The Role of Medical Honey (Medihoney) in Pediatric Medical Care: A Critical Review

Introduction The medical use of honey can be traced back a long time. The ancient Egyptians used honey for wound care. Evidence of the medical use of honey has been found in ancient scrolls, tablets and books. Sumerian clay tablets, estimated to date from 6200 BC, Egyptian papyri from 1900 to 1250 BC, Veda (Hindu script) about 5000 years old, the Holy Quran, the Talmud, both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible, the holy books of India, China, Persia and Egypt all contain references to the early discovered medical value of honey [1]. In ancient Egypt the bee product was regarded as a remedy for wounds and was a successful remedy for intestinal complaints. However, the antibacterial properties of honey were first described in 1892 by Van Keetal [2].