Use of complementary and alternative medicine in children with autism and other developmental disabilities: associations with ethnicity, child comorbid symptoms, and parental stress.
The use of complementary and alternative medicine by children with autism and the association of its use with child comorbid symptoms and parental stress was studied in an ethnically diverse population, in a cross-sectional study with structured interviews. The sample included 50 families of children with autism and 50 families of children with other developmental disabilities, matched by age/gender. Interview included the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire, Gastrointestinal Questionnaire, Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire, Aberrant Behavior Checklist, and Parenting Stress Index. In this ethnically diverse sample, the use of complementary and alternative medicine was significantly higher for the autism group. In the autism group, use was significantly related to child's irritability, hyperactivity, food allergies, and parental stress; in the developmental disabilities group, there was no association with child comorbid symptoms or parental stress. The results contribute information to health care providers about families of children with autism who are more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine.
1Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center, R. F. Kennedy Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
Maria
M
Valicenti-McDermott
Bethany
B
Burrows
Leora
L
Bernstein
Kathryn
K
Hottinger
Katharine
K
Lawson
Rosa
R
Seijo
Merryl
M
Schechtman
Lisa
L
Shulman
Shlomo
S
Shinnar
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
autism spectrum disorder; complementary and alternative medicine; developmental disabilities