Expert consensus-based clinical recommendation for an integrative anthroposophic treatment approach to acute tonsillitis in childhood.

BACKGROUND: Medical guidelines are an important basis for qualitative and cost-effective patient care. However, there is a lack of clinical recommendations in anthroposophic medicine (AM), an integrative medicine approach frequently practised in Europe. Acute tonsillitis, which includes tonsillopharyngitis, is a common childhood disease. that is mostly caused by a viral infection. Symptomatic treatment is therefore of high importance, and AM can offer several therapy options. METHODS: 53 physicians from Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, and Hungary with at least one year of experience in anthroposophic paediatric medicine were invited to participate in an online Delphi process. The process comprises five survey rounds starting with open-ended questions and ending with final statements, which need 75% agreement of experts to reach consensus. Expert answers were evaluated by two independent reviewers using MAXQDA and Excel. RESULTS: Response rate was between 28% and 45%. The developed recommendation included 15 subtopics. These covered clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic and psychosocial aspects of acute tonsillitis. Six subtopics achieved a high consensus (>90%) and nine subtopics achieved consensus (75-90%). CONCLUSION: The clinical recommendation for acute tonsillitis in children aims to simplify everyday patient care and provide decision-making support when considering and prescribing anthroposophic therapies. Moreover, the recommendation makes AM more transparent for physicians, parents, and maybe political stakeholders as well.

Complementary and alternative medicine in the (symptomatic) treatment of acute tonsillitis in children: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Acute tonsillitis (including tonsillopharyngitis) in childhood is a common disease with a peak of illness in school-age. Most of these cases have a viral origin and antibiotic therapy is not indicated, therefore, effective symptomatic therapy is required. For this reason, complementary, alternative and integrative medicine therapies might be a solution. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to demonstrate study status of such therapies. METHODS: The databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, OVID, CAMbase, CAM-QUEST® and Anthromedics were systematically screened for studies investigating complementary, alternative and integrative therapy approaches in paediatric cohorts. Studies were analyzed by therapy approach, study design, cohort and outcome, using the PRISMA 2020 checklist. RESULTS: The systematic literature search resulted in 321 articles. Five publications corresponded to the search criteria and were assigned to the following specific therapeutic categories: herbal medicine (3), homeopathy (1) and ayurvedic medicine (1). Clinical trials were found for the herbal compounds BNO 1030 (Impupret®) and EPs® 7630 (Umckaloabo), the homeopathic complex Tonzolyt® and the ayurvedic medicine Kanchnara-Guggulu and Pratisarana of Tankana­Madhu. Antimicrobial effects of essential oils and carvacrol as single agents as well as in combination with erythromycin were analysed in an in vitro study. CONCLUSION: Clinical studies indicate an improvement of symptoms and a good tolerability of all investigated remedies of complementary, alternative and integrative medicine in the treatment of tonsillitis in childhood. Nevertheless, quality and quantity of the studies were insufficient to make a reliable conclusion regarding effectiveness. Therefore, more clinical trials are urgently needed to achieve a meaningful result.

German physicians' perceptions and views on complementary medicine in pediatric oncology: a qualitative study.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in children with cancer has a high prevalence. If (parents of) patients bring up the topic of CAM, pediatric oncologists (POs) face considerable challenges regarding knowledge and professional behavior. In this study, we explore German POs' understanding of CAM and related attitudes as well as challenges and strategies related to CAM discussions by means of semi-structured interviews analyzed according to principles of qualitative thematic analysis with parents of children with cancer. We could conduct 14 interviews prior to theoretical saturation. The interviews had a duration of 15-82 min (M = 30.8, SD = 18.2). Professional experience in pediatric oncology was between 0.5 and 26 years (M = 13.8, SD = 7.6). Main themes identified were a heterogeneous understanding and evaluation of CAM, partly influenced by personal experiences and individual views on plausibility; the perception that CAM discussions are a possible tool for supporting parents and their children and acknowledgement of limitations regarding implementation of CAM discussions; and uncertainty and different views regarding professional duties and tasks when being confronted with CAM as a PO. Our interdisciplinary interpretation of findings with experts from (pediatric) oncology, psychology, and ethics suggests that there is need for development of a consensus on the minimal professional standards regarding addressing CAM in pediatric oncology.

