Skip to main content
Log in

Meta-analysis on vitamin C and the common cold in children may be misleading

  • Letter to the Editor
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  1. Hemilä H, Chalker E (2013) Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 1:CD000980. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Vorilhon P, Arpajou B, Vaillant Roussel H, Merlin É, Pereira B, Cabaillot A (2019) Efficacy of vitamin C for the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract infection: a meta-analysis in children. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 75:303–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-018-2601-7

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Cohen HA, Varsano I, Kahan E, Sarrell EM, Uziel Y (2004) Effectiveness of an herbal preparation containing echinacea, propolis, and vitamin C in preventing respiratory tract infections in children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158:217–221. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.158.3.217

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Karsch-Völk M, Barrett B, Kiefer D, Bauer R, Ardjomand-Woelkart K, Linde K (2014) Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2:CD000530. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000530.pub3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Coulehan JL, Reisinger KS, Rogers KD, Bradley DW (1974) Vitamin C prophylaxis in a boarding school. N Engl J Med 290(1):6–10. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM197401032900102

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions [Version 5.1.0; March 2011], sections 8.9.2.2. and 16.1.3.1. http://training.cochrane.org/handbook. Accessed 16 May 2019

  7. Ludvigsson J, Hansson LO, Tibbling G (1977) Vitamin C as a preventive medicine against common colds in children. Scand J Infect Dis 9:91–98. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/897573

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Coulehan JL, Eberhard S, Kapner L, Taylor F, Rogers K, Garry P (1976) Vitamin C and acute illness in Navajo school children. N Engl J Med 295:973–977. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM197610282951802

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Ritzel G (1961) Critical evaluation of vitamin C as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent in colds [in German]. Helv Med Acta 28:63–68. Translation available at: https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/T3.pdf. Accessed 16 May 2019

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Harri Hemilä.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(PDF 756 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hemilä, H., Chalker, E. Meta-analysis on vitamin C and the common cold in children may be misleading. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 75, 1747–1748 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-019-02733-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-019-02733-x

Navigation