Dietary Supplement Use among Chronically Ill Children

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 29 Dec 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Researchers from the University of Utah surveyed a group of parents with chronically ill children to learn more about the use of prescribed and unprescribed dietary supplements. Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of parents reported some form of dietary supplement use by their chronically ill children. While many children, especially those with certain illnesses such as cystic fibrosis, were routinely prescribed dietary supplements which can aid children by compensating for malabsorption, 30 percent reported using nonprescribed supplements.

A total of 198 different dietary supplement products were being used including vitamins, minerals, botanicals, amino acids, prebiotics/probiotics and combination products. In the majority of cases, the children's health-care providers were not aware the children were being given unprescribed supplements. Of parents who reported use of nonprescribed dietary supplements, only 20 percent had discussed their use with the child's physician. This creates the potential for adverse drug-herb interactions when the effects of many supplements on growth and development are unknown.

The Journal of the American Dietetic Association is the official research publication of the American Dietetic Association and is the premier peer-reviewed journal in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

With nearly 70,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Based in Chicago, ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being. Visit ADA at http://www.eatright.org.

Highlights of January Journal of the American Dietetic Association
Issue includes research on dietary sources of caffeine and supplement use among chronically ill children
The January 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association contains articles and research studies you may find of interest. Below is a summary of some of this month's articles. For more information or to receive a faxed copy of a Journal article, e-mail media@eatright.org.

Contact: Kelly Liebbe
media@eatright.org
American Dietetic Association

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