Honey relieves night-time cough

Children are more susceptible than adults to upper respiratory infections, and the average child may experience a few each year. Nagging symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, and cough often accompany such infections, but experts point out that most over-the-counter cough medications have not been proven to be particularly effective for child's cough, which, paired with questions that have been raised in recent years about whether they are safe for small children, make alternatives welcome news.

In this study, 139 children ages 24 months to 60 months with an upper respiratory infection were randomly assigned to one of four treatments before bed: honey, dextromethorphan (a common cough suppressant), diphenhydramine (an antihistamine), or normal parental care only. Before the intervention and 24 hours after, mothers of the children filled out a questionnaire with questions about the child's cough frequency and severity, and the sleep quality of both children and parents. Results showed:

• Half a teaspoon (2.5 ml) of honey before bedtime was superior in relieving children's night-time cough symptoms and improving sleep quality for both children and parents compared with either of the two medication groups or supportive-care-only group.
• Dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine were also found to have relieving effects on cough and sleep and were more effective than the control group.

The study authors comment that their study confirms prior findings that have shown the beneficial effects of honey on night-time cough. Chief Science Editor Alan Gaby, MD, of Aisle7 comments, "Parents should remember that when a child has an upper respiratory infection, coughing is a normal and needed mechanism for clearing infection from the body.  For those times when children need relief from coughing honey may be a less expensive and safer option for children compared to some over-the-counter medications."

Tips about honey and child's cough

• Honey should not be used in babies under one year of age but can be a useful remedy for children after age one.
• Honey may help thin secretions and loosen a cough.
• Over-the-counter cough medications are not generally recommended by the American Academy of Paediatrics because of the lack of proven benefit in children and because the FDA has not approved these medications for children under 4 years old.

Any child who experiences a persistent cough should be seen by a physician who can advise parents about the appropriate treatment options.

(J Alt Comp Med 2010;16:787-93)