Comparison of the effect of honey and diphenhydramine on cough alleviation in 2-5-year-old children with viral upper respiratory tract infection

Viral upper respiratory tract infection and cold drugs consumption is prevalent among children. These drugs have no effect on disease improvement، but it may also have accompanied with many side effects. This study was conducted to compare the effect of honey and diphehydramine on the alleviation of cough in 2-5-year-old children with viral upper respiratory tract infection. This double-blind clinical trial study was carried out on 170 children (60 boys and 66 girls) aged 2-5 years old with viral upper respiratory tract infection who were taken to the pediatric clinic of Shariatee hospital in Bandar Abbas، Iran during 2010. Children demographic charactrastics were including age، gender، period of illness، vaccination history، weight، growth، overall health، and cardiopulmonary examinations. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 63 children receiving honey (three times a day and the last dose an hour before bed) and diphehydramine syrup (5mg/kg/BW). Two days later، subjects were examined again for the severity and frequency of coughs during day and night. Data were analyzed using SPSS-19، independent t-test and chi-square test. Mean±SD of the age of children was 45. 21±11. 39 and 43. 98±11. 95 months in honey and diphenhydramine groups، respectively. The frequency and severity of night coughs was lower in the honey group (97. 4%) as compared to the diphenhydramine group (58. 7%) (P<0. 02). The frequency and severity of daily coughs was lower in the honey group (84. 1%) while it was lower in 58. 7% of the diphenhydramine group (P<0. 01). This study showed that honey is more effective than diphenhydramine in the alleviation of cough caused by viral URTI in 2-5-year-old children.