A Trial of Echinacea in Children

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a randomized trial to determine if echinacea is effective in shortening the length and/or lessening the severity of colds in children 2 through 11 years old.

Clinical Trial Description

Upper respiratory tract infections (URI's) are a significant health burden in childhood. URI's are a major reason for visits to health care providers, and up to 35 percent of young children at any given time are taking some over-the-counter cold medication. Unfortunately, data suggest that most of these medications have limited effectiveness. Alternative medical therapies are growing in popularity; in a recent survey of parents of children being seen by pediatricians in Seattle, Washington, 24.2 percent indicated that their child had been seen by an alternative medicine health care provider, and 53.3 percent received therapies for the treatment of URI's in children. The proposed study is a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial of Echinacea for the treatment of URI's in children 2-11 years old. The aims of the project are: to determine if Echinacea shortens the duration and/or lessens the severity of URI's, if children receiving Echinacea for treatment of URI's have a reduced rate of secondary bacterial infections, and to determine if the use of Echinacea in patients 2-11 years old is associated with any significant side effects. A two-year study of 600 children is planned. Not only will the results of this study determine if Echinacea, the most popular medicinal herb sold in the United States, is an effective therapy for URI's in children, the study will provide a design framework for further assessment on the efficacy of other complementary and alternative medicines in children. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double-Blind, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

Common Cold

Clinical Trial Details

NCT number	NCT00029211
Study type	Interventional
Source	National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Contact
Status	Completed
Phase	Phase 3
Start date	April 2000
Completion date	March 2003

View Details

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