UPFRONT | Roundup PEDIATRIC Children’s use of complementary health care rising Children, aged four to 17, are increasingly using a variety complementary and alternative health care, according to a new report by the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH, formerly NCCAM). A new report based on data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) found that while the overall use of complementary health approaches among children did not change significantly since the 2007 survey, there were significant increases in the use of yoga, fish oil and melatonin for children. The report, by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH; formerly NCCAM) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appears in National Health Statistics Reports. In Canada, a similar trend has been observed. In a study published in January 2013 in the journal Pediatrics, researchers have found the use of complementary and alternative health care such as vitamins, homeopathy and chiropractic is common among children with chronic conditions. In fact, complementary health is high among pediatric cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, oncology and respiratory patients, according to the study, which surveyed parents about the use of complementary and alternative medicines at specialty clinics in Edmonton and Ottawa. Massage therapy and chiropractic are the top two most common therapies parents used for their children, the study also said. The U.S. survey about use of complementary and alternative health among children is part of the questionnaire developed by NCCIH and the NCHS. The questionnaire is administered every five years as part of the NHIS, an annual study in which tens of thousands of Americans are interviewed about their health-and illness-related experiences. To identify trends in Americans’ use of certain practices, 2012 survey data were compared with a version of the survey fielded in 2007. The 2007 and 2012 survey results are based on combined data from 17,321 interviews with a knowledgeable adult about children aged 4 to 17 years. There was a statistically significant increase in the use of movement therapies – which included yoga, tai chi, and qi gong – between 2007 (2.5 per cent) and 2012 (3.2 per cent). Most of this increase can be attributed to the increased use of yoga – approxi-mately 400,000 more children used yoga since 2007. Among children who used any complementary health approach, 44.2 per cent used it to treat a specific health problem or condition in 2007 compared with 45.6 per cent in 2012. In 2012, acupunc-ture had the highest percentage reporting use for treating a condition (70.1 per cent). Take care of your patients . Submit their insurance claims quickly and efficiently . With the TELUS Health eClaims solution, you can now benefit from direct billing capabilities to various insurers. This means your patients will be able to enjoy a service similar to the one they receive at the pharmacy or the dentist. It’s quick to register, it’s easy to use and it’s free . Is it any wonder so many healthcare providers rely on it? Register now telushealth.com/eclaimsChiro Available with: www.canadianchiropractor.ca April 2015 Canadian Chiropractor 13
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor April 2015: Page 13
