- 99% Doctors Have Recommended Natural Remedies for Children
- 76% of doctors have also recommended homeopathic medicine for a child
- Doctors advocated complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) where they associated a lower risk of side effects compared to conventional medications
- Doctors involved in the study reported a higher usage of CAM than conventional drugs
KARLSRUHE, Germany : A new international study1 of 582 paediatric physicians published today has found almost all have prescribed or recommended a complementary and alternative medicine2 (CAM) for a child in the last year. 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. Study lead Professor André-Michael Beer, head physician of the Department of Natural Medicine in Blankenstein Hospital, Germany, comments: “Evidence suggests an increased use of natural medicine prescribing in children, but this study shows us, for the first time, the almost universal acceptance of complementary medicine and the factors influencing doctors’ decision making.”
“It is interesting to note that the doctors in the study who use CAM themselves are more likely to recommend it for their patients. They know from personal experience that these medicines help. Often sceptics of homeopathic and natural remedies are those who have never tried these medicines themselves.”
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. Dr María Pilar Riveros-Huckstadt, a paediatrician at the Centro de Salud La Cala in Mijas Costa, Spain, adds: “In paediatrics, it is good for doctors to have other options such as homeopathy and natural remedies to recommend for mild ailments such as infant colic and teething that avoid the potential side effects of conventional treatments. These natural remedies are effective and can positively impact the quality of life for young children and their families.”
For which illnesses is CAM recommended?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.
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. Dr Riveros-Huckstadt explains: “Physicians should feel comfortable discussing the variety of approaches – conventional and natural – so parents can make informed choices to suit the individual needs of the child.”
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.
Recognition of the benefits of homeopathyOver three-quarters of the doctors in the study had recommended a homeopathic medicine for a child. More than half (51%) agreed homeopathy can enhance recovery and symptom relief
The study found that recommendation of homeopathic remedies is driven by doctors’ belief that they are associated with a lower risk of side effects (70%).
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160703005011/en/Study-Reveals-99-Doctors-Recommended-Natural-Remedies
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