Fesharakinia Azita, Abedini Mohammadreza
Department of Pediatrics.
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Complementary Medicine Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
Iran J Pediatr. 2014 Feb;24(1):111-4. Epub 2013 Nov 22.
Recently application of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing in children worldwide. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence, related factors, types, the sources of information and knowledge of mothers for the possible side effects.
This descriptive and analytical study carried out within three months from April-June 2012 through oral interviews and questionnaires with 300 mothers of children referred to pediatric clinic in Vali-Asr Hospital, Birjand (center of South Khorasan province: East of Iran). Findings : 35.6% of mothers had used CAM as medication at least once for their children during the last year. There was a significant and direct correlation between using CAM for children with increased maternal age, decreased level of mother's education, mother being as a housewife and having more than two children. Most (93.3%) common treatments included medicinal herbs, oil rub (26.6 %) and prayer therapy (25.7%). Relative (72%) and neighbors (50%) were the most sources for mother's information while physicians consist only 2% of the information source. Only 1.3% of mothers knew that CAM may also exert some side effects.
Considering the fact that about one third of mothers used CAM modalities, physicians were the least maternal source of CAM information, nearly all mothers were unaware of the side effects of CAM It is recommended that physicians should learn about the CAM to enable them for providing information to parents regarding its benefits and disadvantages. It is also highly recommended to enhance community knowledge about the proper use of different kinds of CAM.
近年来，补充和替代医学（CAM）在全球儿童中的应用日益增加。本研究旨在确定其患病率、相关因素、类型、母亲获取信息的来源以及对可能的副作用的了解情况。
本描述性分析研究于2012年4月至6月的三个月内进行，通过对转诊至比尔詹德瓦利阿斯尔医院儿科诊所的300名儿童的母亲进行口头访谈和问卷调查（比尔詹德是伊朗东部南呼罗珊省的中心）。研究结果：35.6%的母亲在过去一年中至少为孩子使用过一次补充和替代医学作为药物。母亲年龄增加、母亲教育水平降低、母亲为家庭主妇以及孩子数量超过两个与为孩子使用补充和替代医学之间存在显著的正相关。最常见的治疗方法（93.3%）包括草药、擦油（26.6%）和祈祷疗法（25.7%）。亲戚（72%）和邻居（50%）是母亲获取信息的主要来源，而医生仅占信息来源的2%。只有1.3%的母亲知道补充和替代医学可能也会产生一些副作用。
鉴于约三分之一的母亲使用补充和替代医学方法，医生是母亲获取补充和替代医学信息最少的来源，几乎所有母亲都不知道补充和替代医学的副作用。建议医生了解补充和替代医学，以便能够向家长提供有关其利弊的信息。还强烈建议提高社区对正确使用不同种类补充和替代医学的认识。
