At a time when federal advisories on drug risks and side effects are common and health-care costs often high, you might be tempted to turn to home remedies to treat your children.

Sometimes parents can soothe children's symptoms just by using something from the pantry — perhaps learned from their mother or grandmother.

"Each culture has its own little set of remedies that they use; it's just part of the upbringing," says Dr. Lynn Smitherman, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Wayne State University in Detroit and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Families are "using a combination of both modern medicines and some of the traditional remedies that they've used in the past because they trust (them), they're easy to get to and they're inexpensive."

But it's always wise to err on the side of caution and to use a healthy dose of common sense, even if the homespun approach has been passed down through the family or culture.

If it doesn't sound right, "definitely raise it with a physician ... and open the door to have a healthy discussion," says Smitherman.

HOME REMEDIES CAN HARM

In a study reported in the December issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, honey turned out to be an effective treatment for children and youths, ages 2 to 18, suffering from coughing and sleep difficulties from upper-respiratory tract infections.

But sometimes, home remedies can be downright harmful to children. For example, although honey generally is considered safe, it can lead to botulism in children younger than 1, doctors warn.

Another no-no is treating feverish children with alcohol baths.

"A lot of people will give a kid an alcohol bath," says Dr. Judy Theriot, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville. "You don't want them to do that, especially if it's a young child, because (the child) can get toxic, and it's not going to work."

Parents also have been known to put bicarbonate of soda — also known as baking soda — into the bottles of colicky infants, but that can lead to a trip to the emergency room, Smitherman says.

"We've had kids come in with bicarbonate poisoning," she says. " It gives you a good burp and everything, but with babies being so small, too much in the system can make them have seizures or other problems."

REPORT PROBLEMS

If a child develops a bad reaction from a home remedy, the problem should be reported to a health-care provider right away and the type of treatment divulged.

"Usually, as a physician, when we see a sick child, we're kind of going through the possibilities," and a home remedy might not come to mind immediately as the likely cause, but if you mention it, then the doctor can say, 'OK, that's fine. Now I know what to do,' " Smitherman says.

It's also wise to see a physician if your child's condition doesn't seem to be improving with home treatment or in a reasonable amount of time, such as seven to 10 days for a cold.

Some home remedies can cause harm without causing obvious symptoms. For instance, lead poisoning, which is potentially deadly but often unnoticed, can result from traditional folk medicines used by East Indian, Indian, Middle Eastern, West Asian and Hispanic cultures, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Greta and Azarcon, which are both fine orange powders used in the Hispanic culture for upset stomach, diarrhea and other illnesses, have a lead content as high as 90 percent, according to the CDC. Others that might contain lead include the Indian remedy Ghasard, a brown powder used as a tonic, and Ba-baw-san, a Chinese herbal remedy used for colic and to pacify children.

"Lead poisoning from folk remedies can cause illness and even death," whether it's been put into the product on purpose or is a byproduct of production, the CDC warns.

DOS, DON'TS AND BE-CAREFULS

Here's the scoop on using home remedies to treat children:

USE WITH CARE

• Honey: Buckwheat honey, a dark type of honey, compared favorably with the drug dextromethorphan, a common ingredient in over-the-counter cough syrups, in a Pennsylvania State University study. The honey was given 30 minutes before bed.

• Saltwater for nasal congestion: For stuffy noses, drops of nasal saline are a good way to soften mucus so that it can be removed with a suction bulb or by blowing the nose. Dr. Mirzada Kurbasic, a pediatrician at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, Ky., suggests making the saline from scratch by putting a half-teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water. Put drops in one nostril at a time.

• Saltwater gargle: For a sore throat, Dr. Judy Theriot, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville, recommends a half-teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water. The child must be old enough to gargle the solution and then spit it out. If not, he or she might throw up from swallowing it.

• Humidifier: Humidifiers can be helpful for coughs, but make sure you use cool mist, not warm mist, and be scrupulous about cleaning it.

• Prunes: These fruits can be helpful for constipation. "You can tell a kid it's just a big, fat raisin, and they eat it and it actually tastes good," Theriot says.

• Chicken soup: "It'll help clear up your nose because of the steam from the soup, and it's usually mild ... so it'll settle a stomach and it'll give (children) fluids and a little bit of nutrition," Theriot says.

• Chamomile tea: This can soothe a stomachache, but some children are allergic, Theriot says. Ginger ale also may work, she says.

• B.R.A.T. diet: In some instances of diarrhea, older children can be helped by a short-term diet of banana, rice, apple and toast. This would be given just for a day or so, says Kurbasic.

• Sweet oil: Dr. Carol Steltenkamp of Kentucky Children's Hospital says people sometimes treat painful earaches by putting warm sweet oil into the ear. But this might make it difficult for the doctor to see the eardrum the next day, she says, and warming the oil is risky because it's difficult to gauge the temperature.

NOT RECOMMENDED

• Rubs: Be sure a child doesn't ingest substances, such as camphor, that are used for rubs, Kurbasic says. Also, be sure not to put something into the nose that's intended as a chest rub, says Steltenkamp, citing menthol as an example.

• Raw garlic: Don't bother with this bogus cure for the flu, Theriot says.

• Butter: Don't apply this to burns. "Fat will hold the heat in and will make it hurt more and not heal up as well," Theriot says.

• Gripe water and hot toddies: These often contain alcohol, which is dangerous to children.

• Urine in the baby's ear: Don't try this hackneyed remedy for earaches, Theriot says.

• Herbs and supplements: You don't know how a child will respond to an herbal ingredient. Zinc can lead to diarrhea in kids, and echinacea hasn't been proven to shorten the duration of colds.

WORKING WITH YOUR DOCTOR

Here are some ways that parents and doctors can work together to make sure children aren't harmed by home remedies:

• Don't hide the fact that you use home remedies or folk remedies.

• Don't hesitate to call your child's doctor before proceeding with a home remedy you're considering, even if it was suggested by a trusted relative or friend, who may be unaware of the risks.

• Use common sense. Don't use methods you're unsure about or that sound risky or far-fetched.

• Contact the doctor if you notice negative side effects or if the child's condition isn't improving. Also, if the child is a few months old and has a fever, contact the doctor.

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