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 Researchers examined data from 14 previously published studies with
a total of 1,927 children suffering from problems like diarrhea,
dehydration, colic, constipation, abdominal pain and irritable bowel
syndrome. They didn’t have enough data to combine results from
multiple small studies to offer definitive proof that herbal
remedies might work for any of these health problems.
But some of the small studies did suggest certain herbal medicines
might help ease diarrhea, abdominal pain and colic. And the studies
didn’t find serious side effects associated with herbal remedies.
“The lack of conclusive research is unfortunately a general problem
in pediatrics, but a special problem in herbal medicine is that for
many herbal remedies no licensed and standardized products are
available,” said lead study author Dr. Dennis Anheyer of the
University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.
In other words, even if evidence shows an herb may be safe and
effective for a specific health problem, that doesn’t necessarily
mean that every single version of that herb available for sale would
work as well or be free of side effects.
When researchers looked at four studies with a total of 424
participants, they found some evidence suggesting that a variety of
herbal remedies might help diarrhea: a plant in the rose family
called potentilla erecta, carob bean juice, and an herbal compound
preparation with chamomile.
One study with 120 participants also suggests that peppermint oil
might help curb the duration, frequency and severity chronic
abdominal pain that doesn’t have a clear medical explanation.
And, fennel might help ease colic symptoms in babies according to a
review of five small studies of herbal remedies for infant colic.
While it’s possible herbal remedies might be used in addition to
traditional medications or to help reduce reliance on drug therapy,
parents should still see a doctor before trying out herbal therapies
on their own, Anheyer said by email.
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Another reason for caution is that even the studies in the current
analysis that found herbal remedies effective don’t show how large
the effects are, noted Dr. Peter Lucassen, a researcher at Radboud
University Medical Center in the Netherlands who wasn’t involved in
the study.
These small studies might get results that find herbs are
statistically better than no treatment or alternative therapies, but
the difference still might not be big enough to have a meaningful
clinical impact on patients’ symptoms, Lucassen said by email.
“I would not advocate any of the herbal medicine because the article
does not provide any data about how large the effects are,” Lucassen
said.
Often, herbal remedies combine a variety of ingredients and use
differing amounts of the main ingredients, which may alter how well
they work and how safe they are for kids, Lucassen added. They might
also contain chemicals not found in prescription medications that
have dangerous side effects or a risk of overdose.
And there’s another reason parents shouldn’t try herbal remedies
without seeing a doctor.
“Delayed diagnosis might be the result of herbal medications because
parents seek help too late because they try the herbs first,”
Lucassen said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2qAlXuV Pediatrics, online May 4, 2017.
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