Effectiveness of combined herbal products for cough during acute respiratory diseases in children in outpatient settings

Background. Coughing is an important defense mechanism of the respiratory system to remove mucus, harmful substances and infectious agents from the respiratory tract. There are pharmacological ways to influence different loci of the cough reflex arc. The most physiologic approach is to act at the level of cough receptors in order to preserve clearance function while maintaining a high quality of life for patients. This goal can be achieved by using combinations of substances of plant origin, in particular cumin fruit, ginger rhizome extract, althea root extract and ivy leaf extract, carob syrup, dried black currant extract due to antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cytoprotective, moisturizing, soothing effects. Aim. To determine the clinical efficacy and tolerability of the syrup based on extracts of althea roots, plantain leaves, chamomile flowers, thyme herb, mint leaves, and ascorbic acid "Kidz syrup with althea and plantain" for cough during acute respiratory infection (ARI) in children. Materials and methods. The study included 70 primary school children aged 7 to 11 years with diagnosed ARI accompanied by cough; all children received standard symptomatic therapy for ARI. Of these, 35 children received the dietary supplement “Kidz syrup with althea and plantain” (study group), and 35 children received an alternative plant-based drug with the same indications for medicinal use (control group). Results. The addition of the dietary supplement "Kidz syrup with althea and plantain" to the standard therapy made it possible almost to halve the rates of all intoxication and respiratory symptoms. By the end of the study, 25 (71.4%) children did not have a cough, and 6 (17.1%) had a mild short-term cough, which did not disturb their well-being. In the control group, cough was absent in only 8 children (22.9%). Conclusion. This study shows that "Kidz syrup with althea and plantain" is highly clinically effective. The complex of plant-based components contributed to the activation of the protective functions of the body, confirmed by the improvement.