A US survey has found that 90 per cent of parents want to explore alternative medicine options for the treatment of their children.

Participants in the survey expressed concerns about the reliance of drugs to treat child behavioural problems such as ADHD and 75 per cent want to see hospitals provide practitioners in both alternative and conventional medicine.

The survey, conducted by Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, also found that 68 per cent of parents believed integrative medicine (combining alternative therapies with western medicine) would be effective and of those children who’d been through integrative treatment, 95 per cent of parents were positive about it.

“Many children with chronic or acute health conditions seek a complementary or integrative approach only after they have exhausted all other conventional treatment options,” said Timothy Culbert, a spokesperson from Children’s.

“Parents should be aware that integrative medicine can be helpful from the onset of disease and can save time, money and most importantly, improve a child’s quality of life. This is true for all kinds of conditions including acute illnesses like cancer or chronic problems like migraines or behavioural issues.”

Culbert also commented that communication between parents and children’s doctors was important to understanding the types of integrative medicine therapies available.

“There are so many different kinds of complementary therapies, it’s important to learn about options to find an approach that will work best for each patient,” he said.

“I see first-hand every day the difference it can make in a child’s life.”

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