Integrative medicine during the intensive phase of chemotherapy in pediatric oncology in Germany: a randomized controlled trial with 5-year follow up.

BACKGROUND: Integrative medicine is used frequently alongside chemotherapy treatment in pediatric oncology, but little is known about the influence on toxicity. This German, multi-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial assessed the effects of complementary treatments on toxicity related to intensive-phase chemotherapy treatment in children aged 1-18 with the primary outcome of the toxicity sum score. Secondary outcomes were chemotherapy-related toxicity, overall and event-free survival after 5 years in study patients. METHODS: Intervention and control were given standard chemotherapy according to malignancy & tumor type. The intervention arm was provided with anthroposophic supportive treatment (AST); given as anthroposophic base medication (AMP), as a base medication for all patients and additional on-demand treatment tailored to the intervention malignancy groups. The control was given no AMP. The toxicity sum score (TSS) was assessed using NCI-CTC scales. RESULTS: Data of 288 patients could be analyzed. Analysis did not reveal any statistically significant differences between the AST and the control group for the primary endpoint or the toxicity measures (secondary endpoints). Furthermore, groups did not differ significantly in the five-year overall and event-free survival follow up. DISCUSSION: In this trial findings showed that AST was able to be safely administered in a clinical setting, although no beneficial effects of AST between group toxicity scores, overall or event-free survival were shown.

Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Pediatric Oncology - Development and Evaluation of a Blended Learning Program.

BACKGROUND: A blended learning program to promote the consultation expertise of pediatric oncologists (POs) on complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) was developed and completed by POs as part of a training program. A previous study indicated that POs in Germany were in need of information and training on CIM, and that there were no medical training offers on the subject in Germany. METHODS: Evaluation of e-learning (questionnaires) and practically oriented one-day, face-to-face workshops (questionnaires, simulation patients), the workshops were evaluated with regard to changes in quality of physician-patient interaction and with regard of the participants' feedback. RESULTS: 32 POs signed up for the program and completed the e-learning. 22 POs participated in one of the workshops. POs agreed that they had received professionally relevant content during the e-learning. The questionnaires on physician-patient interaction showed neither clear positive nor negative changes concerning the quality of interaction. The feedback from the participants on the workshop was very positive. CONCLUSION: Following the end of the blended learning program the e-learning was made available again for interested POs. 34 further applications were received for participation in this part of the training program. With around 300 POs in Germany, this shows a high demand for further training offers of this kind as well as a need for further development.

Expert consensus-based clinical recommendation for an integrative anthroposophic treatment of acute bronchitis in children: A Delphi survey.

BACKGROUND: Acute bronchitis is one of the most common pediatric diseases. In addition to conventional therapies, a frequent use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been stated. Anthroposophic medicine (AM) is one of the most practiced complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) approaches in Central Europe but hitherto no consensus-based clinical recommendations or guidelines are available. Therefore, a consensus-based recommendation leading to an informed and reasonable use of AM in the treatment of acute bronchitis in pediatrics was developed. METHODS: A total of 61 physicians in Germany with expertise in the field of anthroposophic pediatrics was invited to complete an online multistep Delphi process. Two independent reviewers quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated the results. The survey was completed when >75 % consensus was achieved. RESULTS: The clinical recommendation comprises 15 subitems related to treatment as well as clinical and psychosocial aspects. All items reached strong consensus (>90 %; N = 9) or consensus (75-90 %; N = 6). CONCLUSION: The comprehensive clinical recommendation creates a scientific base for the anthroposophic integrative treatment of acute bronchitis in children in Germany. It will make the anthroposophic approach more applicable, understandable and comparable to a wider public of physicians and other health professionals in Germany.

