alternative medicine for kids

Consult with your pediatrician; learn what treatments are safe and effective for children.

Yoga can be a healthy choice for kids; not all alternative therapies are as benign.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—More and more parents are turning to alternative medicine treatments for their kids, according to recent studies. Some are looking to avoid expensive doctor visits for minor problems like the common cold; others want to avoid drug side effects or feel their doctors aren’t considering nondrug treatment options. But while some alternative therapies seem safe and effective for kids, others are inappropriate or downright dangerous.

THE DETAILS: New research shows that that up to 30 percent of healthy children, and 50 percent of chronically ill children, use some form of alternative or complementary therapy. Parents need to make sure a particular remedy or supplement is safe before giving it to a child, warns Dolores Mendelow, MD, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases at the University of Michigan Medical School. “There is a huge place for complementary and alternative medicine in pediatrics. In terms of complementary medicine, we’re using acupuncture, dietary supplementation, and herbal or botanical therapies,” says Dr. Mendelow. “Parents can ask doctors if certain alternative therapies will hurt a child,” she recommends. “It’s a good opportunity to open up a dialogue about this with your physician. And doctors need to learn more about them.”

WHAT IT MEANS: Every child is different, and depending on their medical history and medicines they’re taking, not every holistic treatment will be a good fit. It’s best to talk to your pediatrician before starting any new therapy, but here are the options generally accepted as safe, and ones to avoid.