The principal ingredient in most over-the-counter cough medicines, dextromethorphan, is no longer recommended for young children. Parents need not despair, however. Evidence is accumulating that an old-fashioned remedy, honey, works pretty well for quelling kids’ nighttime coughs.
Israeli researchers randomly assigned 300 children between the ages of one and five to a nighttime cough treatment. Parents rated cough symptoms on a 7 point scale before treatment. The study included three different types of honey and, as a control, date syrup, which is sweet but contains none of the honey antioxidants. Both children and parents slept better when the youngsters’ coughs were treated with honey. It may be the antioxidants that are helpful, although a thick sweet liquid may also provide some relief. Babies under a year old should not be given honey, but it is worth a try as a cough remedy for toddlers.
