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Cranberry use among pediatric nephrology patients
Elizabeth A Super1, Kathi J Kemper, Charles Woods
1Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
Summary
Parents frequently give cranberry products to children with kidney disease, especially for recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI). However, most parents do not discuss this with their doctor, highlighting a need for more research on cranberry
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Urology
Background:
- Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) are common in children.
- Complementary therapies are often used for recurrent childhood illnesses.
- Cranberry product use in children with renal disease is not well-understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and parental perceptions of cranberry product use in children with renal disease.
- To determine if cranberry use differs between children with rUTI and other renal conditions.
Main Methods:
- Anonymous, cross-sectional survey of parents in a pediatric nephrology clinic.
- Data collected from June 1, 2004, to August 13, 2004.
- Survey focused on cranberry product usage for various renal conditions.
Main Results:
- 29% of parents reported giving cranberry products therapeutically to their children.
- Cranberry use was significantly higher in children with rUTI (65%) compared to other renal conditions (23%).
- Most parents perceived cranberry as beneficial, with few reporting side effects; only 23% discussed use with a physician.
Conclusions:
- Cranberry products are commonly used by children in pediatric nephrology clinics and are perceived as beneficial by parents.
- There is a significant gap in physician-parent communication regarding cranberry use.
- Further randomized controlled trials are necessary to establish the efficacy of cranberry for rUTI in pediatric populations.