CONTEXT: OBJECTIVES: To systematically summarize effectiveness and safety of different herbal treatment options for gastrointestinal disorders in children. DATA SOURCES: Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched through July 15, 2016. STUDY SELECTION: DATA EXTRACTION: Two authors extracted data on study design, patients, interventions, control interventions, results, adverse events, and risk of bias. RESULTS: Fourteen trials with 1927 participants suffering from different acute and functional gastrointestinal disorders were included in this review. Promising evidence for effectiveness was found for Potentilla erecta, carob bean juice, and an herbal compound preparation including Matricaria chamomilla in treating diarrhea. Moreover, evidence was found for peppermint oil in decreasing duration, frequency, and severity of pain in children suffering from undifferentiated functional abdominal pain. Furthermore, evidence for effectiveness was found for different fennel preparations (eg, oil, tea, herbal compound) in treating children with infantile colic. No serious adverse events were reported. LIMITATIONS: CONCLUSIONS: Because of the limited number of studies, results have to be interpreted carefully. To underpin evidence outlined in this review, more rigorous clinical trials are needed.
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