Use of complementary and alternative therapies in infants under 3 months in Jordan

ABSTRACT

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine in infants to maintain health and treat illnesses is popular in Jordan. No guidelines or regulations govern their use.Aims: This study explored mothers’ knowledge and use of complementary and alternative therapies for infants younger than 3 months in Jordan and their reasons for using these remedies.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of mothers of babies born in 2015 in Jordan. Data were collected using a questionnaire posted on six Facebook groups that target mothers in Jordan. Mothers were asked about their use of several complementary and alternative therapies for different conditions.Results: Of 1028 questionnaires received, 520 were included in the analysis. Most mothers (81.3%) were 18–29 years old and had a university degree (78.3%). Most knew about the use of the complementary and alternative medicines for bloating/colic but had never used them. Of the medicines used for bloating/colic, aniseed was most often used (by 70.2% of mothers). Aniseed was also used by 60.8% of mothers to help their baby sleep and by 48.1% for constipation. The main reasons for using these remedies were availability at home (60.4%) and social acceptability of their use (55.4%). The main sources of information about these medicines were older female relatives (78.1%) and social media (56.0%).Conclusions: The use of complementary and alternative medicines for babies is common in Jordan. Efforts are needed to increase awareness among mothers of the risks, side-effects and efficacy of complementary and alternative therapies in infants.