This section contains information concerning Pediatric Respiratory Care
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Honey better at soothing a child's cough
A study by the Penn State College of Medicine has found that a small dose of buckwheat honey given before bedtime provided better relief of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children than no treatment or dextromethorphan (DM). Honey did a better job reducing the severity, frequency and bothersome nature of nighttime cough from upper respiratory infection than DM or no treatment. Honey also showed a positive effect on the sleep quality of both the coughing child and the child’s parents. DM was not significantly better at alleviating symptoms than no treatment.
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The above study was funded by an unrestricted grant from the National Honey Board, an industry-funded agency of the United States Department of Agriculture.
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Update:
The CDC does advise that honey not be given to children under 12 months of age. There is a risk of infant botulism when feeding an infant any raw agricultural product.
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A good Medscape article concludes that "Clinicians should not recommend honey-containing supplements or the use of honey as a flavoring agent for infants in this age group."
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