Saline Nasal Wash Helps Kids Fight Colds, Flu

Compliance, however, may become an issue outside the context of a clinical study. "They did it six times a day," DeWitt pointed out. "How many parents are going to do that six times a day?"

The trial was funded by French company Goemar Laboratoires, which makes the product, Physiomer, that used in the study.

"As far as I know, Physiomer is not available in the U.S. It is the leading brand in Europe," Skoupa said. "The manufacturing process uses electro-dialysis (not simple dilution of seawater) to achieve isotonicity. This results in preserving the majority of minerals and trace elements in similar concentrations to seawater from the Atlantic Ocean."

An isotonic solution has the same concentration of salt as the human body.

"I would not just simply expect a normal saline solution to be the same thing," DeWitt said.

More information

The Medical College of Wisconsin has more on respiratory infections in children.

SOURCES: Jana Skoupa, M.D., Pharma Projects, Prague, Czech Republic; Jonathan Field, M.D., emeritus director, pediatric allergy and asthma clinic, New York University/Bellevue Medical Center, New York City; Tom DeWitt, M.D., director, general pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; January 2008Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery