Herbal products: Risks and benefits of use in children

Background. The use of herbal products in children is a concern because lit tle information is available concerning the benefits and risks of these pro ducts in the pediatric population. Objective: This article defines herbal products and reviews the reasons for using such products, the most commonly used herbal products in the United States, their use during pregnancy and breast-feeding, and the adverse effe cts, drug interactions, and regulatory issues associated with herbal produc ts. Methods: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and references fro m journal articles. Results: Many of the herbal products that are being given to children in th e United States currently do not meet the standards of good manufacturing p ractices. No high-quality studies have been conducted to determine the effi cacy of these products. Their concentrations of active ingredients are unpr edictable, their labeling is inadequate, and they can cause toxicity. Conclusions: The benefit-risk ratio of most herbal products remains unknown . Greater efforts and resources should be devoted to high-quality research to determine the effectiveness and tolerability of these widely used herbal products.