How Well Is Integrative Medicine Accepted In Pediatrics?

Jan. 13, 2010 -- Question: How well is integrative medicine accepted in pediatrics?

Answer:Many parents wonder whether holistic and integrative approaches to children's health are accepted among conventional pediatricians. And I'm delighted to let you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics has recently created an entire section on complementary and integrative medicine. It released its first report in December of 2008, which was widely covered in the media. This report included documentation about the widespread use of integrative medicine in children. National data indicate that about 12 percent of children are using complementary therapies, and the percentages are substantially higher among children facing chronic diseases such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or severe conditions such as cancer. So there's a growing awareness about the importance of complementary and integrative therapies for pediatrics. Pediatricians are increasingly interested within the topic, so parents should feel free to raise their questions about a variety of therapies with their pediatrician without the fear that they're going to be condemned. Pediatricians really support families and are interested in all the possible therapies to support children's health.