Abstract

MEDICINAL PLANTS IN PEDIATRIC CARE: A CURSE OR BLESSING?

Sidney Muzyamba*, Malimba Chileshe, Mutale Violet, Kalirajan Arunachalam and Masule Emmanuel

ABSTRACT

The use of medicinal plants in pediatric care has gained popularity asan alternative or supplement to conventional treatments options.Herbal medicine (HM), which includes plants herbal ingredients,preparations, and finished products, has been increasingly popularamong people of all ages in recent years. Medicinal herbs have longbeen used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory diseases,gastrointestinal problems, skin disorders, fevers, infections, and sleepdifficulties in children. This review thus, determined to focus ondrawing attention to some medicinal plants being used to manage ortreat numerous disorders associated with children and adolescentswhile also shading light on clinical evidence of those that have reachedclinical trial phase as well as highlighting the safety concernsassociated with use of these medicinal plants in children in particular. Furthermore, thereview presents laboratory studies of some medicinal plants that are been successfullyutilized in pediatric care which may make excellent future drug candidates. Despite theintriguing potential of medicinal plants, the review highlights gaps in current research andadvocates for additional rigorous clinical studies focusing on pediatric use. This study intendsto advance our understanding of medicinal plants in pediatric care, contributing to thedevelopment of safe, effective, and accessible treatment alternatives for children's health,enabling better acceptance and integration of phytotherapy in mainstream pediatric medicine.

Keywords: Pediatric, Phytotherapy, Herb–herb combination, Gastrointestinal problems, Medicinal plants.