Usage of complementary medicine among children.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Medicine
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
• Public Health

Background:

• Complementary medicine is increasingly used in pediatric care.
• Understanding parental attitudes and usage patterns is crucial for integrated healthcare.
• Limited data exists on CAM prevalence in Australian pediatric hospital settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of complementary medicine (CM) use in pediatric inpatients.
• To explore parental attitudes towards CM for children.
• To identify correlations between CM usage and family socio-medical factors.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to parents of 120 nonsurgical pediatric inpatients at Bendigo Base Hospital.
• Hospital medical records supplemented survey data.
• Statistical analysis explored relationships between CM use and patient/family characteristics.

Main Results:

• 33% of surveyed children used CM during hospitalization; 41% used it for at least one child.
• Vitamins were the most common CM, acupuncture the least.
• CM use was not correlated with patient age, diagnosis, or admission history.
• Families using CM for children were more likely to have parents who also used CM.
• A correlation was found between pediatric CM use and inadequate vaccination status.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of pediatric inpatients are exposed to complementary medicine.
• Parental characteristics are more strongly associated with pediatric CM use than child-specific factors.
• Findings suggest a need for healthcare providers to discuss CM use with families.