FORT MYERS, Florida (NBC) – Victoria Mata hesitates to give her children over-the-counter cough and cold medicine.
Instead she gives her daughter honey, a natural remedy.
"I'm not really a fan of the medicine because my doctor told me about all the side effects," Mata said.
Mata opts to give her 5-year-old daughter, Alizay, honey to sooth her throat.
Pediatrician Tony Pietriniro agrees parents should give natural remedies whenever possible.
"Children can become dazed and unresponsive to their parents when using cough medicine," Pietriniro said.
He recommends the ancient remedy honey, specifically buckwheat honey to calm colds.
"In some cases it has proven more effective than cough medicine in children under six years old," Pietriniro said.
But Pietriniro warns parents should not give children who are under one-year-old honey because it could cause botulism.
Pietriniro also said honey can help heal wounds and may have links to helping relieve allergies.
