Teaspoon of Honey for Childrens Coughts
According to a study published in the December issue of Archives of
Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, a teaspoonful of honey taken just
before bedtime calms children’s coughs and improves their sleep. The
parents of 105 children were given a paper bag with a dosing device
inside. In some bags, there was a honey-flavored cough syrup containing
dextromethorphan; in others, the bag contained honey; and still
others had a bag with no medication inside. Parents who got the cough
syrup and those that got honey gave their child a dose daily at bedtime.
Parents in all three groups rated the child’s symptoms before the treatment
period and following.
Children who got honey consistently scored best of all the groups,
based on the parent’s documentation. One researcher indicated that honey
was clearly better in controlling cough than the standard cough syrup. It
is thought to work better due to its sweet, syrupy, soothing quality in an
irritated throat. Generally, honey is not recommended for infants younger
than 12 months due to the possibility of a rare type of food poisoning,
known as botulism.