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Systematic Review

Phytotherapeutic, Homeopathic Interventions and Bee Products for Pediatric Infections: A Scoping Review

by
Camilla Bertoni
1,†,
Ilaria Alberti
2,†,
Niccolò Parri
3,
Carlo Virginio Agostoni
2,4,*,
Silvia Bettocchi
2,
Stefania Zampogna
5 and
Gregorio Paolo Milani
2,4
1
Department of Veterinary Sciences for Health, Animal Production and Food Safety, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
2
Pediatric Area, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
3
Department of Emergency Medicine and Trauma Center, Meyer Children’s Hospital IRCCS, 50139 Florence, Italy
4
Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
5
Department Pediatrics, Azienda Sanitaria di Crotone President of SIMEUP (Italian Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Urgency), 88900 Crotone, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
These authors equally contributed to this work.
Nutrients 2025, 17(19), 3137; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17193137
Submission received: 19 August 2025 / Revised: 24 September 2025 / Accepted: 29 September 2025 / Published: 30 September 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Clinical Nutrition)

Abstract

Background: Acute infections in children are prevalent and often lead to antibiotic overuse due to the lack of evidence-based alternative approaches. Phytotherapeutic, homeopathic treatments and bee products are frequently sought as alternative or adjunctive therapies. This scoping review aims to map the existing evidence on the efficacy and safety of these interventions in managing acute pediatric infections. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases to identify studies assessing the use of phytotherapeutic, homeopathic remedies and bee products in children with acute infections. Gastrointestinal infections were not considered since the use of non-antibiotic treatments (probiotics) in these conditions has been widely addressed. Effectiveness: Phytotherapeutic agents and bee products demonstrated promising results in reducing symptom severity and duration in respiratory infections, whereas homeopathic data were limited and inconsistent. Regarding safety, both interventions were generally well-tolerated, with few adverse events reported. No studies or very limited evidence were available for other acute infections such as urinary, dermatological, osteoarticular and nervous system infections. Conclusions: Phytotherapeutic interventions and bee products, particularly in acute upper respiratory tract and acute bronchitis, show encouraging signals of efficacy and safety in pediatric populations. However, evidence for their use in other frequent childhood infections, such as otitis media, or gastrointestinal infections, is almost entirely lacking. In addition, the available literature on homeopathic remedies is scarce and methodologically inconsistent, preventing any firm conclusions. Well-designed, large-scale clinical trials focusing on these underexplored conditions are needed to clarify the potential role of phytotherapeutics and homeopathy in pediatric infectious diseases.
Keywords: infections; children; homeopathy; phytotherapy; immunostimulants; natural remedies infections; children; homeopathy; phytotherapy; immunostimulants; natural remedies

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MDPI and ACS Style

Bertoni, C.; Alberti, I.; Parri, N.; Agostoni, C.V.; Bettocchi, S.; Zampogna, S.; Milani, G.P. Phytotherapeutic, Homeopathic Interventions and Bee Products for Pediatric Infections: A Scoping Review. Nutrients 2025, 17, 3137. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17193137

AMA Style

Bertoni C, Alberti I, Parri N, Agostoni CV, Bettocchi S, Zampogna S, Milani GP. Phytotherapeutic, Homeopathic Interventions and Bee Products for Pediatric Infections: A Scoping Review. Nutrients. 2025; 17(19):3137. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17193137

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bertoni, Camilla, Ilaria Alberti, Niccolò Parri, Carlo Virginio Agostoni, Silvia Bettocchi, Stefania Zampogna, and Gregorio Paolo Milani. 2025. "Phytotherapeutic, Homeopathic Interventions and Bee Products for Pediatric Infections: A Scoping Review" Nutrients 17, no. 19: 3137. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17193137

APA Style

Bertoni, C., Alberti, I., Parri, N., Agostoni, C. V., Bettocchi, S., Zampogna, S., & Milani, G. P. (2025). Phytotherapeutic, Homeopathic Interventions and Bee Products for Pediatric Infections: A Scoping Review. Nutrients, 17(19), 3137. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17193137

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