title: Use of complementary and alternative medicine for epileptic children in tehran: a cross-sectional study (2009-2011).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has been evaluated globally, there are few studies in our country on this subject. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, pattern of use, parental sources of information, and benefits of CAM in epileptic children in Tehran.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred thirty-three parents or relatives of epileptic children who were referred to outpatient clinics or admitted in neurologic ward of four major hospitals in Tehran, were interviewed by our researcher based on a structured questionnaire; from 2009 to 2010. The information obtained comprised the demographic data of patients and their parents, frequency and morphology of convulsions, the type and sources of CAM and finally, the benefits and adverse effects of this practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four percent of the respondents had used CAM methods either alone or in combination with other methods. The most frequently used CAM was written prayers followed by oral herbs and special diets. CAM was mainly introduced to them by relatives. Only 16.7% of these parents had discussed this matter with their children's physicians. No efficacy to control seizure was observed for most of these methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that use of CAM in our study group is relatively common and may have a potentially hazardous role in the treatment process. So, it is necessary for physicians to have enough information about CAM practice in their patients.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran ; Pediatric Neurology Excellence Center, Pediatric Neurology Department, Mofid Children Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Hassan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tonekaboni
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sepideh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jafari Naeini
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khajeh
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yaghini
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghazavi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Development Center, Mofid Children's Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abdollah Gorji
keywords: Children; Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM); Epilepsy