Why doctors should be aware of alternative medicines given to children

Why Doctors Should Be Aware of Alternative Medicines Given to Children Alternative medicine and complementary health approach details should be noted down carefully. This information can be dictated and recorded and with the help of a medical transcription company doctors can get these recordings transcribed into accurate notes

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Pediatrics that treats the problems, ailments and diseases of children is one of the most challenging walks of the medical profession. A medical transcription service provides precise medical documents for pediatric treatment and care. Pediatric consultation transcripts are important because they contain all the vital medical information regarding the medicines given to children including alternative medicines.

To ensure quality care for children, improved communication between pediatric providers and parents or guardians is essential. Effective communication can increase diagnostic accuracy, improve patient understanding and adherence to treatment and enhance the experience of health service and health outcomes.

A few months ago, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention published a report about a young boy who suffered from lead poisoning as a direct result of his parents giving him a magnetic healing bracelet for teething. The tragic case of parents choosing unconventional medical treatment may cause harmful effects in children. Many parents choose alternative treatments such as massage therapy, mind - body therapies and so on. But researches show that these alternative treatments and therapies could lead to serious adverse events, it can be catastrophic. In some cases caregivers or alternative care providers are poorly informed on how to recognize the signs of serious illness. The National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institute of Health, now refers to these alternative treatments as complementary health approaches or CHA. They fall into a group of diverse medical and health care systems and the products are not presently considered to be a part of conventional Western medicine. In some cases they complement traditional care and in other instances they are used in place of standard medical practices.

The proportion of parents choosing complementary health approaches for their children and their awareness of effectiveness is unclear. However, some parents have the willingness to discuss their use with their child’s doctor and most doctors receive little training in CHA. To know more about it, a survey was conducted in a busy emergency room in eastern Ontario, Canada by AmithaKalaichandran M.D, Sunita Vohra M.D and Roger Zemek M.D. According to the study, around 60 percent of parents said that they gave their child a CHA within the last year. Vitamins and minerals (59 percent) were the common ingested treatment and half of the parents surveyed said they used massages. Parents also perceived most of the CHA that they used from vitamins and minerals to aromatherapy to massage as effective. Less than half of the parents felt that homeopathy or special jewelry would be helpful.

The parents were asked whether they had tried a complementary therapy for the problem at hand before they came to the emergency room. Just under one third reported using CHA for a specific condition, most often for gastrointestinal complaints. In the case of emergency care, there was no correlation with the parent’s level of education.

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Around 70 percent parents believed that healthcare providers were knowledgeable about CHA, although this perception was less likely among parents with a university level education. 88 percent said that they felt comfortable discussing their use of CHA with their medical provider.

Earlier reports had found that only between 40 percent and 76 parents disclose CHA use with their doctor. According to the study, the parents who brought their child to an emergency room were more likely to talk about whatever treatments they had tried. In many cases, parents may refrain from even taking their child to the doctor if their problem is not a serious one. So there is a high chance that the overall proportion of parents who use CHA for their children is an underestimate.

It is important for parents and their child’s health care provider to have a more open conversation about what they are giving to their child for health reasons. Physicians should also ask whether CHA is used and stay up to date on current evidence about complementary therapies, including potential interactions with any medications they may be taking.

The following are some of the ways parents can discuss the issue of alternative therapies with their doctors:   

Keep track of any positive and negative results from CHA that you have noticed including “no effect” and the cost involved.

If your child’s health provider does not ask about CHA, then start the conversation about the same.

Write down all the details about the medication that your child is using. Include any special diet, teas and visits to other complementary medicine providers.

Some things physicians should do:  



Learn more about the treatment and the evidence behind them. The NCCIH is a good place to start.

Analyze all risks and benefits and be aware of what is unknown about the specific CHA being used. Make efforts to know more about the therapy and take action if there are clear side effects and risks, documenting the discussion where appropriate.

Do not be judgmental; causing a rift with a parent because you might not agree with their choices may cause a breakdown in the therapeutic relationship.

Medical transcription companies providing documentation support to pediatricians understand that both pediatricians and parents should work together to provide quality care for the children.

They must take time to identify what the children are using including all therapies that are outside the scope of conventional medical practice. This would facilitate an open discussion about the risks and safety of complementary health approaches.

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