Parents' and primary healthcare practitioners' perspectives on the safety of honey and other traditional paediatric healthcare approaches

Abstract

TCA are commonly used for children, honey in particular for respiratory tract symptoms. Parents and some PHPs appear unaware of the risk of botulism from honey use in infants. Healthcare practitioners should ask routinely about the use of honey and other TCA, and consider different parental belief systems in ethnically diverse populations. Further research is required on the use and efficacy of honey for infants, to raise awareness of its benefits and risks.

Pedi̇atri̇ Hemşi̇releri̇ni̇n Api̇terapi̇ Hakkindaki̇ Bi̇lgi̇, Tutum Ve Deneyi̇mleri̇ni̇n Beli̇rlenmesi̇: Kesi̇tsel Çok Merkezli̇ Bi̇r Çalişma

“…In a study conducted with consumers, they stated that among apitherapy products, the bee products they know best are "Petek Honey", "Filtered Honey" and "Polen", while the least known bee product is "Bee Venom" (Marangoz and Dolu 2019). In a study, almost half (40%) of primary healthcare practitioners have mentioned the use of honey for children (Kumar et al, 2011). In another study, the apitherapeutic product most commonly used by nurses has been detected to be honey (Kavurmaci and Tan 2019).…”

“…After detailed literature review (Bölüktepe and Yilmaz 2008;Kumar et al, 2011;Cohen et al, 2012;Cherbuliez, 2013;Özkan and Bancar 2015;Cırık et al 2017, Kavurmaci et al 2019 it was decided to perform a new questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three parts and a total of 21 items.…”

“…The earliest information on the use of honey in children's nutrition dates back to about the ninth century. In a study, 29% of parents with children under the age of five spontaneously give their children honey, which is a product of apitherapy, without a disease (Kumar et al, 2011). In a randomized controlled experimental study, honey, which is a product of apitherapy, has been found to reduce upper respiratory tract infections, cough and regulate children's sleep comfort (Cohen et al, 2012).…”

“…In another study, almost half (40%) of the primary healthcare practitioners have mentioned that honey is used for children, but few perceive it as a treatment. In addition, some practitioners have stated that they have difficulty communicating the risks of these methods to parents (Kumar et al, 2011). It is more important than ever to train pediatric nurses for the use of apitherapy in children, raise awareness of, promote the use of evidence-based practices, and provide holistic approaches with other team members.…”

The Role of Complementary Medicine in a Pediatric Day Center in Germany

“…With 30.6%, honey was one of the most frequently used substances, mostly in upper respiratory infections. However, only a few primary health care practitioners perceived it as a treatment or were aware of infant botulism [20], an age-limited neuromuscular disease causing a symmetrical, flaccid paralysis, resulting from neurotoxins produced by the anaerobe Clostridium botulinum. Moreover, honey can cause dental caries, hyperactivity, nervousness, and insomnia [21].…”