I was having dinner at one of the restaurants along riverside while i was enjoying my foods, there was big group of Cambodians mom and foreigner dads. If I remembered right there was like three couples sitting together each couple has their own young baby. At one point, a Cambodian mom took her tiger balm out and was trying to apply it on her young baby stomach.

She didn't manage to put in on the baby's stomach because the dad stopped from doing it that where the discussion that I overheard began. The father was like what is the point to apply that tiger balm on the baby's stomach. I couldn't really hear what the mom said while trying to explain her husband. The discussion/argument didn't go far as the mom gave up which I believed she tried not to confront with her husband.

Guess what, then another Cambodian woman mom who was sitting next to the mother in question told that, "Just do it, he is a barang and he doesn't know anything about this".

Just a head up, most Cambodians believe that applying tiger balm on baby's stomach will make the stomach stronger as the baby grows up and it somehow can prevent him or her from having stomachache.

Right infant would be a more specific word. It is really comment for Cambodian moms to apply tiger balm and ointment on the infant and baby's stomach.

some tiger balm have eucalyptus or peppermint in it, it accelerate blood flows and draws blood to the area applied, so if stomachache it draws blood to the stomach area, warms up the stomach, accelerate digestion, healing etc

Maybe I am wrong, but i hope i am not. Chinese also really obsesses with tiger balm and ointment. I know you are Singaporean, but maybe you know Chinese better. Any explanations about that?

yes tiger balm n ointment r widely used in asian cultures, i think due to influences from china, ointment in general just create warmth and increase blood flow, which will in turn help to increase the functions of the area applied, personally i think ointment works best for muscle aches, the increase blood flow helps in muscle recovery. as for why they rub it all over babies is that they think babies hv low immunity, making the baby's body warm helps to keep cold away

juz google eucalyptus or peppermint health benefits

Vicks vapour rub is commonly used for kids with cold/flu in Australia. Full of eucalyptus

Tiger balm is not recommended for children under 2 years due to potential toxicity through over-absorption by vulnerable skin:
https://cambodiaexpatsonline.com/topic9651.html

This does not prevent it from being used as a cure-all for all ages in Cambodia:

The report found mothers used balms for health reasons – to mature or firm up the skin on the head or stomach, or to prevent diarrhea.

Mother Leang Eng, 29, yesterday said she used balms on her 1-year-old and had never been informed the products might be dangerous. “I put the balm on the belly to make it not bloat, and on the head to make it stronger,” she said.

Nov Vanna, who operates Pharmacy Dararaksmey in Phnom Penh, said she did not know if customers used the products on their infants, although some queried which were suitable for infants. “I don’t know which types are safe for children. I just sell it,” she said...

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/p ... ies-report

I wouldn't dream of questioning Cambodian child-care norms, but did you ever stick your finger in your eye or up your nose after using tiger balm ? Potent stuff.

“It rarely causes any fatalities but there are long-term effects – a kind of desensitisation to strong medications,[Cambodian-American doctor Mengly Quach said]