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Echinacea purpurea for prevention of upper respiratory tract infections in children

Wendy Weber1, James A Taylor, Ann Vander Stoep

  • 1Naturopathic Medicine Department, Bastyr University, Kenmore, WA 98028-4966, USA. wendyw@bastyr.edu

Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.)
|January 10, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Echinacea purpurea may reduce the risk of subsequent upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) in children. This study suggests Echinacea may be effective, but further prevention trials are needed.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Herbal Medicine
  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

  • Upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) are common in children.
  • Echinacea purpurea is a widely used herbal remedy.
  • The efficacy of Echinacea purpurea in preventing recurrent URIs in children requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of Echinacea purpurea in reducing the risk of subsequent URIs in children previously treated for an acute URI.
  • To analyze secondary data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 524 children aged 2-11 years.
  • Children were randomized to receive Echinacea or placebo for acute URIs during a 4-month observation period.
  • Survival and Cox regression analyses were used to assess the risk of developing a second URI.

Main Results:

  • Among 401 children with at least one URI, 55.8% of those receiving Echinacea developed a second URI compared to 69.2% receiving placebo.
  • Echinacea use was associated with a 28% decreased risk of subsequent URI (p=0.01).
  • The 95% confidence interval for the decreased risk was 8%-44%.

Conclusions:

  • Echinacea purpurea may reduce the occurrence of subsequent URIs in children.
  • The findings suggest a potential role for Echinacea in managing pediatric URIs.
  • Further research in dedicated URI prevention trials is recommended to confirm these results.
Abstract

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