Posted February 17, 2011 - 11:33am by Tracy
Kids and complementary meds
If your child has a cough, what do you give them to help them feel better?
Cough syrup? How about something complementary or alternative (like echinacea - an herbal supplement)?
This topic came up in the Well Community office after we saw this article by health reporter Julie Deardorff of the Chicago Tribune. In her report she explored the debate over complementary and alternative medicines and therapies (like herbs and acupuncture) versus conventional medicine (like over-the-counter meds) for children.
Some experts and parents believe more “natural” treatments will have less side effects for the child. Others believe they are too unknown and even could be dangerous. Still others believe complementary treatments are no more harmful than over-the-counter medicines.
The moms on Well Community’s staff weighed in:
“I would wait for a doctor’s recommendation, but if she endorsed an alternative treatment, I would do it because this is interesting to me. My daughter Frankie had a rash on her face when she was about a month old and I asked Dr. Kate Maxouris if there was something I should put on it. She said it was due to hormones and suggested I just wait it out saying ‘Why medicate her at this stage if we don’t have to?’. I loved her perspective because it indicated to me that she was going to be conservative on medicating my daughter, which is my preference when possible.” – Leigh Ginther, Well Community Editor-in-Chief
“I try to be reasonable in my approach to medication for my daughter Molly. I personally don’t want to give her too much of either alternative or conventional meds, but of course if she’s sick it’s important to not let it spiral out of control. Typically, I will see the doctor before giving her anything. Then, if needed I’ll fill a prescription. I feel that a lot of complementary stuff isn’t tested on kids so I’m hesitant to go there too often. The one complementary product I’ve used is Camilia teething liquid (found at Whole Foods). I have only had to use it two or three times, but it has relieved Molly’s symptoms and is all natural.” – Jenise Celestin, manager of Community Relations
“We actually still use cough syrup and when Sara and Paul were little (the are grown now) we used the children’s Tylenol or Dimetapp. I remember when some moms were using cough syrup to get their kids to sleep. We never did that. Today, it seems there’s a strong caution against the dangers.” – Sally Krenger, Marketing Coordinator
What is your take on complementary versus conventional treatments for kids?
For the full text of Julie Deardorff’s report, click here, then chime in to the discussion below.
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