Antitumoral Effects of Curcumin (Curcuma longa L.) and Thymoquinone (Nigella sativa L.) on Neuroblastoma Cell Lines.

INTRODUCTION: Overall survival of high-risk neuroblastoma patients is still poor, emphasizing the need for novel therapeutic options. There is evidence for anti-cancer properties of the herbal substances thymoquinone and curcumin. These substances are isolated from Nigella sativa L. and Curcuma longa L., respectively, which are used in traditional medicine. OBJECTIVE: We investigated cytotoxic effects of thymoquinone and curcumin on neuroblastoma cell lines NLF, NB69, and SK-N-BE(2), in vitro. METHODS: Cytotoxicity of compounds was investigated by MTT cell viability assays. For analyzing effects on cell proliferation BrdU assays were employed and induction of apoptosis was detected by Cell Death ELISA assays. RESULTS: Both substances showed cytotoxic effects in all three neuroblastoma cell lines, whereby primary human fibroblast cells reacted less sensitively. Overall, lower IC50 values could be calculated for curcumin (3.75-7.42 µM) than for thymoquinone (5.16-16.3 µM). Decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis rates were observed under treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Both substances showed anti-tumoral properties on neuroblastoma cell lines and should be further investigated as therapeutic agents.

Perception of integrative care in paediatric oncology-perspectives of parents and patients.

PURPOSE: For some years now, a programme for the use of integrative care in paediatric oncology has been established in a German university hospital and offers patients and parents complementary treatment options. According to their medical condition and wishes. A variety of external applications such as medical wraps, warm oil compresses and rhythmic embrocations are offered. This article analyses how patients and parents perceived and experienced the integrative care program. METHODS: In this qualitative study, data consists of field notes conducted through participant observation, informal conversations and interviews with parents (n = 25) during the implementation phase of the program. Data was analysed on basis of thematic analysis and organized with the analysis software MAXQDA. RESULTS: Parents and families intuitively developed strategies for dealing with crisis situations such as childhood cancer. In addition, many of the families brought with them a wealth of experience in complementary medicine. Parents perceived the integrative care treatments as soothing, relaxing and pain-relieving for their child. Patients could relax and side effects of chemotherapy were alleviated. However, children, who undergoing chemotherapy were not always open for physical touch and thus sometimes also rejected the treatments sometimes. CONCLUSION: The analysed integrative care programme is perceived as a strong patient and family-centred approach of support during the oncological paediatric treatment. From a salutogenetic viewpoint, this program aims to strengthen the dimension of manageability within the concept of sense of coherence. Parents are given supportive means to manage side effects and ease their child's suffering, through touch and attention that can be very beneficial.

Comparative analysis of resource utilization in integrative anthroposophic and all German pediatric inpatient departments.

BACKGROUND: Integrative Medicine (IM) combines conventional and complementary therapies. It aims to address biological, psychological, social, spiritual and environmental aspects of patients' health. During the past 20 years, the use and request of IM in children and adults has grown. Anthroposophic Medicine (AM) is an IM approach frequently used in children in Germany. From both public health and health economic perspectives, it is relevant to investigate whether there are differences in the resource utilization between integrative pediatric departments (IPD) and the entirety of all pediatric departments. METHODS: Standard ward documentation data from all German integrative anthroposophic pediatric departments (2005-2016; N = 29,956) is investigated and systematically compared to data of the entirety of all pediatric departments in Germany derived from the Institute for the Hospital Reimbursement System (2005-2016, N = 8,645,173). The analyses focus on: length of stay, Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG), Major Diagnosis Categories (MDC), and effective Case Mix Index (CMI). RESULTS: The length of stay in the IPD (M = 5.38 ± 7.31) was significantly shorter than the DRG defined length of stay (M = 5.8 ± 4.71; p < .001; d = - 0.07) and did not exceed or undercut the DRG covered length of stay. Compared to the entirety of all pediatric departments (M = 4.74 ± 6.23) the length of stay was significantly longer in the in the IPD (p <. 001; d = 0.12). The effective CMI in IPD and all pediatric departments were identical (M = 0.76). The frequencies of DRG and MDC differed between IPD and all pediatric departments, with higher frequencies of DRGs and MDCs associated with chronic and severe illnesses in the IPD. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment within integrative anthroposophic pediatric departments fits well in terms of the DRG defined conditions concerning length of stay, even though integrative pediatric patients has an increased length of stay of averagely 1 day, which is most likely associated to time consuming, complex integrative treatment approaches and to a certain extend to higher amount of chronic and severe diseases.

