Topical Application of Honey to Prevent Chemotherapy-induced Mucositis in Children with Leukemia

Introduction: Oral mucositis is one of the common side effects in patients under chemotherapy, which can cause pain, discomfort, and infection. This study aimed to compare the effect of topical honey and chamomileZamen1 on preventing chemotherapy-induced mucositis in children with leukemia. Materials and Methods: This single-blinded, randomized clinical trial was performed on 40 patients who aged 1-14 years and were under chemotherapy. The patients were assigned into four groups of positive control (chlorhexidine mouthwash), negative control (normal saline), intervention one (honey mouthwash), and intervention two (MC). All the groups were matched regarding the number, age, and gender of the participants. In each group, sterile gauzes dipped in the desired mouthwash were rubbed on the mucosal surface of cheek, palate, and tongue. During the first, seventh, and fourteenth day’s post-chemotherapy the oral cavities of children were examined in terms of oral mucositis according to the criteria issued by the World Health Organization. All the data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests using SPSS. PResults: The findings demonstrated that no developed on the first day of examination in patients of all the groups. On the seventh day, mucositis was not observed except in the normal saline group (30% mild, 30% moderate). Moreover, mucusitis did not develop even on the fourteenth day except in the normal saline group (100% mild). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, topical application of honey might be effective in preventing chemotherapy-induced mucositis in children with leukemia.