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A Herbal Warning for Parents Herbal Remedies Are Now Being Made for Children but, Say the Experts, Parents Should Exercise Caution Before Giving Them Out to Kids.

Posted on: Monday, 24 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

By Jennifer Cunningham

IT'S a popular herbal preparation taken by millions of adults around the world, but now echinacea is being marketed in the US with a version designed for children. E-Kid-Nacea Plus, as it's called, is proof indeed that the boom in nutritional supplements and herbal remedies has been extended to all the family. Since E-Kid-Nacea claims to "support a healthy immune system", health-conscious parents are buying it to ward off illness that has not yet struck.

There is also a brand of supplements called Herbs for Kids. Products marketed specifically for children include St John's wort syrup and echinacea-elderberry syrup. There are specific preparations called Calm Child and Attentive Child. Calm Child includes gotu kola leaf extract, camomile flower extract, zizyphus seed, hawthorn berry, catnip leaf, lemon balm leaf, long pepper fruit, licorice root, amla fruit, anise seed, magnesium taurinate, calcium carbonate, clove fruit and cinnamon bark. It all sounds sufficiently "natural" to be harmless, although few people will know exactly what gotu kola or zizyphus are. One is an Indian plant, the other a Chinese date and both are used to promote calm and overcome restlessness.

Many parents of the increasing number of children suffering attention deficit disorder claim these pills to calm children make an enormous difference to their difficult lives.

Other children are being dosed with herbal remedies and dietary supplements by parents anxious to improve their children's health. But parents are not always aware of the possible harmful consequences of giving children alternative remedies, according to Dr Cora Breuner, a paediatrician at the University of Washington medical school, who has a particular interest in complementary therapies.

They may also attribute too much to certain remedies.

Take echinacea. It is a best-seller because it has a mild antibiotic effect and boosts the immune system and is therefore taken by many people as a preventive against colds and f lu as well as a treatment once they are suffering from them.

But, Breuner told a meeting of American paediatricians last week, there is no evidence that echinacea prevents or shortens children's colds.

Even well-known substances can cause problems. Breuner also warned against garlic supplements for teenagers, because while they lower cholesterol, they also thin the blood, which could cause problem bleeding for athletes who get knocks or cuts.

Dr John Briffa, a qualified doctor who practises natural management of health and disease in London and writes on complementary medicine, takes the view that most substances can be dangerous, if used recklessly.

"Raw garlic in salad dressing has an effect on the body that is the same as if it had been taken as a supplement, " he says. "Oily fish thins the blood: are we to stop children eating oily fish? Aspirin thins the blood: are we to stop using it?

"Natural therapies do tend to be safer than conventional medicine, but, if you look in any depth at any therapy, you'll find some reason not to use it. They need to be handled with a degree of caution and if possible you should consult a practitioner such as a nutritionist or herbalist, but it's not always necessary.

"For example, if you have a child who is particularly prone to cramp and you have discovered from a reliable source that it is likely to be due to a magnesium deficiency and that the normal dose would be 200mg, you don't need to consult a practitioner. The recommended doses generally tend to be safe."

Trudy Norris, of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, believes clarity is very important and that people who self- prescribe by buying herbal preparations over the counter should not take something because it helped a friend, but should be precise about why they are taking something and what they expect from it.

"One of the problems with overthe-counter preparations is that a lot of people tend to use herbs to replace drugs, but a child with a cold, fever or acute ear infection has to be treated as an individual and some will need antibiotics, " she says.

"With chronic conditions such as asthma, or behavioural conditions, parents now tend to use a dietary approach and may use supplements such as fish oils. These are well within the boundaries of safety."

Breuner warned the meeting of American paediatricians that St John's wort interacts with many medicines, for example, lowering the potency of contraceptive pills. Norris says: "St John's wort does increase the clearance rate of any drug and people need to know that, but there is a lot of research which shows that it is useful in depression and for a young person suffering from depression, the option of St John's wort could be a good one."

From October 30 the EU Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products comes into force that will require over-the-counter herbal remedies to be made to assured standards of safety and quality.

In this country, supplements such as echinacea, feverfew, St John's wort and devil's claw are labelled "not intended for use by persons under the age of 18".

Briffa says that responsible parents should not necessarily be put off by labels that say some products are not intended for people under 18: "We have seen a recommendation that conventional treatment for depression is not used for children because of the hazards associated with it.

That's obviously driving individuals to look for alternatives, he says.

"I'm often asked for advice for parents in managing the health of their children and often find myself in conflict with the official recommendations. They are generally safe as long as you consider the particular factors relating to the child."

Norris concedes the jury is still out on the effectiveness of echinacea, but adds that the study cited by Breuner did not monitor how many children went on to develop middle ear infections or streptococcal throat infections. She also sees no reason not to give most herbal preparations to children who are generally well, but warns that if a child has an illness, such as asthma, parents should consult their doctor.

Briffa finds that parents are not just cautious about alternative medicine, but are increasingly so about conventional treatment. "The vast majority of parents don't take risks with the health of their children, " he says.

"There needs to be some caution, but much less than would be suggested by the medical profession and the scientific establishment."

Natural Health For Kids, Dr John Briffa, Penguin, GBP16.99.

HERBAL REMEDIES AND KIDS

Evening primrose oil: a safe and relatively effective treatment for atopic dermatitis.

Echinacea: there are doubts about its usefulness in preventing colds or shortening their duration. Can cause reactions, impairs immune suppressive drugs. May impair wound healing.

St John's wort: may be effective for depression but alters metabolisms of other drugs. It should not be taken with other anti- depressants unless under medical supervision.

Valerian: may be effective for sleep disorders and possibly for attention deficit disorder.

Ivy leaf: may help asthma and bronchitis. Can cause a reaction.

Always consult a practitioner registered with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists or Register of Chinese Medical Herbalists, or a registered nutritionist.

Source: Herald, The; Glasgow (UK)

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