MINNEAPOLIS - Losing sleep?
Your kids' coughing keeping them, and you, up?
Have you tried honey?
Our question: "Is it true honey calms coughs better than cough medicine?"
We asked that to Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic, where she hosts the "Ask the Mayo Mom" show on Facebook.
So, is honey better?
"Yes, it is true," said Dr. Mattke.
Boom, verified.
But, how do we know? Mattke cites a study from 2012 published in the official journal for "Pediatrics." Three hundred kids, ages 1 to 5, all who had upper respiratory tract infections, were given either honey or a placebo.
"What they found is not only is honey safe in young children ... it's also quite effective at helping with both the severity of the cough, but also the frequency of their cough," said Mattke.
Two things to remember, though, from the Mayo Clinic:
- Never give honey to an infant younger than 1 because it can make them sick
- For kids under 6, try to say no to over-the-counter cough medicines
"Generally, kids under age 6, the cough medicines - cold and cough, the over-the-counter ones - really don't help, and there actually might be some harm on potential serious side effects. So, we generally recommend no over-the-counter cough medicines for kids under age 6," said Mattke. "When you have something like honey you can give your child, which has shown to be superior to them and safer, I think it's an easy thing to do."
So, when your little guy or girl is coughing, how about honey? It's natural, it's everywhere, it doesn't cost a lot, and Mayo says - it's better than cough medicine.