EFFECT OF HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES ON DAILY BURDEN OF SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN WITH RECURRENT UPPER RESPIRATORY-TRACT INFECTIONS

Objective-To investigate the intrinsic effects of individually prescri bed homoeopathic medicines. Design-Randomised double blind placebo con trolled study. Setting-Paediatric outpatient department of university hospital. Patients-175 children with frequently-recurring upper respir atory tract infections. Of the 170 children evaluable, 86 were randomi sed to homoeopathic medicines (47 boys, 39 girls; median age at start 4.2 years; median number of episodes in past year 4) and 84 to placebo (43 boys, 41 girls; median age at start 3.6 years; median number of e pisodes in past year 4). Main outcome measures-Mean score for daily sy mptoms, number of antibiotic courses, and number of adenoidectomies an d tonsillectomies over one year of follow up. Results-The mean daily s ymptom score was 2.61 in the placebo group-and 2.21 in the treatment g roup (difference 0.41; 95% confidence interval -0.02 to 0.83). In both groups the use of antibiotics was greatly reduced compared:with that in the year before entering the trial (from 73 to 33 in the treatment group and from 69 to 43 in the placebo group). The proportion of child ren in the treatment group having adenoidectomies was lower in the tre atment group (16%, 8/50) than in the placebo group (21%, 9/42). The pr oportion having tonsillectomies was the same in both groups (5%). Conc lusion-Individually prescribed homoeopathic-medicines seem to add litt le to careful counselling of children with recurrent upper respiratory tract-infection in reducing the daily burden of symptoms, use of anti biotics, and need for adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy.