Paramedics share the unlikely food all parents need to know right now if they have a sick child: ‘It’s a game-changer’
- Paramedic Nikki Gurkotz said you need to give honey to children who are coughing
- helps reduce the severity and duration of a cold; But it cannot be for children under the age of 1
A paramedic shared why honey is the secret to reducing the ‘intensity and duration’ of a child’s cough – and when it’s given to allow it to be most effective.
Nikki Gurkotz is a paramedic, mother, and executive director of parenting organization Tiny Hearts Education.
She has built a huge social media following for sharing her helpful tips and tricks.
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A paramedic shared why honey is the secret to reducing the ‘intensity and duration’ of a child’s cough – and when to give it to allow it to be most effective (pictured)
“Honey hack,” Nikki posted on Tiny Hearts Instagram page.
Honey can help reduce the severity and duration of a cough.
Give 1 or 2 teaspoons 30 minutes before bed. Mix it with warm water if you’re worried about thickening.
Nikki added that honey is “better and safer than any available cough medicine,” especially given the fact that cough medicines are not recommended for children under the age of six.
“But it is important to remember that honey cannot be given to children under one year of age due to the risk of infant botulism, a rare but serious illness that causes paralysis.”
The reason honey is so effective in relieving cough is that it coats the throat and soothes irritated mucous membranes, calming coughs and relieving related symptoms.
Hundreds of parents quickly thanked the paramedic for sharing her wisdom.
One wrote, “I’m doing this tonight, and I’m so glad I saw it.”
“Love this hack!” Another added.
Others said they always used it, and even their parents did when they were growing up.
‘Yeah amazing! It’s very effective. It covers your throat and is normal. I still do it for me when I cough, someone wrote.
My nanny used to make honey and raw garlic for my sisters and me. I hated it as a kid but it did the trick! (And now I love it and still take it!)” Another added.
Previously, Nikki shared how honey could help save a child’s life if he swallowed a button battery, and why it’s the first thing she’ll turn to on the way to the hospital.
Nikki said that while the use of honey as a first aid treatment is not part of the guideline treatment in Australia yet, it has been implemented in other countries including America and will always follow.
How and why do you need to use the Honeycomb Emergency Button Battery
10 mL (approximately 2 teaspoons) should be given orally every 10 minutes for up to six doses (Photo by Nikki Jurkitz)
* Poison control We recommend that you give 10 mL (approximately two teaspoons) by mouth every 10 minutes for up to six doses. You don’t have to be exact about times and doses.
* Remember that you cannot give honey to a child under 12 months old.
* Commercial honey rather than specialized or artisanal honey is the better option, and you need to remember that honey is not a substitute for immediate removal of the battery in the esophagus.
* Honey slows the progression of battery injury but does not prevent it. Don’t be late in going to the emergency department.