Evaluation of an Integrative Care Program in Pediatric Oncology.

Purpose: This article discusses the results of an evaluation of the one-year implementation period of an integrative care program at a pediatric oncology ward, which consists of integrative care treatments offered three times a week to the patients. The guiding questions are how the model was implemented, which factors have to be considered for successful implementation, and which factors showed to be obstacles during implementation. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was applied for data saturation. Qualitative data consist of participant observations and informal conversations during the implementation phase. All observational records were filed in the data program MAXQDA. For the quantitative data, all integrative care treatments applied on the intensive care unit were documented and subsequently filed in an Excel sheet. Both sets of data were analyzed for the evaluation. Results: Four main thematic clusters influenced the implementation: (1) the organization and structure of the intensive care unit; (2) mood and atmosphere; (3) feedback on treatment; and (4) time and experience. All factors are interlinked and cannot be looked at independently. Results of the quantitative data show that the most frequent used treatments were those with calming and relaxing effects, followed by treatments for stomachache, nausea, and obstipation. Conclusions: The implementation of an integrative model of care is a process that demands thorough understanding of the complex setting of the ward, ongoing adaptation to the structures and organization of the ward, and the integration of factors like feedback, time, atmosphere, and the mood of parents, patients, and nurses.

Defining Criteria for Guiding Cancer Patients to Find a Reputable Complementary Medicine Provider: Results of a Literature Review and a Consensus Procedure.

PURPOSE: Even in cases of positive evidence for complementary medicine (CM) therapies, it is still difficult for cancer patients to identify reputable providers. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a criteria list to provide guidance to cancer patients seeking a reputable CM provider. METHODS: The design combined a literature review, an expert consensus procedure (n=15) and an assessment from three stakeholder perspectives (patients (n=18), CM providers (n=26) and oncology physicians (n=20)). RESULTS: A total of 30 existing CM criteria were extracted from the literature, and 12 more were added by the experts. The main challenge was to define criteria that could easily be applied by the patients. A final comprehensive list of 8 criteria guiding cancer patients to find a reputable CM provider was developed. CONCLUSION: Health professionals and cancer information services might find the criteria list helpful when aiming to strengthen patients' awareness of quality-related factors associated with CM providers. The criteria developed might be helpful when standards are established for quality assurance in CM in oncology.

KOKON: A Germany-Wide Collaborative Research Project to Identify Needs, Provide Information, Foster Communication and Support Decision-Making about Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Oncology.

BACKGROUND: The German Cancer Aid set up a priority research programme with the intention to generate high-quality information based on evidence and to make this information easily accessible for health-care professionals and advisors, researchers, patients, and the general public. SUMMARY: The Kompetenznetz Komplementärmedizin in der Onkologie (KOKON) received 2 funding periods within this programme. During the first funding period, KOKON assessed patients' and health-care professionals' informational needs, developed a consulting manual for physicians, developed an education programme for self-help groups, set up a knowledge database, and developed a pilot information website for patients. Funding period 2 continues with work that allows cancer patients and health-care professionals to make informed decisions about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). For this aim, KOKON evaluates training programmes for physicians (oncology physicians, paediatric oncologists, and general practitioners) and for self-help groups. All training programmes integrate results from an analysis of the ethical, psychological, and medical challenges of CAM in the medical encounter, and the knowledge database is being extended with issues related to CAM for supportive and palliative care. Key Message: A Germany-wide collaborative research project to identify needs, provide information, foster communication, and support decision-making about CAM in oncology is being set up.

