Honey for Chesty Cough in Children

Introduction to Honey as a Treatment

Honey may offer more relief for cough symptoms in children than no treatment, diphenhydramine, or placebo, but it is not better than dextromethorphan, as recommended by the American College of Chest Physicians 1, 2

The American College of Chest Physicians recommends honey as a first-line therapy for children over 1 year of age with acute cough, showing better efficacy than no treatment or placebo 2
Honey is safer than codeine-containing medications, which should be avoided due to potential serious side effects including respiratory distress, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 2, 5
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines have little to no benefit in children and carry risk of adverse events, as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics 2, 6

Never give honey to infants under 12 months due to risk of infant botulism, as warned by the American Academy of Pediatrics 3, 4

If cough persists beyond 2-4 weeks, the child should be re-evaluated for emergence of specific etiological pointers, as recommended by the American College of Chest Physicians 1, 3
Consider medical evaluation if cough is accompanied by difficulty breathing or increased work of breathing, fever that persists or appears later in the illness, changes in mental status or refusal to eat/drink, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 4