Yes - Cochrane-grade support: honey probably reduces children's cough frequency better than placebo (moderate certainty), may beat diphenhydramine, and looks roughly equivalent to dextromethorphan - without the drowsiness.
That puts a kitchen staple at the level of the pharmacy aisle for common viral cough. The rule that matters: never for babies under 12 months - infant botulism is rare, real, and severe. Pymander's escalation routing is built and tested specifically for this class of decision; see the safety architecture working paper .
What to do
Common questions
Does honey help a cough?
Yes - honey is one of the few home remedies with genuine Cochrane-grade support. The Cochrane review of honey for acute cough in children found it probably reduces cough frequency better than no treatment and better than placebo (moderate-certainty evidence), and may beat diphenhydramine - the sedating antihistamine in many OTC cough syrups; against dextromethorphan, the other common OTC ingredient, honey looked roughly equivalent. That lands honey in a strange position: an inexpensive kitchen staple performing at the level of the pharmacy aisle for the common viral cough, without the side effects - diphenhydramine made children sleepy, while honey's side effects were mild and few. The rules that matter: honey is for children over 12 months - infant botulism is a real, rare, and severe risk in babies under one year; and it treats the symptom, not the cause. Dose: a spoonful straight or in warm water before bed. Coughs that need a clinician instead: anything past 3 weeks, cough with breathing difficulty, chest pain, high fever, or blood - those are not honey questions.