Seawater spray cures kids’ cold

Parents who wish they had a simple and safe remedy to treat their children’s cold can look forward to a new product—a nasal spray from seawater.

In a recent study, the results of which were published in the January issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology, a group of scientists at the Teaching Hospital of Brno, Czech Republic discovered a nasal spray made from Atlantic Ocean seawater not only eased winter cold symptoms in children aged 6 to 10 years but also considerably reduced repeat symptoms within two months.

Dr Ivo Slapak who led the team said the seawater spray might work due to two reasons. One, the salt water could clear the mucus due to the simple mechanical effect and two, the trace elements in the water could have a role. He added further investigation was required to ascertain the exact reason why the solution was effective. Saline washes have long been a popular home treatment for colds although scientific evidence about their efficacy is poor.

Geomar Laboratoires La Madeleine, Saint-Malo, France sponsored the study. The company manufactures Physiomer, the seawater nasal spray used in the investigation.

The study covered 390 children with symptoms of uncomplicated cold and flu for 12 weeks during 2006. One group of children received standard treatments such as nasal decongestants while the other got the saline nasal wash in addition to the standard medication. According to the authors, the spray” preserves the concentrations of ions and trace elements at levels comparable with those of seawater." Initially, the spray was used for six times a day and in the latter part of the study the children received it three times a day. This was because the investigators wanted to find out whether the spray could prevent symptoms from redeveloping.

Children who got the spray had less stuffy and runny noses the second time they were checked, the study said. At eight weeks after commencement of the study, those in the saline group showed significantly fewer severe sore throats, coughs, nasal obstructions and secretions than those given standard treatments alone. Further, fewer children in the saline group had to be given anti-pyretic drugs, nasal decongestants, mucus-clearing medications or antibiotics. They were sick less often and missed fewer schooldays.

This discovery assumes much importance in the light of recent announcements by the US Food and Drug Administration banning non-prescription or over-the-counter medication for cough and cold in children aged less than 2 years. There are reports suggesting them to be too dangerous for that age group causing convulsions, rapid heart rates and death. Federal health officials are still unclear about whether widely sold cold medicines made by pharma majors Wyeth and Johnson and Johnson are appropriate for older children. They, therefore, hope to come up with a ruling for appropriate use of these medicines in children between 2 and 11 years.

For many years, Tylenol or acetaminophen has been the chosen remedy for childhood cold and associated symptoms like fever and cough. However, evidence is mounting that these are ineffective in children under age 6 or according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, might also be risky.

Cold is a symptom of a viral infection and the virus needs to run its course. Many of the prescribed drugs are anti-allergents or antibiotics. These might work in adults and are totally ineffective in young children. They merely relieve symptoms and can have adverse side effects on the immune system.