Placebos have proved to be a viable treatment for troublesome night-time coughs in children, according to a new study published in the Oct. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics.

Penn State University researchers said agave nectar or a placebo (grape flavored water colored with caramel) helps lessen cough symptoms in children at night.

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In the new study, researchers compared three treatment types for night-time cough: agave nectar, a placebo or no treatment at all in 120 children under 4 years old that had non-specific cough for less than a week, U.S. News Health reported.

Of the participants in the study, 40 children received no treatment; 40 were given a placebo and another 40 were given pasteurized agave nectar from Zarbees, Inc..

Experts found out that both the nectar (a natural sweet syrup from a succulent Mexican plant) and the placebo treatment produced significant reductions in the symptoms compared to not giving treatment at all, according to parents.

"Many pediatricians advise doing nothing for cough and cold symptoms other than maintaining hydration and perhaps giving acetaminophen or ibuprofen," said Dr. Ian Paul, lead researcher and the Division of Academic General Pediatrics Chief at Penn State College of Medicine.

Past research has shown that honey can help decrease cough symptoms in children so agave nectar was selected. But honey isn't safe to babies under one year of age because it carries a small risk of botulism, a serious condition that occurs when bacterial spores grow in a child's intestinal tract, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Giving a sweet liquid 'placebo' is preferred for families and children compared to doing nothing or taking an unnecessary antibiotic," Paul added.

The study also concluded that "placebo could offer some perceived benefit, although at a financial cost, while reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing."

TagsPlacebo Treatment, agave nectar, cough symptom, children's cough, natural medicine