99% doctors have recommended natural remedies for children
Staff Writer |
A new international study of 582 paediatric physicians has found almost all have prescribed or recommended a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for a child in the last year.
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99% of the doctors involved in the study – Usage and attitudes towards homeopathy and natural remedies in general paediatrics: a cross-country overview – had recommended a natural remedy and 76% a homeopathic medicine.
Side effects, when compared to conventional medications, were a key driver for doctors’ decision making; 70% associated homeopathic preparations with a lower risk of side effects and 60% for natural medicines.
The study showed that in homeopathy a key indication is teething: 37% of doctors stated a frequent use. 53% of doctors frequently advocated natural remedies for upper respiratory tract infections, 45% for infant colic and 33% for sleep disturbances.
The study confirms an increased global interest n alternative remedies for children. In fact, this study highlights a higher usage of CAM than for conventional drugs.
CAM – comprised of vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS), phytotherapy (extracts of natural origin) and homeopathy in this study – accounted for 57% of doctors’ recommendations compared to 43% for conventional drugs in the same time period.
Doctors’ personal use of CAM was an indicator of their willingness to prescribe or recommend these treatments in paediatric patients (53% had personally used natural remedies, 66% dietary supplements and 43% homeopathic preparations in the 24 months prior to the study).
81% of paediatric doctors and general practitioners who took part in the study said they feel comfortable discussing CAM with parents and parent values highly influenced doctors.
52% of doctors involved in the study reported recommending CAM for children of parents who prefer natural or homeopathic remedies themselves.
Across all countries, significantly more physicians recommended CAM where parents expressed concerns over conventional drugs. Parents worried about side effects (51%) and efficacy of conventional drugs (39%) influenced doctors’ recommendations.
Interestingly one in five doctors (21%) would recommend a natural or homeopathic remedy if the parents had a higher education level. ■
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