Do patients of integrative anthroposophic pediatric inpatient departments differ? Comparative analysis to all pediatric inpatients in Germany considering demographic and clinical characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Integrative medicine (IM) is a patient-centered, evidence-based, therapeutic paradigm which combines conventional and complementary approaches. The use of IM in pediatrics has increased in the past two decades and parents' demand for it is growing. An IM whole systems approach is anthroposophic medicine. Considering the growing demand for integrative approaches in children, it is relevant from a public health perspective to find out which kind of children use IM in Germany and whether they differ from the entirety of pediatric inpatients in Germany. Moreover, it would be interesting to known, whether these patients are willing to travel a longer distance to gain integrative treatment. METHODS: The present study investigates the standard ward documentation datasets of 29,956 patients of all German integrative anthroposophic pediatric inpatient wards from 2005 to 2016 and compares them systematically to collect data of the entirety of all pediatric inpatient wards in Germany. Apart from patients' age and gender, and the ICD-10 admission diagnoses, the geographical catchment area of the hospitals were analyzed. RESULTS: Sociodemographic characteristics of pediatric inpatients in the integrative anthroposophic departments (IAH) did not differ from the entirety of all pediatric inpatients. Regarding clinical characteristics, higher frequencies were found for endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (IAH: 7.24% vs. 2.98%); mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders (IAH: 9.83% vs. 3.78%) and nervous diseases (IAH: 8.82% vs. 5.16%) and lower frequencies for general pediatric diseases such as respiratory diseases (IAH: 17.06% vs. 19.83%), digestive diseases (IAH: 3.90% vs. 6.25%), and infectious and parasitic diseases (IAH: 12.88% vs. 14.82%) in comparison to the entirety of all pediatric inpatients in Germany. The IAH showed a broad catchment area, with most patients being from former, Western federal republic of Germany. Large catchment areas (> 100 km) for the IAH are merely covered by severe and chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: Pediatric inpatients of IAH do not differ from the entirety of pediatric inpatients in Germany regarding sociodemographic characteristics but show differences regarding clinical characteristics. Parents are willing to travel further distance to get specialized integrative anthroposophic medical care for children with severe and chronic diseases.

Information and Training Needs of Pediatric Oncologists in Complementary and Integrative Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Study.

More than one third of all German pediatric patients with cancer use complementary and integrative medicine (CIM). Parents want to discuss the topic of CIM with their pediatric oncologists (POs); however, POs mostly do not feel confident discussing these topics. POs report openness to receiving further information and training, but CIM training opportunities in medical education seem rare. We investigated POs' information and training needs and preference patterns regarding CIM training content with a paper-based or online survey. A total of 101 POs from Germany completed the survey. Only 11.4% agreed to being sufficiently informed of CIM. The participants stated needing further CIM information very often (8.6%), often (38.7%), or occasionally (44.1%). They considered an overview of CIM therapies and information about relaxation methods, herbal remedies, and acupuncture for cancer-related symptoms such as lack of appetite, nausea, or vomiting as most important in CIM training material, and also the topics of adverse effects and summary of evidence. Finally, POs reported on clinical situations in which a need for further information on CIM emerged. The results of our study indicate that there is a need for a structured training that offers knowledge and skills on the subject of patient counseling on CIM in pediatric oncology.

Healing Architecture for Sick Kids.

Scientific data are sparse on hospital design in child and adolescent psychiatry. The present article aims to give an overview of various concepts of hospital design and to develop concepts how architecture can consider the special needs of children and adolescents in their recovery from psychiatric diseases. Literature research is provided from PubMed and collected from architectural and anthroposophic bibliography. Access to daylight and nature, reduced level of noise and an atmosphere of privacy are general principles to support convalescence in patients. Especially in psychiatry, spatial structures and colour can strengthen appropriate social interrelations on both the patient and staff level. Authors suggest that children and adolescents benefit from architectural concepts which consider the issues: Welcome, Path, Territory, Area of Freedom, Outdoor Space, Access to Light, Motion in the Structure and Orientation of Space.

