The use of homeopathic products in childhood: data generated over 8.5 years from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

BACKGROUND: Very little is known about the use of homeopathic products (HP) in children. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a population-based cohort in the South-West of England, has collected homeopathic data through self-completion questionnaires posted to the mother at regular time points throughout childhood. The aim of this article is to describe the use of these products in a large cohort of children from birth to 8.5 years of age. METHODS: Questions asked about the use of HP within a preceding time period at seven time points from birth to 8.5 years of age. Additional questions at 18 and 81 months asked about the conditions treated and at 81 months who had prescribed the HP. RESULTS: Eleven and eight-tenths percent (11.8%) of this cohort used a HP at least once up to 8.5 years of age. Chamomilla for teething and Arnica for soft-tissue bruising were the most commonly used products. The most frequently prescribed products were for common self-limiting infantile conditions such as colic, cuts and bruises, and teething. Parents were most likely at 81 months to prescribe HP for their children (46.3% of all prescription sources) and 10% of products were prescribed by general practitioners. Confusion about what constituted a HP was present in nearly 10% of answers. CONCLUSIONS: No other study, to our knowledge, has been able to map the use of HP over such a long time period in such a large cohort of children. The amount of HP use reflects a significant minority of the population who use complementary and alternative medicine treatments to manage the health of their family. Health care professionals should be aware of the confusion surrounding HP and have knowledge around some of the more commonly used HP. Parents and carers are using homeopathy wisely with appropriate remedies consistently used for acute problems. Research could focus on greater information delivery to the community and monitoring of potential health and cost benefits, or side-effects of the use of HP for acute and chronic conditions in children.

Complementary or alternative? The use of homeopathic products and antibiotics amongst pre-school children.

BACKGROUND: Any intervention to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics for infections in children has the potential to reduce the selective pressure on antimicrobial resistance and minimise the medicalisation of self-limiting illness. Little is known about whether homeopathic products might be used by some families as an alternative to antibiotics or the characteristics of such families. We used the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) observational dataset to explore the hypothesis that the use of homeopathic products is associated with reduced antibiotic use in pre-school children and to identify characteristics of the families of pre-school children given homeopathic products. METHODS: Questionnaires data were completed by the parents of 9723 children while aged between 3-4.5 years in Bristol UK. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to explore the relationships between antibiotic and homeopathic product use. RESULTS: Six percent of children had received one or more homeopathic products and 62% one or more antibiotics between the ages of 3 and 4.5 years. After adjustment for factors associated with antibiotic use, there was no association between homeopathic product and antibiotic use (adjusted OR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.84, 1.24). Factors independently associated with child homeopathic product use were: higher maternal education, maternal use of homeopathic products, maternal lack of confidence in doctors, mothers reporting that they were less likely to see doctor when the child was ill, children being given vitamins, watching less television and suffering from wheeze and food allergies. CONCLUSION: In this observational study, the use of homeopathic products was not associated with decreased antibiotic consumption, suggesting the use of homeopathic product complements rather than competes with the use of antibiotics in pre-school children. The characteristics of mothers giving homeopathic products to their children are similar to those associated with adult self-administration.