The Study
Honey for acute cough in children.
This study is like a big summary of many smaller tests where kids with coughs were given honey or other treatments. It shows that honey probably helps reduce coughs better than doing nothing or a fake treatment, but we can't be 100% sure because some tests weren't perfect.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review.
Where the score came from
Honey makes coughs less frequent and shorter for kids, but might cause tummy issues.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 533 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, it helps kids feel better faster, but some may get stomachaches.
- 2Coughs reduced by 1.62 points on a scale, lasted 0.72 days less, and sleep got better by about 1 point.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
Year
2018
Authors
O. Oduwole, E. Udoh, A. Oyo-Ita, M. Meremikwu
Related Content
Claims (8)
Honey helps people with colds feel better overall, cough less often, and have less severe coughs than usual treatments, according to medical studies.
After three days, honey probably doesn't help coughs or sleep any better than cough medicine or a fake treatment, according to research.
For kids with coughs, honey might work better than a common cough medicine called diphenhydramine at making them cough less often, but the evidence isn't very strong yet.
Giving honey to kids might cause more stomach problems than giving them a fake treatment, based on some research with about 400 children.
Honey might help kids and their parents sleep better when they have a cough, compared to doing nothing. Studies show it makes a small but noticeable difference in how much sleep is affected.
For kids with coughs, honey might work about the same as a common cough medicine called dextromethorphan, but we're not very sure because only a couple small studies have looked at it.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.