
  • NIH's complementary health center has no lemon balm fact sheet, and the review describes no study of lemon balm alone at any age from infancy to the teens.5,6

What the NIH sources say about children

NIH's lactation database is the only NIH source we found that mentions lemon balm and infants. It says no data exist on the safety and efficacy of lemon balm alone in nursing mothers or infants, and notes that infants have been given it with other herbs for colic and other conditions.1

NIH's complementary health center lists fact sheets for other herbs but has none for lemon balm. NIH's liver injury database describes lemon balm extract as generally well tolerated, but it has nothing specific on children.6,7

The infant trial of a three-herb extract

A randomized trial in babies tested a standardized extract of chamomile, fennel and lemon balm against placebo. It enrolled 93 breastfed infants with colic, 88 finished, and the extract or placebo was given twice a day for one week. The report states that no side effects were seen.2

The product had three herbs, so it cannot show what lemon balm alone does, and a week is short. The trial also gives no dose for lemon balm itself.2

Studies in school-age children

Two further studies gave children a fixed product of valerian root and lemon balm extracts. In an open study with no comparison group, 918 children under 12 took the product at doses set by their doctors, and the report states that no adverse events related to the study medicine occurred.3

In an observational study with no comparison group, 169 primary school children took a recommended 640 mg of valerian root extract and 320 mg of lemon balm extract a day for 7 weeks. Mild, short-lived adverse drug reactions occurred in two children.4

Neither study had a placebo group, both used a combination, and both were open to the expectations of parents and doctors. They report how the product was tolerated, not what lemon balm does on its own.3,4

What a 2023 systematic review found

A systematic review of 15 studies of herbal medicines in children and adolescents found mainly inconclusive evidence for lemon balm, valerian and ginseng. For lemon balm it describes one trial of an herbal mixture whose main ingredient was lemon balm, in 120 participants, with no serious adverse events and minor side effects in both the treated and the placebo groups.5

The review describes no study of lemon balm alone, at any age from infancy through the teens, so a parent has no study of the herb on its own to read.5

What is not known

  • A dose of lemon balm alone for any age. The studies used mixtures with doses set by the product.2,4
  • Whether tea behaves like the extracts studied. No study we found tested tea in children.
  • Long-term use in children. The longest study ran 7 weeks.4
  • Whether a product matches its label. LactMed notes that labeled and actual ingredients and amounts often differ in supplements.1

Who should ask first

A parent or guardian can ask a pediatrician or pharmacist before giving a child any lemon balm product, including tea. A teen who takes other medicines, sedatives or thyroid medicine can ask a pharmacist, because one study found the highest dose of an extract lowered alertness for several hours and old laboratory work raised a thyroid question in adults.8,9

Questions people ask

Is lemon balm tea safe for kids?

No study we found tested lemon balm tea in children. The infant and child studies used measured extracts or mixtures, so ask a pediatrician about tea.2,3

Is lemon balm safe for teens?

No source we read reports on lemon balm alone in teenagers, and NIH has no lemon balm fact sheet. A teen who takes other medicines or supplements can ask a pharmacist.5,6

Is lemon balm good for kids?

The 2023 systematic review found mainly inconclusive evidence for lemon balm in children and adolescents, so this site makes no claim about benefit. The question here is what is known about safety, and that is limited to mixtures.5

Is lemon balm extract safe for kids?

Extracts were studied in children only inside mixtures, such as valerian with lemon balm at doses set by the product. Whether an extract on its own suits a child is a question for a pediatrician.3,4

See what we make

Every product shows its whole label and what its lab report covers. The store opens soon.

See the Full Measure line

Sources

  1. Lemon Balm. In: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 2006 onward. Updated March 15, 2026. Read through its PubMed record (PMID 30000901). Opened 2026-10-11.
  2. Savino F, Cresi F, Castagno E, Silvestro L, Oggero R. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of a standardized extract of Matricariae recutita, Foeniculum vulgare and Melissa officinalis (ColiMil) in the treatment of breastfed colicky infants. Phytother Res. 2005;19(4):335-340. Opened 2026-10-11.
  3. Müller SF, Klement S. A combination of valerian and lemon balm is effective in the treatment of restlessness and dyssomnia in children. Phytomedicine. 2006;13(6):383-387. Opened 2026-10-11.
  4. Gromball J, Beschorner F, Wantzen C, Paulsen U, Burkart M. Hyperactivity, concentration difficulties and impulsiveness improve during seven weeks' treatment with valerian root and lemon balm extracts in primary school children. Phytomedicine. 2014;21(8-9):1098-1103. Opened 2026-10-11.
  5. Golsorkhi H, Qorbani M, Sabbaghzadegan S, Dadmehr M. Herbal medicines in the treatment of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): An updated systematic review of clinical trials. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2023;13(4):338-353. Opened 2026-10-11.
  6. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Herbs at a Glance. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health. Opened 2026-10-07.
  7. Lemon Balm. In: LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2012 onward. Updated February 10, 2024. Read from the chapter text in NIH's LiverTox open-access archive. Opened 2026-10-11.
  8. Kennedy DO, Scholey AB, Tildesley NT, Perry EK, Wesnes KA. Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm). Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002;72(4):953-964. Opened 2026-10-07.
  9. Auf'mkolk M, Ingbar JC, Amir SM, et al. Inhibition by certain plant extracts of the binding and adenylate cyclase stimulatory effect of bovine thyrotropin in human thyroid membranes. Endocrinology. 1984;115(2):527-534. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.