Integrative care for children with cancer. Project design for the development of an integrative care programme for use in paediatric oncology.

PURPOSE: Purpose of this paper is to describe the project design for the development of a context-specific and patient-focused integrative care programme for an intensive care unit for paediatric oncology to ease the strain of the treatments for patients and their families. Integrative care interventions based on anthroposophical medicine such as wraps, compresses and rhythmic body oiling can be used to ease typical side effects such as nausea, pain and agitation. METHODS: Conduct of a literature research on existing integrative care programmes in medical hospitals and biomedical settings and the identification of appropriate methods to achieve the research aim. RESULTS: A project design was developed which can be used as a basis for developing, introducing and evaluating an integrative care programme for a paediatric oncological intensive care unit in a German university hospital. A qualitative study design was chosen to develop this programme. This included participant observations and interviews with all stakeholders at the respective oncology ward as well as in existing oncology wards that work with an integrative care programme. The primary emphasis was on the criteria appropriateness for the specific setting, sustainability and financial viability as well as on the development of an appropriate evaluation model. CONCLUSIONS: When developing an integrative care programme for use in the specific setting of a paediatric oncology ward and selecting the appropriate interventions for inclusion in the programme, particular attention should be paid to the needs of the patients as well as to the practicability for the nursing staff, particularly with regard to resources such as time and personnel. Both the nursing team and nursing management should be actively involved in the project design from the outset. In the evaluation particular importance is attached to feasibility. The challenge for the economic evaluation is to create a robust database for negotiation of financing possibilities.

Anthroposophic medicine in the treatment of pediatric pseudocroup: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: In Europe only few integrative pediatric wards exists and there are two German hospitals focusing on anthroposophic medicine as part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Whilst the most common pediatric diseases are treated here, pseudocroup patients make up a large group in these hospitals, receiving conventional as well as anthroposophic therapies. However, effectiveness of these therapy concepts mostly based on physicians' experiences but clinical studies are hitherto missing. METHODS: A systematic literature search identifying therapy approaches for pseudocroup in children was conducted in general electronic databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, OVID) and in CAM-specific databases (CAMbase, CAM-QUEST®, Anthromedics). Search results were screened for anthroposophic therapy options. In addition, anthroposophic guidebooks were handsearched for relevant information. RESULTS: Among 157 articles fulfilling search criteria one retrospective study, and five experience reports describing anthroposophic treatments were identified. Several medications for the treatment of pseudocroup were mentioned such as Aconitum, Apis, Bryonia, Hepar sulfuris, Lavender, Pyrit, Sambucus and Spongia. During appropriate use no adverse effects were reported. CONCLUSION: Anthroposophic medicine harbors a broad spectrum of remedies for the treatment of pseudocroup in children. In particular, Aconitum, Bryonia and Spongia are frequently recommended; however, clinical trials investigating the effectiveness are sparse. Therefore, development and validation of therapy strategies are required.

Safety of high-dose intravenous mistletoe therapy in pediatric cancer patients: A case series.

