Children with asthma or hay fever may benefit from an immunotherapy treatment in which they place a single grass pollen tablet under their tongue every day, according to new research.

A German team of scientists sought to explore whether these tablets could help children suffering from these conditions to reduce their symptoms and need less medication.

Some 253 subjects were involved in the experiment, which saw asthma symptoms decline by 64 percent and hay fever symptoms by 24 percent among those taking the grass pollen tablet, compared with the results in the placebo group.

The findings, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, also indicated that the grass pollen group required 34 percent less medication at the end of the study.

Dr Albrecht Bufe and colleagues said that more research would be needed to assess the long-term effect of these tablets.

“Just as with adults, this immunotherapy with the tablet being placed under the tongue is also very promising in children,” Bufe commented.

Hay fever affects approximately one in five people, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some people have found relief by using herbal supplements or alternative therapies, such as acupuncture.