# Honey Calms childrens coughs, a study

Category: Health and Wellness

## Post 1 by medical queen (This site is so "educational") on Tuesday, 04-Dec-2007 9:21:58

The Associated Press
A teaspoon of honey before bed seems to calm children's coughs and help them sleep better, according to a new study that relied on parents' reports of
their
children's symptoms.
The folk remedy did better than cough medicine or no treatment in a three-way comparison. Honey may work by coating and soothing an irritated throat, the
study authors said.
"Many families are going to relate to these findings and say that grandma was right," said lead author Dr. Ian Paul of Pennsylvania State University's College
of Medicine.
The research appears in December's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Federal health advisers have recently warned that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines shouldn't be used in children younger than 6, and manufacturers
are taking some products for babies off the market.
Three pediatricians who read the study said they would tell parents seeking alternative remedies to try honey. They noted that honey should not be given
to children under age 1 because of a rare but serious risk of botulism.
For the study, researchers recruited 105 children with upper respiratory infections from a clinic in Pennsylvania. Parents were given a paper bag with a
dosing device inside. Some were empty. Some contained an age-appropriate dose of honey-flavored cough medicine containing dextromethorphan. And some contained
a similar dose of honey.
The parents were asked about their children's sleep and cough symptoms, once before the bedtime treatment and once after. They rated the symptoms on a seven-point
scale.
All of the children got better, but honey consistently scored best in parents' rating of their children's cough symptoms.
"Give them a little time and they'll get better," said Pat Jackson Allen, a professor at Yale University School of Nursing.
The study was funded by a grant from the National Honey Board, an industry-funded agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency had no influence
over the study design, data or results, Paul said.

## Post 2 by SingerOfSongs (Heresy and apostasy is how progress is made.) on Tuesday, 04-Dec-2007 14:10:09

Whenever we had coughs and colds, mom always had this stuff she'd make called honey lemmon, which was basically what it was, a hot drink, with honey and lemon juice, and water. Wasn't my favorite thing to drink but it did help. Actually I should find out what the measurements are of all of the ingredients so I can make it if I need.