Nocturnal cough in children relieved by honey
Cough in children is particularly disturbing when it disturbs sleep. Considering the drawbacks of many OTC and prescription cough medicines, a study just published in the journal Pediatrics offers welcome evidence that honey effectively relieves cough in children—particularly the nagging cough that can disturb sleep and keep them up at night. The authors set out to...
"...compare the effects of a single nocturnal dose of 3 honey products (eucalyptus honey, citrus honey, or labiatae honey) to placebo (silan date extract) on nocturnal cough and difficulty sleeping associated with childhood upper respiratory tract infections (URIs)."
300 children aged 1 to 5 years with upper respiratory infections, nocturnal cough, and illness of up to 7 days were given a single dose of 10 grams of eucalyptus honey, citrus honey, labiatae honey, or placebo 30 minutes before bedtime. According to a double-blind randomization plan they administered a survey on the first day of presentation when no medication had been given the previous evening, and the following day after the study preparation had been given before bedtime. They were looking for effects on cough frequency, severity, how bothersome the cough was, and the sleep quality of both child and parent. The honey performed well for nocturnal cough in children:
"In all 3 honey products and the placebo group, there was a significant improvement from the night before treatment to the night of treatment. However, the improvement was greater in the honey groups for all the main outcome measures."
Cough in children (except for infants who are more susceptible to infantile botulism) possibly benefits from honey's soothing effects on respiratory sensory nerves. It also has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. It wasn't the sweetness because silan date extract is also sweet. The authors conclude:
"Parents rated the honey products higher than the silan date extract for symptomatic relief of their children’s nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty due to URI. Honey may be a preferable treatment for cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood URI."