any experts out there on ecchinecea?

[mad4mybaby]

Sorry have prob not spelt properly but have found some that i can give my 2 yr old and the woman in the shop said i can give it to him all the time. (i Just want it for the autumn and that ds has just started pre school and wanted to keep illness to min with a new baby on way).

Any way my sister says she was told that you shouldnt take it for more than 2 weeks at a time. Anyone shed some light?

I think it is spelt echinacea and I just googled it and got this:
[[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3256026.stm 'echinacea does not treat colds']
I tried to keep illnesses to a min last year when DS started pre-school and DS2 was 6 months, and nothing stopped him getting endless colds/coughs etc. This year I am trying a multivitamin, lots of satsumas, and washing hands more!
I do remember something about echinacea not being effective if taken constantly - I think the suggestion was you take it if someone in the family gets a cold to give the immune system a boost to prevent catching that cold, but don't know if it works.

Oh bother link didn't work!

NO evidence that it works.

I personally would be a bit iffy about giving something medicinal abeit 'herbal' and 'natural' that hadn't been subjected to to the same rigorous safety and efficacy testing that standard medicines have to undergo before they get a licence (especially in children).

The advice I was given was to give DS echinacea (and Sambucol Children's which I've found really effective too) whenever I notice him start to get a cold, but stop after 2 weeks. They seem to help stop his colds turning into raging chest infections like they always used to. If you're using the drops for your 2 yo I find mine won't take it in water or juice, I have to disguise it in Ribena, which seems to mask the weird taste a bit better!

Does anyone know if it is safe in pregnancy?