BACKGROUND: Long-term survival of children with cancer has reached rates of up to 80%. Nevertheless, continued research devoted to further improvement of survival rates especially for patients with high-risk illnesses is necessary. Recent studies have shown direct positive effects on tumor reduction through Viscum album (mistletoe) extracts in adults, mainly as a result of higher dosage treatment and intravenous or intratumoral application. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A retrospective analysis of data was carried out of all oncological, pediatric patients treated with intravenous high-dose mistletoe therapy for a period of two years (11/2013-11/2015). RESULTS: A total of ten non-coherent cases were examined, all suffering from advanced and/or relapsed forms of cancer (leukemia, neuroblastoma, nephroblastoma, osteosarcoma, lymphoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor and soft tissue sarcoma). Patients were treated for an average period of 48 days with a mean survival rate of 130 days after beginning the mistletoe therapy. Partial remission was observed in four and a slowed disease progression was monitored in two patients. However, unrestricted progression of disease was documented in two other patients. Patients showed side effects including fever as well as fatigue and in some cases systemic inflammatory reactions with transient organ impairment occurred. CONCLUSION: Our study underpinned the safety and feasibility of high-dose mistletoe infusion in children with advanced stages of cancer and showed noteworthy antineoplastic effects, which should be verified in a prospective clinical phase II/III-study. Because of possible side effects, the treatment should be implemented only in an in-patient setting in experienced pediatric oncology centers.

[Management of Acute Gastroenteritis in Children: A Systematic Review of Anthroposophic Therapies].

BACKGROUND: Acute gastroenteritis in children accounts for about 10% of hospital admissions and is still one of the major causes of death worldwide. As many children are treated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and anthroposophic medicine, respectively, especially in Europe, the aim of this review was to descriptively present published anthroposophic therapies applied for the treatment of acute gastroenteritis in childhood. METHODS: A complex search strategy recording a broad spectrum of CAM therapies was developed to identify anthroposophic therapy options for the treatment of gastroenteritis in children. The search was conducted in 4 general scientific as well as 3 CAM-specific databases. RESULTS: In total, 3,086 articles were identified and screened for anthroposophic related content. The majority of hits deal with nutritional/dietary therapies. Articles considering anthroposophic approaches constitute only 3.1% (7/227) of all CAM-related articles. Among these articles 2 observational studies, 3 experience reports and 2 reviews were identified. In the experience reports, a variety of anthroposophic remedies was recommended but mostly unsupported by scientific evidence. However, observational studies for the anthroposophic medications, Bolus alba comp. and Gentiana comp., were detected. Additionally, studies investigating the efficacy and safety of Chamomilla, Ipecacuanha, Podophyllum or Tormentilla preparations in homeopathy and phytomedicine, respectively, were presented. CONCLUSIONS: Most CAM-associated therapies for gastroenteritis in childhood comprise dietary recommendations. Studies concerning anthroposophic approaches and medications, respectively, are deficient. The results of this study underline that effort is needed to evaluate anthroposophic therapies in a clinical setting.

Spiritual needs of mothers with sick new born or premature infants-A cross sectional survey among German mothers.

BACKGROUND: Spirituality is part of the basic needs of all humans, yet often undervalued by health professionals. Less is known about the spiritual needs of mothers of preterm or sick new born children. AIM: Identify unmet psychosocial and spiritual needs of these mothers, and to relate these needs to their perceived stress and impairments of life concerns. METHODS: Anonymous cross-sectional survey with standardized instruments (e.g., Spiritual Needs Questionnaire) among 125 mothers of two paediatric departments in Germany. FINDINGS: Mothers felt supported by their partner and hospital staff, and hospital staff assured 82% of them that they must not worry about their child's prognosis. They nevertheless did have specific unmet spiritual needs. Religious Needs and Existentialistic Needs scored lowest, while Giving/Generativity Needs were of moderate and Inner Peace Needs of strongest relevance. With respect to the expected diagnosis and prognosis of their child, there were no significant differences for their secular spiritual needs scores, but significant differences for Religious Needs which scored highest in mothers with children having an unclear prognosis (F=8.6; p=.004). Particularly Inner Peace Needs correlated with their stress perception (r=.34), impairments of life concerns (r=.25) and grief (r=.23). DISCUSSION: Mothers of sick born/premature children felt supported by the hospital team and their partner, but nevertheless experienced stress and daily life impairments, and particularly have unmet Inner Peace Needs. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing mothers' specific needs may help support them in their struggle with their difficult situation avoiding fears and insecurity and thus facilitating positive bonding to their child.