Background: Two recent epidemiological studies have reported that children using non-feather pillows suffered from more frequent episodes of wheeze than those using feather pillows
Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of using feather bedding in the control of asthma symptoms.
Search strategy: The Cochrane Airways Group asthma clinical trials register, derived from MEDLINE, EMBASE and hand searching of major journals, was searched using the terms: feather OR bed* OR linen* OR pillow
Selection criteria: Only randomised or controlled clinical trials were to be included.
Data collection and analysis: No trials met the inclusion criteria for the review.
Main results: 126 abstracts were identified. Ten of these were identified as possibly meeting the entry criteria, but on review of the full paper not were suitable. The reasons for exclusion were: not a randomised trial (n=6); allocation of bedding type combined with another intervention (n=4).
Reviewer's conclusions: Whilst recent epidemiological studies suggest that feather bedding is associated with less frequent wheeze than man-made fibre fillings, the evidence currently available is insufficient to assess the clinical benefits of feather bedding in the management of asthma.