title: Homeopathic medicines for prevention of influenza and acute respiratory tract infections in children: blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Influenza and its complications are common at all ages, especially in children. Vaccines and anti-influenza drugs aim to prevent it. Preventative approaches with favorable risk profiles should be considered for flu, particularly since the evidence of the efficacy of anti-viral drugs is debated.
  
  
  METHODS
  This pragmatic clinical trial was conducted in the Brazilian Public Health System in Petrópolis (BPHSP) with children aged from 1 to 5 years old. The medications used were mainly selected based on in vitro experiments (InfluBio), and in successful qualitative clinical experiences (Homeopathic Complex). Following informed parental consent, subjects were randomly distributed, in a blind manner, to three experimental groups: Homeopathic Complex, Placebo, and InfluBio. BPHSP health agents collected flu and acute respiratory infection symptomatic episodes monthly following the established protocol. The number of these episodes was registered in one year (2009-2010).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 600 children recruited, 445 (74.17%) completed the study (149: Homeopathic complex; 151: Placebo; 145: InfluBio). The number of flu and acute respiratory infection symptomatic episodes detected in this clinical trial was low; however, it was different between homeopathic groups and placebo (p < 0.001). In the first year post-intervention, 46/151 (30.5%) of children in the placebo group developed 3 or more flu and acute respiratory infection episodes, while there was no episode in the group of 149 children who used Homeopathic Complex, and only 1 episode in the group of 145 (1%) children who received InfluBio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggested that the use of homeopathic medicines minimized the number of flu and acute respiratory infection symptomatic episodes in children, signalizing that the homeopathic prophylactic potential should be investigated in further studies.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicamentos-Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Monteiro
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicamentos-Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fortune
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Homsani
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Venício Féo
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: da Veiga
authors.affiliation: Instituto Roberto Costa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lyrio
authors.affiliation: Instituto Evandro Chagas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Haroldo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mattos
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sonia Regina Lambert
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Passos
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Nelson
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Couceiro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicamentos-Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: cholandino@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carla Holandino
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Quaresma
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease / Q000628:therapy; D001938:Brazil; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006705:Homeopathy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008419:Materia Medica / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D008419:Materia Medica
keywords: Clinical trial; Flu; Homeopathic medicines; Influenza