Although the calendar reads spring, winter still seems to have a stronghold on the mercury, effectively jumbling cold and flu season with the onset of allergy season. Adults have an array of remedies at their disposal, but for children it’s another matter. Some parents are reluctant to go the pharmaceutical route, opting instead for a more natural approach to relieving their children’s sore throats and boost their immunity. 

It was that type of thinking that inspired “mompreneur” Marietta Harrison to create Soothie Suckers, a line of frozen herbal treats for children. About 15 years ago, before most pediatricians stopped prescribing antibiotics for many common ailments, Ms. Harrison said she lost faith in the medical community. Relying on her own research and input from friends and fellow parents familiar with natural medicine, she began creating her own herbal remedies and mixing them with fruit juices to help treat her own children.
 
Years later, while brainstorming with her husband, musician Michael Allen Harrison, and his sister, they came up with the idea to create ice pops formulated with natural medicines. As they began to move forward with the idea, they were amazed at the lack of products available to aid children with colds and other illnesses. Marietta’s experience with adding herbal medicines to her children’s fruit juice helped them develop a great tasting and effective product; giving rise to the product line she called Soothie Suckers.
 
“There’s been a real need for alternative products that soothe and aid children’s winter immune needs in a safe and effective manner for kids,” said Ms. Harrison. “As a mom, I wanted a product that was easy to use, without the bitter taste of many herbal medicines. That’s why I created Soothie Suckers as pre-portioned, all-natural fruit flavored frozen treats. You just grab one out of the freezer and it’s ready to go without any measuring or mess.”
 
Available in three flavor formulas, Soothie Suckers are said to provide the same health benefits and immune-enhancing effects as traditional herbal products in a pre-portioned format that’s easy to use and appealing to children.
 
Orange flavored Immune Booster is infused with herbs supportive to the immune system, including echinacea, goldenseal, pau d’Arco and licorice root. Cherry flavored Sore Throat Relief contains the same immunity-boosting ingredients as the Immune Booster, but includes additional wild cherry bark, a “relaxing expectorant” that is thought to thin mucus secretions and coat irritated respiratory tissue.
 
Grape Respiratory Aid contains mullein leaves, saw palmetto, eyebright, horehound and cayenne fruit—herbs traditionally used to supportive upper respiratory health. “Anti-inflammatory agents reduce swelling and pain, while other herbs have been shown to help expel and reduce mucus and support the body’s immune system,” the company says.
 
According to the company, each of the formulas was created by a formulary clinical herbalist with more than 40 years of experience. The herbs used in the formulas are rendered using a patent-pending, alcohol-free extraction process that utilizes glycerol rather than alcohol to extract medicinal properties from herbs. 
 
The products contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. And rather than using sugar to sweeten the formulations, the company used luo han guo, a fruit used for centuries in Asia to soothe irritated throats. All of the products are produced in a facility that is FDA Registered, FDA cGMP inspected/passed, HACCP Compliant, Kosher (Kashrus) Certified, Halal  and Vegan Compliant.
 
The company said Soothie Suckers are safe for children over the age of one. For children aged two to six, dosage is one-half an ice pop every four to six hours. For kids aged seven to 12, one ice pop every four to six hours. For kids 12 and older, the dosage recommendation is one ice pop every two to four hours.