The use of complementary and alternative medicine in children with chronic medical conditions.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study were to examine whether progressive medical conditions lead to greater use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as compared with more stable conditions, to see whether disease severity influences CAM use, and to identify the main motivations behind CAM use.


METHODS
Subjects were selected from outpatient clinics at Hotel Dieu Hospital. Surveys were conducted by mail and telephone. Medical diagnosis and severity were obtained from medical files. Statistical tests included chi, Kruskal-Wallis, and correlations.


RESULTS
One hundred ninety-four children were surveyed. The "progressive" group included 15 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and 22 patients with cystic fibrosis. The "nonprogressive" group included 85 patients with cerebral palsy (CP), 49 with diabetes mellitus, and 23 with spina bifida. Twenty-three percent were using CAM. CP had the highest use; diabetes mellitus had the lowest. Popular therapies included massage and dietary/herbal remedies. Progressiveness had no impact on CAM use. Within the CP group, greater disease severity was associated with higher use (P < 0.001). The main reason for CAM use was to complement conventional medicine.


CONCLUSIONS
Disease progressiveness had no impact on CAM use, but severity within the CP group did. Complementing conventional medicine was the main motive. Understanding the reasons and patterns of use of CAM is beneficial in efforts to improve the care of children with chronic medical conditions.
Samdup
Dawa Z
DZ
Faculty of Health Sciences, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Smith
Ronald G
RG
Il Song
Soon
S
D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018450:Disease Progression; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D009864:Ontario; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy