Natural Remedy For Your Kid's Cough

So, you're little Joey is hacking away, do you grab that nasty bottle of Robitussin or head to your kitchen cabinet for something natural? Is there even anything natural that will help, you wonder? As a matter of fact there is, and it's as close as your kitchen cabinet! Honey. If you're vegan, of course, this won't be of help to you, but for those who aren't, honey is a far better alternative to over-the-counter cough medicines.

We're often less inclined to try natural or home remedies on our kids because of their youth, but in many cases those holistic methods are safer and more effective than the allopathic alternative. In fact, experts at the FDA recommended banning non-prescription cough/cold medicines for children under 6 (and particularly for children under 2) after there were reported deaths associated with those meds. Although most of those deaths were attributed to incorrect dosage, many manufacturers voluntarily withdrew their cold and cough medicines for kids, and the FDA, rather than outright ban anything, has issued an advisory instead. The FDA also issued an alert, recently, regarding Tussionex- a prescription cough medicine that has also caused death in adults, due to overdose, and was being prescribed for children under 6.


Although honey should not be given to children under the age of 2 (because it sometimes contains a bacteria that causes botulism) , it is a great remedy for older children. According to a recent study, conducted on children ranging in age from 2 to 18, buckwheat honey worked better for relieving coughs than dextromethorphan (common in most over-the-counter cough meds), or nothing at all.

"(Honey) is a cheap and effective treatment," said Dr. Ian Paul, lead investigator for the study. "Consider using this as a treatment before going to the pharmacy to pick up an over-the-counter cough and cold
medicine."

The honey not only helped with the cough, it actually helped the children sleep better. Then again, honey relaxes muscles and the nervous system, which helps with insomnia, so it would make sense that it would also help induce a more restful sleep, in addition to relieving the cough.

DOSAGE:


Half an hour before bed give your child:

1/2 teaspoon for children aged 2-5,
1 teaspoon for children aged 6-11
2 teaspoons for children aged 12-18.

Wouldn't you prefer to give your child something sweet and tasty that nature created, rather than a nasty tasting drug some pharmaceutical company manufactured?

Seems like a no brainer to me.