Kids Use Alternative Medicine - Regular Doctors Still Don't Communicate Well

Two studies published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood highlight two significant observations. The first is that quite large numbers of children are consumers of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM). The second highlights the perennial issue of communication between doctors and their patients.

Indeed both studies found that parents and their children were unlikely to discuss CAM use with their doctors. It is true that communication is the responsibility of all parties concerned but it seems reasonable that prime responsibility rests with the professional whose performance competency is contingent on truely successful communication.

One study explored the use of CAM by children seen at pediatric hospitals in Cardiff , Wales, U.K. and Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Dr. Colin V. E. Powell, from University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and his associates interviewed approximately 500 children and their parents attending a major specialist hospital in Cardiff and also in Melbourne. They found CAM was used by 41 per cent of patients in Cardiff and 51 per cent in Melbourne.

Powell and his team found that Cardiff patients were less likely to use specific medicinal CAM, such as vitamins and minerals, herbs, or naturopathy, as well as non-medicinal CAM, such as chiropractic and therapeutic massage. Significantly, only about one third of patients or their parents reported CAM use to their doctors.

A different study by Dr. L. J. McCann from University College London and Dr. S. J. Newell from St. James's University Hospital in Leeds found that children with chronic diseases were three times more likely to use CAM than healthy children. The researchers interviewed parents of 25 children with cerebral palsy, 25 with inflammatory bowel disease, 25 with cancer, and 25 healthy "controls" regarding CAM use.

They found that children with chronic illnesses were significantly more likely to use CAM than their healthy counterparts -- 40 per cent versus 12 per cent. The sick children were also more likely to use complementary medications (21 per cent versus 4 per cent) -- primarily Echinacea, and herbal and Chinese remedies. They also observed that 55 per cent of parents whose children were using CAM had not discussed the issue with their doctor.