Try Honey For Kids' Coughs, Study Says

(WebMD)  A little bit of honey, taken before bedtime, may ease coughing in children.

Pennsylvania State University researchers reported that news based on 130 children with coughs.

On average, the kids were 5 years old (age range: 2 to 18) and had had a cough from colds for about four days.

When the kids saw a doctor about their cough, the parents rated the severity of the kids' cough symptoms, including frequency of coughing and effects on sleep.

Ian Paul, MD, and colleagues sent the parents home with one of three treatments:

A dose of dextromethorphan, a drug used in many over-the-counter cough suppressants

A dose of buckwheat honey

No treatment

The parents gave the children their assigned treatment half an hour before bedtime. The next morning, the parents again rated their children's symptoms.

Honey ranked highest, followed by dextromethorphan, and the placebo was in last place in terms of cough relief.

A closer look at the data shows that honey trumped no treatment. But honey's slim lead over dextromethorphan may have been due to chance.

Honey's benefits may be due to its antioxidants and microbe-fighting effects, Paul's team notes. They add that dark honeys, such as buckwheat honey, tend to be rich in antioixdants and that further studies are needed to check their findings.

Few kids had side effects from the treatments, though mild hyperactivity, nervousness, and insomnia were reported in five kids in the honey group, two children in the over-the-counter medicine group, and none in the placebo group.

Children less than 12 months old should not be fed honey since it can cause botulism in infants.

The study, funded by the National Honey Board, appears in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang
©2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved

[cactusrosew3]

Didn''t i read somewhere NOT to give your child honey, under the age of two....... i think you should put a special notice in here.
Isn''t honey associated with Sudden Infant Death.......
You Need to let people know this if it is true.
thank you...........dee

[denn034]

This confirms my insistence that the common cold hasn''t been cured in other postings on other stories. In any event, honey would coat the throat and suppress coughs that''s for sure, there''s a difference between suppressing and curing though.

[prairiefox1]

HAVE A BIG SPOONFUL OF "BUG SPIT"!

[prairiefox1]

MORE INSANE ADVICE FROM THE WEB MD! WHY DO THEY PUBLISH THIS MISINFORMATION?
HONEY HAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF BOTULISM IN IT! THE NORMAL IMMUNE SYSTEM CAN HANDLE IT WITH NO TROUBLE!
BUT IN A YOUNG CHILD THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IS NOT FULLY DEVELOPED AND CAN KILL THE CHILD!

[rf35]

Finally, I understand the reason for Colony Collapse Disorder...the pharma companies are trying to get rid of the bees for damaging their profits!

[momandfamily]

Our first pediatrician, an older country doc, always prescribed this before any over-the-counter meds for the baby:
A cup of week tea with 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1 scant tablespoon of lemon juice. Worked great and we still use it (even for we adults).

[hypnotoad72]

CBS should be sued by all the drug companies for pre-emptively depriving them of profits, as they offshore their manufacturing plants to "somewhere in Asia".

Sarcasm, yes, but if the concept becomes a reality within 10 years, don''t sue me... :)

[nopharmacy]

Here''s a "cocktail" given to me by an old school doctor many years ago:

8 oz of the very hot half-n-half (better if organic, without hormones and antibiotics.)

1 teaspoon of the pure cocoa butter (OK, this''s the only ingredient you can get from a pharmacy (;''-))

1 tablespoon of honey (better if raw buckwheat)

1 raw egg yolk (better if organic, no hormones and antibiotics)

and finally the last ingredient - FOR GROWN-UPS ONLY -

1 tablespoon of cognac/brandy.

Boil half-n-half. Add ingredients in the order they are listed above to dilute cocoa butter, to not overheat honey, and to prevent the yolk from curdling.

Adding cognac/brandy at the very end prevents the evaporation of alcohol, which is well known as a disinfectant.

It''s tasty - even without the last ingredient (;''-)) - and natural.

BTW, this recipe I got in the country, which is not connected to the National Honey Board.

Enjoy!

[nopharmacy]

Here''s a "cocktail" given to me by an old school doctor many years ago:

8 oz of the very hot half-n-half (better if organic, without hormones and antibiotics.)

1 teaspoon of the pure cocoa butter (OK, this''s the only ingredient you can get from a pharmacy (;''-))

1 tablespoon of honey (better if raw buckwheat)

1 raw egg yolk (better if organic, no hormones and antibiotics)

and finally the last ingredient - FOR GROWN-UPS ONLY -

1 tablespoon of cognac/brandy.

Boil half-n-half. Add ingredients in the order they are listed above to dilute cocoa butter, to not overheat honey, and to prevent the yolk from curdling.

Adding cognac/brandy at the very end prevents the evaporation of alcohol, which is well known as a disinfectant.

It''s tasty - even without the last ingredient (;''-)) - and natural.

BTW, this recipe I got in the country, which is not connected to the National Honey Board.

Enjoy!

[nopharmacy]

Here''s a "cocktail" given to me by an old school doctor many years ago:

8 oz of the very hot half-n-half (better if organic, without hormones and antibiotics.)

1 teaspoon of the pure cocoa butter (OK, this''s the only ingredient you can get from a pharmacy (;''-))

1 tablespoon of honey (better if raw buckwheat)

1 raw egg yolk (better if organic, no hormones and antibiotics)

and finally the last ingredient - FOR GROWN-UPS ONLY -

1 tablespoon of cognac/brandy.

Boil half-n-half. Add ingredients in the order they are listed above to dilute cocoa butter, to not overheat honey, and to prevent the yolk from curdling.

Adding cognac/brandy at the very end prevents the evaporation of alcohol, which is well known as a disinfectant.

It''s tasty - even without the last ingredient (;''-)) - and natural.

BTW, this recipe I got in the country, which is not connected to the National Honey Board.

Enjoy!