In modern parenthood, administered complementary medicines (CAM) can be dangerous for children, and can even prove fatal if entirely substituted for conventional medicine as the only alternative.

Major CAM systems have many common characteristics, including a focus on individualizing treatments, treating the whole person, promoting self-care and self-healing, and recognizing the spiritual nature of each individual. Many CAM systems also have characteristics commonly found in mainstream health care, such as a focus on good nutrition and preventive practices, however unlike mainstream medicine; CAM often lacks or has only limited experimental and clinical study.

According to a study by the Australian Pediatric Surveillance Unit between 2001 and 2003, adults often feel, and are mislead to believe, that CAM treatments are better for children because they are all natural and therefore less likely to have harmful side effects.

During the three year span of this observation, four deaths were reported in association with CAM treatments and 46 instances of negative outcomes. All four reported deaths were related to the substitution of conventional treatment with CAM.

In one particular death, an 8 month old child admitted to hospital with initially near fatal malnutrition and septic shock following naturopathic treatment with a rice milk diet from the age of three months for the treatment of constipation.

One of the other deaths involved a 10 month old child who developed septic shock after being treated with homeopathy and a restricted diet for chronic eczema.

In these CAM specific cases, parents sought to treat anything from constipation to clotting disorders, and diabetes to cerebral palsy. The authors of the report state:

    “Many of the adverse events associated with failure to use convention medicine resulted from the family’s belief in CAM and determination to use it despite medical advice.”

Substitution of conventional medicine with CAM therapies, changes to medication regimens made by CAM practitioners, and dietary restrictions in the belief that they would cure symptoms, all raised major concerns to the medical community.

An overwhelming seventy seven percent of the worsening of symptoms in the studied cases was attributed to be related to CAM, and in forty four percent the pediatricians made statements that the children had been harmed by a failure to use traditional treatment in lieu of CAM therapies.

Sixty four percent of the cases monitored were life threatening or fatal from the start in children ranging in age from 0-16 years, and the adverse events reported ranged from constipation, bleeding and pain to allergic reactions, mouth ulcers, seizures, vomiting, stunted growth, infections, malnutrition and death.

The authors finalize by stating:

    “Discussions with families about CAM use may empower them to talk about any medication changes suggested by a CAM practitioner before altering or ceasing the medication.”

“Adverse events associated with the use of complementary and alternative medicine in children”
Alissa Lim, Noel Cranswick, Michael South
Arch Dis Child doi:10.1136/adc.2010.183152

Written by Sy Kraft, B.A.