Ecchinacea for Prevention of Acute Upper Respiratory Infection in Children 1 to 5 Years Old

Background and aim: Common cold is the most common infection in children and has multiple complications including acute otitis media, sinusitis and pneumonia. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Echinacea in lowering the incidence of common cold and its complications in 1 to 5 years old children. Material and Methods: In a randomized clinical trial 100 children aged 1 to 5 years old were included in the study. Children were randomly assigned either to receive Echinacea (0.5ml daily for children 1-2 y/o and 2 ml daily for children 2-8 y/o) and the other group as control did not consumed medication for 3 months. Children were followed for 3 months for occurrence of acute upper respiratory tract infection (URI), sinusitis and otitis media. Chi-Square and T-test were used for data analysis. Results: Two groups were similar in baseline characteristics. The incidence of URI and sinusitis was lower in Echinacea group (p<0.05) but the incidence of acute otitis media was not different in two groups. The frequency of URI, sinusitis and otitis did not differ between two groups. Conclusion: Echinacea is effective and safe and is recommended for prophylaxis of common cold and for prevention of its complications in children.