Echinacea reduces antibiotics through prevention of respiratory tract infections in children: a randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial

In children, up to 30% of viral respiratory tract infections (RTIs) develop into bacterial complications associated with pneumonia, sinusitis or otitis media to trigger a tremendous need for antibiotics.

Echinaforce^® Junior tablets [400 mg freshly-harvested Echinacea purpurea alcoholic extract] or vitamin C [50mg] were applied tree times daily for the prevention of RTIs and cold days in children 4 – 12 years. 2 x 2 months of prevention were separated by a 1-week treatment break. Parents assessed respiratory symptoms in children via e-diary and collected nasal secretions for screening of respiratory pathogens (Allplex^® RT-PCR).

Overall, 429 cold days occurred with Echinacea (N_ITT=103) in comparison to 602 days with vitamin C (N_ITT=98; p<0.001, Chi-Square test). Echinacea prevented 32.5% of RTI episodes resulting in an odds ratio of OR=0.52 [95% CI, 0.30-0.91, p=0.021]. Six children (5.8%) with Echinacea required antibiotic treatment on 45 days in comparison to 15 children (15.3%) with antibiotics on 216 days in the vitamin C group, indicating a strong reduction by 76.3% (p<0.001).

Eleven (11) and 30 events of bacterial superinfections and RTI complications occurred with Echinacea and vitamin C, respectively (p<0.05). Echinacea significantly prevented influenza (3 vs. 20 detections, p<0.05) and membranous virus infections (28 vs 47 detections, p<0.05). Finally, 76 adverse events occurred with Echinacea and 105 events with vitamin C, only 3 events were related with the study medication.

Our results strongly support Echinaforce^® Junior tablets for the prevention of RTIs in children for a reduced need of antibiotics in this population.