Use of complementary and alternative therapies in infants under 3 months in Jordan

The use of complementary and alternative medicine in infants to maintain health and treat illnesses is popular in Jordan. No guidelines or regulations govern their use.

This study explored mothers' knowledge and use of complementary and alternative therapies for infants younger than 3 months in Jordan and their reasons for using these remedies.

This was a cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of mothers of babies born in 2015 in Jordan. Data were collected using a questionnaire posted on six Facebook groups that target mothers in Jordan. Mothers were asked about their use of several complementary and alternative therapies for different conditions.

Of 1028 questionnaires received, 520 were included in the analysis. Most mothers (81.3%) were 18-29 years old and had a university degree (78.3%). Most knew about the use of the complementary and alternative medicines for bloating/ colic but had never used them. Of the medicines used for bloating/colic, aniseed was most often used (by 70.2% of mothers). Aniseed was also used by 60.8% of mothers to help their baby sleep and by 48.1% for constipation. The main reasons for using these remedies were availability at home (60.4%) and social acceptability of their use (55.4%). The main sources of information about these medicines were older female relatives (78.1%) and social media (56.0%).

The use of complementary and alternative medicines for babies is common in Jordan. Efforts are needed to increase awareness among mothers of the risks, side-effects and efficacy of complementary and alternative therapies in infants.