Q:Can I take Prospan （which is also called Mucosolvan or German Little Green Leaf）for my child with cough?
A: Not recommended
The main ingredient of Prospan is an extract of Hedera helix. There are German studies that suggest that this pharmaceutical ingredient can reduce the severity and frequency of coughs, but these studies are of low quality and have a high risk of bias, which all of minimal clinical significance even if it works.[1]
Besides, cough is a protective reflex of the respiratory tract in human body, and the key to stopping cough is to identify the cause of cough and intervene to address the cause. As far as coughing itself is concerned, there is no need to purposely stop it unless it has a significant impact on sleep.
There are no evidence-based guidelines that recommend the use of such "medications".
