Use of complementary therapies in childhood

Complementary medicine is popular, particularly for conditions such as asthma where orthodoxy does not offer a cure. Its prevalence in adult populations is fairly well established yet little is known about its use in children. Seventeen thousand members of the United Kingdom Asthma Campaign were invited to complete a questionnaire. This sample included an estimated 4000 caretakers of children with asthma, From them 1471 responses were received (response rate approximately 37%), Thirty-three percent of the respondents stated that they had tried complementary therapies for their child with asthma, Homeopathy, breathing techniques, and herbalism were the most popular therapies. Twenty-six percent of respondents felt that complementary therapies had improved asthma symptoms to "a great" or "some" extent, and overall one could deduce that these therapies were perceived as moderately helpful. Seventy-one percent of respondents whose child had not used complementary therapies would consider using complementary medicine in the future. The amount of money spent on complementary treatments was generally modest. It is concluded that complementary medicine is frequently used for childhood asthma, Thus, its efficacy and safety seems to merit rigorous study.