Few Kids Get Alternative Medicine

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Few Kids Get Alternative Medicine

1 minute ago Health - HealthDay

TUESDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDayNews) -- Many pediatricians don't feel

comfortable discussing or recommending complementary and alternative

(CAM) therapies for their patients, says a Wake Forest University

Baptist Medical Center study in the November issue of Ambulatory

Pediatrics.

The survey of 750 members of the American Academy of Pediatrics revealed

that lack of knowledge about CAM therapies and concerns about side

effects or delays in seeking medical care were the main reasons

pediatricians were reluctant to recommend CAM therapies.

" Fewer than 5 percent said they were knowledgeable about CAM therapies

and the majority were only somewhat familiar with widely used therapies

such as dietary supplements, chiropractic or massage therapies, " study

author and pediatrician Dr. Kathi J. Kemper said in a prepared

statement.

During routine office visits, most of the pediatricians asked more than

75 percent of their patients about their use of prescription and

non-prescription drugs. But the pediatricians were far less likely to

ask patients about their use of herbs, special diets, dietary

supplement, or care from chiropractors, massage therapists or

acupuncturists.

But the survey found that 87 percent of patients had asked their

pediatricians about CAM therapies in the previous three months.

" More than 60 percent of pediatricians surveyed felt that CAM therapies

could enhance recovery or relieve symptoms. However, we need to provide

resources for pediatricians to help educate them about the pros and cons

of individual CAM therapies to allow them to answer their patient's

questions and plan their treatment, " Kemper said.

More information

The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Therapy has

more about CAM.

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/

Carol in IL

Mom to  seven kids,  twin grandson's and , 4 DS

" Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain. " Psalm 127

 

My problem is not how I look, it's how you see me