Plant medicine is a safe and effective therapy for children that is well tolerated with minimal side effects.
Many pharmaceutical drugs are not researched or approved for children. Plant medicine forms a valuable natural treatment option and are increasingly investigated as a safe alternative to many conventional drugs which are not researched or approved for children. That they work seems to be beyond any doubt: In a 2010 survey of German parents by Humer et al, 96.3 per cent of parents who have used herbal medicines for their children would do it again.
Infections of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract are the most common illnesses in early childhood. Natural treatments with high-quality medicinal herbs such as medicinal teas are traditionally the first choice in the treatment for children. Plant-based medicine has proven useful to generations of doctors, midwives and families and is increasingly supported by scientific trials. It is thus becoming more readily accepted in mainstream medicine as a natural option for the safe and effective treatment of children.
Medsafe NZ made an important ruling in 2013 that pharmaceutical cough medication was not to be given to children under 6 years of age. This was due to lack of evidence of efficacy, safety and that the risk-benefit profile was unfavourable, with documented harm to children. This followed similar other rulings in the US, Canada, UK and Australia. However, children still suffer from coughs and colds so a valid alternative is sought.
Ideally, a natural cough remedy for children provides a comprehensive, broad-spectrum formula that treats all types of coughs (wet or dry), from catarrh and bronchitis to asthma. It can also help remove the phlegm that can be an unpleasant trigger of coughs and protects the respiratory tract from further infections. The traditional combination of marshmallow root, mullein, plantain, thyme and liquorice has shown great results for all members of the family, including newborns. The above medicinal plants are endorsed by a German Commission E Monograph of the German Ministry of Health which evaluated the safety and effectiveness of medicinal plants and gave regulatory approval upon rigorous unbiased scientific investigation.