Good night, Honey?

By Dr. John Ropp, Hartsville Family Physician, SCMA Young Physicians Trustee

If I had a quarter for every time a parent asked me what OTC medicine they can use for their kid’s cough and cold, well…I could probably make up the 2% loss in practice revenue from this year’s sequestration.  Since this is not a billable code under ICD-10, however, then perhaps I will have to wait for ICD-11 or 12.  In the meantime, I was encouraged to read an article in a recent issue of The Journal of FamilyPractice that offered a simple, time-tested remedy for the parent (yes, the parent) of kids who fall ill due to the latest cough illness making the ____________ (fill in blank here for child location of choice- school, church, playgroup, ballclub, other) rounds.  For as we all know, the late night childhood cough is a phenomenon unlike any others and must certainly be an invention of the demons designed to minimally affect the ill, but to inflict the greatest harm on their guardian- the loss of sleep and the gain of anxieties.  But rest assured, oh sleepless parent, for grandma was spot on- the sweet elixir of honey can calm the cough.   The article title gives the answer- “A spoonful of honey helps a coughing child sleep,” and the article goes on to describe the randomized controlled trial that studied children between the ages of one to five years old with a nocturnal cough of less than seven days duration.  They excluded other obvious or possibly more serious conditions and randomized each child to receive 1.5 teaspoons of one of three honey types or placebo 30 minutes prior to bedtime.  Follow up results showed that there were statistically significant differences in efficacy for the honey groups (but not favoring one over the other) versus the placebo.  Of course, our dentist friends will remind us to use this remedy sparingly due to the sugar content, and we will need to continue preaching caution to children less than one year of age, but this would be a nice recommendation if we can break our collective OTC drug habits.  When faced with getting a good night’s rest themselves, though, it’s good to know that we might reach for the pantry instead of the drug shelf.  Sleep tight, honey.

Ashkin MD, Evan and Mounsey MD, Anne (March 2013). A spoonful of honey helps a coughing child sleep.  The Journal of Family Practice, Vol 62, No. 3.  Retrieved from jfponline.com.