Honey can help in herpes simplex gingivostomatitis in children: Prospective randomized double blind placebo controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Purpose: Herpes simplex gingivostomatitis (HSGS) in children is a common painful infectious disease. This study aims to examine the combined efficacy of honey with acyclovir suspension compared to acyclovir alone for treating HSGS in young children.

Material and methods: This Randomized double blind placebo controlled study was conducted from June 2015 to September 2017 in a tertiary referral hospital. One hundred children aged 2-8 years with HSGS were randomly classified into 2 groups; study group: treated with honey plus oral acyclovir and control group: treated with oral acyclovir alone. Severity of oral lesions, Fever, eating and drinking ability, pain scores and need for analgesics were compared between 2 groups on day 3, 5 and 7 after starting treatment.

Results: Children receiving honey plus acyclovir (i.e. study group) had significantly earlier disappearance of herpetic oral lesions; median 3 days vs. 6 days in control group (P = 0.022), drooling; 2 days vs. 4 days (P = 0.030) and eating difficulty; 3 days vs. 8 days (P = 0.001). Study group also had significantly lower pain scores, better eating and drinking ability and significantly less need for analgesics at 3 time-points of assessment. Fever disappeared in both groups with no statistically significant difference.

Conclusions: The combined use of honey with oral acyclovir can produce favorable outcome than acyclovir alone in children with Primary herpetic gingivostomatitis.