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Complementary and alternative medicine in paediatrics: a systematic overview/synthesis of Cochrane Collaboration

Sascha Meyer1, Ludwig Gortner, Alexander Larsen

  • 1University Department of Paediatrics and Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Saarland, Homburg, Germany. sascha.meyer@uks.eu

Swiss Medical Weekly
|June 7, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Most pediatric complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) reviews are inconclusive, highlighting a need for high-quality research. Rigorous scientific standards are crucial for CAM to be accepted by mainstream medicine.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health Research
  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Efficacy
  • Evidence-Based Practice in Pediatrics

Background:

  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is frequently used by children with chronic illnesses.
  • Evidence-based medicine is critical for optimal pediatric patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review Cochrane reviews on the efficacy and clinical implications of CAM in children.
  • To synthesize evidence regarding CAM interventions for pediatric chronic conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic overview of Cochrane reviews published between 1995 and 2012.
  • Analysis of review conclusions on CAM intervention benefits, contraindications, and evidence levels.
  • Categorization of reviews by time intervals to assess trends in evidence quality.

Main Results:

  • Out of 135 reviews, only 3.7% recommended CAM interventions, while 19.4% offered conditional positive recommendations.
  • A significant majority of reviews (70.3%) were inconclusive regarding CAM efficacy.
  • The proportion of inconclusive reviews increased over time, with common criticisms including the need for more research, low methodological quality, and small sample sizes.

Conclusions:

  • The high rate of inconclusive reviews underscores the need for rigorous, high-quality research into pediatric CAM.
  • To gain acceptance in mainstream medicine, CAM interventions must meet the same scientific standards as conventional therapies.
Abstract

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