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Complementary and alternative medicine use among children in the Washington, DC area
M C Ottolini1, E K Hamburger, J O Loprieato
1Children's National Medical Center Pediatric Research Network and Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20010, USA. Mottolin@cnmc.org
Insights
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in children is prevalent, with 21% of children treated by parents without pediatrician consultation. Common CAM therapies include vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
- Public Health
Background:
- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly utilized by the general population.
- Understanding the patterns of CAM use in pediatric populations is crucial for integrated healthcare approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and reasons for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among children.
- To identify factors associated with CAM use in pediatric patients within the Washington, DC area.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents at four pediatric practices affiliated with Children's National Medical Center.
- Data collected included parental demographics, child health concerns, healthcare satisfaction, and CAM usage over the preceding year.
Main Results:
- 21% of parents reported using CAM for their child in the past year, with parental CAM use being a significant predictor.
- Commonly used CAM therapies included vitamin supplementation (over 50%), nutritional supplements, elimination diets, and herbal therapies (over 40%).
- A significant majority (81%) of pediatric CAM users desired to discuss treatments with their pediatrician, yet only 36% did so.
Conclusions:
- The use of CAM for children is common and often occurs without the pediatrician's awareness or input.
- This highlights a critical gap in communication between parents and healthcare providers regarding pediatric CAM use.
Objective:
To determine the prevalence and reasons for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among children in primary pediatric care practice in the Washington, DC area.
Design:
Cross-sectional survey of parents at 4 Children's National Medical Center Pediatric Research Network (PRN) practices from July 1998 through November 1998. Survey information included demographics, child health problems, satisfaction with health care, and CAM use over the past year.
Results:
Parents completed 348 surveys. Forty percent (138) of parents were CAM users themselves, whereas 21% (72) had treated their child with CAM over the past year. Factors positively associated with child CAM use included parents' use of CAM (P <.0001); greater parent age (P =.0005); greater child age (P =.001); and complaints of frequent respiratory illnesses, asthma, headaches, and nosebleeds. Ethnicity and parental education were not associated with child CAM use. Over 50% of pediatric CAM users reported specific vitamin supplementation, whereas 25% used other nutritional supplements or elimination diets, and over 40% used herbal therapies. Thirty-two percent of CAM users had visited a CAM practitioner; 81% of pediatric CAM users would have liked to discuss it with their pediatrician, but only 36% did so.
Conclusion:
Treatment of children with CAM is common and is frequently undertaken by parents without the knowledge or advice of their pediatrician.
