Honey is not safe for children under the age of 1 because of the risk of infant botulism, but it may help soothe an older child's throat and cough.
In a 2007 study, giving half a teaspoon of honey to children ages 2 to 5 at bedtime seemed to suppress coughing, although more research is needed. (In the study, children ages 6 to 11 and 12 to 18 also benefited from 1 and 2 teaspoons of honey, respectively.)
"In my experience, while there isn't a lot of medicinal evidence that honey works to stop a cough, it may help the child feel a little better," says Dr. Cardiello.
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