Use of complementary and alternative medicine in children

2017-08-29 15:09:15

This study was conducted to evaluate use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Australian children ^[1]. Questions addressed demographic factors, socio-economic status, conventional health service use, including vaccination status and use of CAM. The results showed that almost 74% of parents had taken their child to a visit to a CAM practitioner. The two most frequently visited CAM practitioners were naturopath/herbalist (30.4%) and chiropractor (18.4%). The most commonly used products were vitamins/minerals (61.7%), and herbal medicine (38.8%). Children had also consulted with a general practitioner (89.8%), community health nurse (31.29%) and paediatrician (30.3%) over the same period. A total of 52% of parents did not disclose their child’s use of CAM to their medical provider. The authors conclude that despite a lack of high quality research for efficacy and safety, many children are using CAM products and practices in parallel with conventional health services, often without disclosure.