American Academy of Pediatrics’ position on CAM

The Task Force on Complementary and Alternative Medicine has published a review of everything a pediatrician ever wanted to know about CAM.

Here are just a few of the highlights.

Some background on kids and CAM

• Most pediatric patients receiving CAM also receive conventional care.
• Children using CAM are more likely to be seeing their pediatrician for an illness, take medication on a regular basis, and have ongoing medical problems.
• Many users of CAM find these healthcare alternatives to be more congruent with their own values, beliefs, and philosophical orientations toward health and life.

Expectations of pediatricians

• Pediatricians have the responsibility to advise and counsel patients and families about relevant, safe, effective, and age-appropriate health services and therapies — mainstream and CAM.
• Pediatricians can best do this if they regularly inquire about all the therapies the family is using to help the child.
• Pediatricians should update their knowledge about therapeutic options available to their patients — mainstream and CAM.
• Pediatricians can (with the permission of the patient and family) include the CAM provider in overall care-coordination activities.

The bottom line?
The article is well references should be the first resource for information about children and CAM.

12/1/08 22:38 JR