The claim

“Honey eases coughs in children.”

Mostly true

Evidence confidence Moderate

The short answer

For children 1 year and older, a spoonful of honey eases cough a little better than no treatment or a placebo, mostly for a night or two.

What this means for you

For children 1 year and older, honey is a simple, low-cost way to ease a cough, especially at bedtime. It brings modest, short-term relief, not a cure. It is never safe for babies under 1.

Your next step

For a coughing child 1 year or older, give a small spoonful of honey about 30 minutes before bed.

Who should be careful?

Safety note: Never give honey to a baby under 1 year old. Honey can carry spores of Clostridium botulinum, which can grow in a baby's gut and cause infant botulism, a life-threatening illness. Signs include constipation, poor feeding and weak sucking, a weak cry, a floppy body, drooping eyelids and slow or stopped breathing. Call 911 or go to the emergency room right away if a baby has these signs.

Talk to a healthcare professional if: your child finds it hard to breathe, the cough is very bad or getting worse quickly, or the cough has lasted more than 3 weeks.

The evidence

Why this confidence?

Randomized trials in about 900 children found honey eased cough more than a placebo or no treatment, and about as well as a common cough medicine. Confidence is Moderate rather than Strong because the trials were small and short, most children got honey for just one night, and a 2023 review rated the overall evidence low quality.

The facts

For children 1 year and older, a spoonful of honey eases cough a little better than no treatment or a placebo, mostly for a night or two. A 2018 Cochrane review of six trials with 899 children aged 1 to 18 found honey lowered cough frequency by about 1 to 1.6 points on a 7-point scale compared with no treatment or placebo. Honey worked about as well as dextromethorphan, a common cough medicine, and somewhat better than diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Beyond 3 days, honey showed no clear advantage over placebo.

The bigger picture

Most children in the trials got honey for just one night, often as a single dose before bed, and parents rated the child's cough and sleep. In one trial of 300 children aged 1 to 5, a single dose of 10 grams of honey (about half a tablespoon) before bed eased night cough and sleep more than a placebo syrup made from dates. A 2023 review of 10 trials found the same direction of benefit but rated the quality of the evidence low to very low. The NHS lists hot lemon and honey as a home remedy for cough that can work about like cough syrup, though the evidence is limited, and says it is not suitable for babies under 1.

Sources (5)

Last reviewed 2026-10-21 We update these cards as new research comes out. When the evidence changes, our verdicts change too.

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“Honey eases coughs in children.”

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