Children's Medicines by Edward A. Bell

Author:Edward A. Bell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Published: 2017-04-08T04:00:00+00:00

Complementary and Alternative Medicines

The term complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used to describe a group of diverse medical and health care therapies and practices that are not considered to be part of conventional, or western, medicine. CAM is also referred to as holistic or integrative medicine. There are many forms of CAM, including herbal medicines, probiotics, homeopathy, acupuncture, hypnosis, meditation, and yoga, among many others. Some of these therapies, such as herbals and probiotics, are taken orally as capsules, tablets, or as powder formulations. Herbal medicines (such as echinacea), probiotics, and melatonin are products commonly available in many pharmacies and can be purchased without a prescription. The term “supplements” is also used to describe these alternative orally administered products. The FDA defines dietary supplements as herbal products, vitamins, minerals, and other dietary substances.

CAM therapies are commonly used in the pediatric population. The National Health Interview Survey, a large survey of representative US households conducted in 2012 (17,321 interviews) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), evaluated CAM use in children 4 to 17 years of age. This survey revealed that CAM therapies were used by 11.6 percent of children. CAM therapies are used to treat anxiety, musculoskeletal conditions, recurrent headaches, and colds in both children and adults. Parents who use CAM therapies themselves are most likely to use them with their children. The supplements most commonly used in 2012 by children 4 to 17 years of age were fish oil, melatonin, probiotics, and echinacea. Some parents give fish oil to their children with attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (see chapter 4 for more on this topic). Melatonin, probiotics, and echinacea are discussed below.

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