This was a great little article found in one of my parenting magazines. Thought that I would share....enjoy.
If your child has a cough, try giving him honey before bed - it may cut down on nighttime hacking, according to a study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. This is good news since traditional cough meds are no longer advised for kids ages 6 and younger.
The thick syrup coats and soothes the back of the throat, while the sweet taste causes salivation, which reduces the urge to cough. Honey's antioxidants may even help the body fend off nasty cold bugs, thereby alleviating cold symptoms, says Ian Paul, M.D., lead study author.
For kids ages 1 to 5, start with 1/2 teaspoon (don't mix with tea -this could dilute its effect), and for those 6 and up, offer one teaspoon. Feel free to re-dose as often as needed, but remember; Never give honey to children under 1 because in rare cases it can cause infantile botulism.
-Rachel Rabkin Pechman
Parenting, April 2008
With all the hub-bub about children's cough medicine I thought this would be great to share.
2 comments:
Ummm... I'm not too sure about that. Contact your pediatrician before giving honey. If I'm not mistaken, I think it could cause some sort of allergic reaction if given before a certain age. I could be wrong, but something tells me that I'm not.
The theory behind it is decent though. But just to be sure... call the doc.
This also works for big kids too! I get horrible coughing jags and take a spoonful of honey with a squeeze of fresh lemon and lay down. IT feels awesome on the back of my throat.
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