Use of complementary and alternative medicine in a general pediatric clinic.

This study looked at CAM usage by a population of parents attending a pediatric outpatient clinic at a university-affiliated general hospital in Quebec, Canada over a four week period (Jean, 2007). CAM therapies included chiropractic, naturopathy, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, Reiki/energy care, hypnosis, osteopathic manipulation, folk remedies, and any hands-on techniques to promote health. A questionnaire was completed for each child. A total of 114 children were included in the study, and 54 percent of these children had received CAM care, a higher number than reported in previous studies. The most popular forms of treatment were homeopathy, chiropractic, and naturopathy, all of which we would define as holistic systems of pediatric care. It is interesting that 39 percent of these families had sought homeopathic care for their child, a higher figure than in most other studies. The next most frequently used modality was chiropractic (24 percent), then naturopathy (23 percent). This should be encouraging and gratifying to homeopaths. The fact that most of these children presented to this clinic for chronic problems may explain the high level of holistic care and the high level of homeopathic care in this population.

Jean D, Cyr C. Use of complementary and alternative medicine in a general pediatric clinic. Pediatrics. July 2007; 120 (1):e138-e141.