Patterns of Use of Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine in Children with Cerebral Palsy in a Developing Country: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: Complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine (CAIM) encompasses a diverse range of practices and products used in conjunction with or in place of conventional medicine to promote health and well-being.

Objective: To determine the use of alternative therapies, socio-economic milieu, and parental responses in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods (setting/participation): This cross-sectional study was conducted over 18 months at a tertiary care pediatric center. Children with a diagnosis of CP were enrolled. A pre-designed questionnaire was administered to the parents and their responses were recorded. It was piloted in the initial ten patients and further refinements were made based on the information collected. All children underwent detailed evaluation, neurological examination, and rehabilitation per the Department protocol.

Results: 201 children (71% males) with CP were enrolled. Only 7.5% (n=15) of parents were familiar with the diagnosis at the time of their child's diagnosis. CAIM is widely used in children with developmental disabilities, especially CP, with a prevalence of 47.3% in the index study. The primary concerns of the parents were regarding self-dependence (52.2%), delayed development (15.4%), recurrent seizures (12.4%), and feeding problems (3%). The use of alternative therapy was reported in 95/201 patients, including ayurvedic 29/95 (30.5%), homeopathic 27/95 (28.4%), religious rituals 22/95 (23.2%), and unrecognized doctors 17/95 (17.9%).

Conclusion: Our study highlights that parents of children with CP often seek alternative therapies. Familiarizing allopathic providers with CAIM practices will allow proper guidance of patients/parents, and help foster and enhance the parent-doctor relationship.