Do Mindfulness Interventions Improve Obesity Rates in Children and Adolescents: A Review of the Evidence.

Mindfulness interventions have shown promise in improving self-regulation, depression, anxiety, and stress levels across all ages. Obesity rates in children are rising worldwide. It has been postulated that through improvements in self-regulation with mindfulness interventions, obesity rates can be improved in children and adolescents. In this review, we attempt to explain how mindfulness interventions may impact obesity rates and obesity-related complications and give the current state of evidence for the following mindfulness interventions: Mindful Eating, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Yoga, Spirituality, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Children With Tourette Syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Tourette syndrome is a neuropsychiatric condition defined by motor and phonic tics with onset in childhood. Many families have concerns regarding potential side effects of pharmacologic treatments, and often have difficulty accessing comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics. Patients and caregivers may turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as they perceive these as "natural" and therefore "safe." Although there are anecdotal reports of an increased use of CAM in Tourette syndrome patients, the exact prevalence is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify commonly used CAM therapies for children with Tourette syndrome at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to the caregivers of children (<18 years old) via telephone. The data pertaining to demographics, type of CAM use, duration of use, adverse effects, and caregiver's perception of the effectiveness were collected. RESULTS: A total of 110 patients participated in this survey. When inquired about the different CAM methods, 69.1% of the participants reported using 1 or more CAM therapies, and 58% of those who used CAM informed the doctor about their use. Ninety-three percent of those who used CAM therapy reported a decrease in tic frequency. The most commonly used CAM therapies were stress management (44.6%), herbal medicine (18.2%), homeopathy (12.7%), and meditation (9.1%). In total, 46% of the participants said that CAM helped more than medication. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients interviewed were using CAM therapies, and a significant portion reported benefit greater than medication. More than half of all participants discussed CAM therapies with their physicians, and 63% of participants felt that their physicians would support their use of CAM therapies.

Knowledge and use of music therapy among pediatric practitioners in Michigan.

OBJECTIVE: Increasingly, music therapy is being used, in combination with conventional treatment modalities, as part of the health care treatment plan. The objective of our study was to determine the awareness, knowledge and use of music therapy by members of the Michigan chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (Michigan AAP) in their health care practice. METHODS: Members of the Michigan AAP were asked to participate in a survey designed to assess their knowledge and use of music therapy in their health care practice. RESULTS: Although the majority of respondents were aware of the use of music therapy in health care settings, very few had referred their own patients for music therapy services. CONCLUSION: Music therapy is an inexpensive and noninvasive treatment modality being used increasingly, especially to alleviate pain, stress, and anxiety among patients in a variety of conditions. Pediatric practitioners in Michigan, who responded to our survey, expressed a strong interest in learning more about music therapy and learning about ways to incorporate music therapy into their health care practice.

Placebo effect in the treatment of acute cough in infants and toddlers: a randomized clinical trial.

IMPORTANCE: Cough is one of the most common reasons why children visit a health care professional. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect of a novel formulation of pasteurized agave nectar vs placebo and no treatment on nocturnal cough and the sleep difficulty associated with nonspecific acute cough in infants and toddlers. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this randomized clinical trial performed in 2 university-affiliated outpatient, general pediatric practices from January 28, 2013, through February 28, 2014, children 2 to 47 months old with nonspecific acute cough duration of 7 days or less were studied. Surveys were administered to parents on 2 consecutive days, the day of presentation (when no medication had been given the prior evening) and the next day (when agave nectar, placebo, or no treatment had been administered to their child before bedtime) according to a partially double-blind randomization scheme. INTERVENTIONS: A single dose of agave nectar, placebo, or no treatment administered 30 minutes before bedtime. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Cough frequency, cough severity, cough bothersomeness, congestion severity, rhinorrhea severity, and cough effect on child and parent sleep. RESULTS: Significant differences in symptom improvement were detected between the study groups (P < .05 for all, except P = .06 for cough bothersomeness), with agave nectar and placebo proving to be superior to no treatment, but no significant differences for any outcome were found when comparing agave nectar against placebo. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In a comparison of agave nectar, placebo, and no treatment, a placebo effect was demonstrated, with no additional benefit offered by agave nectar. Health care professionals should consider the potential benefits and costs when recommending a treatment with only a placebo effect for infants and toddlers with nonspecific acute cough. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01721395.

Effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for coughing children and their parents.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of a single nocturnal dose of buckwheat honey or honey-flavored dextromethorphan (DM) with no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood upper respiratory tract infections. DESIGN: A survey was administered to parents on 2 consecutive days, first on the day of presentation when no medication had been given the prior evening and then the next day when honey, honey-flavored DM, or no treatment had been given prior to bedtime according to a partially double-blinded randomization scheme. SETTING: A single, outpatient, general pediatric practice. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred five children aged 2 to 18 years with upper respiratory tract infections, nocturnal symptoms, and illness duration of 7 days or less. INTERVENTION: A single dose of buckwheat honey, honey-flavored DM, or no treatment administered 30 minutes prior to bedtime. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cough frequency, cough severity, bothersome nature of cough, and child and parent sleep quality. RESULTS: Significant differences in symptom improvement were detected between treatment groups, with honey consistently scoring the best and no treatment scoring the worst. In paired comparisons, honey was significantly superior to no treatment for cough frequency and the combined score, but DM was not better than no treatment for any outcome. Comparison of honey with DM revealed no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: In a comparison of honey, DM, and no treatment, parents rated honey most favorably for symptomatic relief of their child's nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty due to upper respiratory tract infection. Honey may be a preferable treatment for the cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood upper respiratory tract infection. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00127686.