Latest news with #NorazlinKamalNor
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
No evidence to support use of warm betel leaves applied to babies' skin to treat phlegm
"This is the second time I've done this for a baby. After a week of phlegm/runny nose. Finally today it's gradually gone," reads part of a Malay-language Facebook post about a purported treatment for excessive mucus in infants on March 11. The post claims warming betel leaves with a candle or over the stove, then applying them onto a baby's chest and back will make phlegm and snot "disappear". The folk remedy circulated online as early as 2018 and resurfaced in 2023 and in 2025. But there is no scientific evidence as yet to support the claim, said paediatricians. "Currently, there are inadequate evidence-based and well-researched studies that conclusively show the benefits of placing warm betel leaves on babies' skin to reduce respiratory symptoms, such as excessive secretions or cough," said Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia senior consultant paediatrician Dr Norazlin Kamal Nor (archived link). Mucus or phlegm in infants may be due to upper or lower respiratory tract conditions that can range in severity from mild to severe and treatment depends on the underlying diagnosis, she told AFP on April 2. "Some conditions may need antibiotics like bacterial infections, while others may only require supportive management," she said. Similarly, Dr Faisal Mohd Fadzli, a consultant paediatrician at Malaysia's KPJ Tawakkal KL Specialist Hospital, told AFP on March 21 there is no good scientific evidence supporting the remedy (archived link). "Applying this unproven treatment might hinder or delay the appropriate treatment and management of the condition, and delay might cause the condition to become more severe." Both doctors said the safety of using warmed betel leaves in this way and any potential adverse effects must be assessed, as there is a risk of contact allergies or danger of burns from applying overly hot leaves. There could be potential pathogens on the leaves as well, they said. AFP has previously fact-checked other folk remedies here and here.
AFP
04-04-2025
- Health
- AFP
No evidence to support use of warm betel leaves applied to babies' skin to treat phlegm
"This is the second time I've done this for a baby. After a week of phlegm/runny nose. Finally today it's gradually gone," reads part of a Malay-language Facebook post about a purported treatment for excessive mucus in infants on March 11. The post claims warming betel leaves with a candle or over the stove, then applying them onto a baby's chest and back will make phlegm and snot "disappear". Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken April 2, 2025 The folk remedy circulated online as early as 2018 and resurfaced in 2023 and in 2025. But there is no scientific evidence as yet to support the claim, said paediatricians. 'Inadequate evidence-based studies' "Currently, there are inadequate evidence-based and well-researched studies that conclusively show the benefits of placing warm betel leaves on babies' skin to reduce respiratory symptoms, such as excessive secretions or cough," said Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia senior consultant paediatrician Dr Norazlin Kamal Nor (archived link). Mucus or phlegm in infants may be due to upper or lower respiratory tract conditions that can range in severity from mild to severe and treatment depends on the underlying diagnosis, she told AFP on April 2. "Some conditions may need antibiotics like bacterial infections, while others may only require supportive management," she said. Similarly, Dr Faisal Mohd Fadzli, a consultant paediatrician at Malaysia's KPJ Tawakkal KL Specialist Hospital, told AFP on March 21 there is no good scientific evidence supporting the remedy (archived link). "Applying this unproven treatment might hinder or delay the appropriate treatment and management of the condition, and delay might cause the condition to become more severe." Both doctors said the safety of using warmed betel leaves in this way and any potential adverse effects must be assessed, as there is a risk of contact allergies or danger of burns from applying overly hot leaves. There could be potential pathogens on the leaves as well, they said. AFP has previously fact-checked other folk remedies here and here.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Paediatricians warn against using onion fumes as cough remedy
"This is said to be a tip to get rid of coughing in children. Slice the onion thinly, (then) attach it to a fan so that we can breathe in the fragrant air of the onion," reads a Malay-language Facebook post in a group with more than 200,000 members on January 21. The folk remedy has circulated as early as 2017, resurfacing in 2019. It was shared again on Facebook in 2025. However, paediatricians told AFP it was not supported by science and studies on the effects of inhaling onion-scented air for cough relief are limited and not robust enough. "Studies of the specific practice of inhaling onion scent or vapours as therapeutic use for cough relief has limited scientific evidence, especially in children," said Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia senior consultant paediatrician Dr Norazlin Kamal Nor on February 12 (archived link). Although onions contain bioactive compounds previously shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant benefits, the studies were not robust enough to support the use of onion fumes to treat coughing, Norazlin said. Existing research on onions' benefits were conducted in test tubes rather than on humans and were not strong enough to support any therapeutic use, said Dr Faisal Mohd Fadzli, a consultant paediatrician at Malaysia's KPJ Tawakkal KL Specialist Hospital (archived link). "A lot of this claimed 'scientific evidence' derived their claims from studies looking at certain chemicals that are contained in onions such as quercetin which showed to have anti-inflammatory effects... it is not strong enough evidence," he told AFP on March 6. Both paediatricians added that coughs, particularly chronic ones, could be a symptom of more serious underlying conditions in children such as asthma and infections like tuberculosis and influenza. Parents should seek the advice of licensed medical practitioners when a child's cough does not improve or worsens, they said. AFP has previously fact-checked other folk remedies here and here.
AFP
07-03-2025
- Health
- AFP
Paediatricians warn against using onion fumes as cough remedy
"This is said to be a tip to get rid of coughing in children. Slice the onion thinly, (then) attach it to a fan so that we can breathe in the fragrant air of the onion," reads a Malay-language Facebook post in a group with more than 200,000 members on January 21. Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken March 6, 2025 The folk remedy has circulated as early as 2017, resurfacing in 2019. It was shared again on Facebook in 2025. However, paediatricians told AFP it was not supported by science and studies on the effects of inhaling onion-scented air for cough relief are limited and not robust enough. Limited scientific evidence "Studies of the specific practice of inhaling onion scent or vapours as therapeutic use for cough relief has limited scientific evidence, especially in children," said Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia senior consultant paediatrician Dr Norazlin Kamal Nor on February 12 (archived link). Although onions contain bioactive compounds previously shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant benefits, the studies were not robust enough to support the use of onion fumes to treat coughing, Norazlin said. Existing research on onions' benefits were conducted in test tubes rather than on humans and were not strong enough to support any therapeutic use, said Dr Faisal Mohd Fadzli, a consultant paediatrician at Malaysia's KPJ Tawakkal KL Specialist Hospital (archived link). "A lot of this claimed 'scientific evidence' derived their claims from studies looking at certain chemicals that are contained in onions such as quercetin which showed to have anti-inflammatory effects... it is not strong enough evidence," he told AFP on March 6. Both paediatricians added that coughs, particularly chronic ones, could be a symptom of more serious underlying conditions in children such as asthma and infections like tuberculosis and influenza. Parents should seek the advice of licensed medical practitioners when a child's cough does not improve or worsens, they said. AFP has previously fact-checked other folk remedies here and here.
