A study done in part by the University of Alberta shows that children treated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) have lower vaccination rates than the general population, exposing them to added risk from preventable illnesses such as mumps and measles.
A review of 482 pediatric charts at a teaching clinic in a naturopathic college showed that 35 per cent of the children presenting to the clinic for ailments such as skin disorders, stomach problems or psychiatric concerns, were already using CAM therapies (including vitamins, herbal remedies, probiotics and homeopathic remedies). As well, 8.9 per cent of the children were not vaccinated for diseases like measles, mumps and rubella. This was associated with younger age, greater use of CAM products and with parents unsure about the safety of vaccines.
Results of the study, which was conducted with the University of Toronto, McMaster University and the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, are published in the March, 2005 issue of Pediatrics.
"Parents must be encouraged to tell their physician about any alternative treatment, and health-care providers need to ask about CAM use in taking the medical history of a child," said Dr. Sunita Vohra, professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta, and one of the study's co-authors.