Complementary and alternative medicine use in children with thalassaemia

Aims and objectives. The aims of this study were to: (1) determine the types of complementary and alternative medicine useamong children with thalassaemia as reported by parents and (2) describe sociodemographic and medical factors associatedwith the use of such treatments in families residing in southern Turkey.Background. Thalassaemia is one of the most common human genetic diseases. Despite the therapeutic efforts, patients willencounter a variety of physical and psychological problems. Therefore, the use of complementary and alternative medicinesamong children thalassaemia is becoming increasingly popular.Design. This is a descriptive study of complementary and alternative medicine.Methods. This study was conducted in the Hematology Outpatient Clinic at Akdeniz University Hospital and in the Thalas-semia Centre at Ministry of Health Antalya Education and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey, between January 2010–December 2010. Parents of 97 paediatric patients, among 125 parents who applied to the haematology outpatient clinic andthalassaemia centre between these dates, agreed to take part in the study with whom contact could be made were included. Datawere collected by using a questionnaire.Results. The proportion of parents who reported using one or more of the complementary and alternative medicine methodswas 82AE5%. Of these parents, 61AE8% were using prayer/spiritual practice, 47AE4% were using nutritional supplements and 35AE1%were using animal materials.Conclusion. It was determined that a significant portion of the parents using complementary and alternative medicine use it totreat their children’s health problems, they were informed about complementary and alternative medicine by their paediatriciansand family elders, and they have discussed the use of complementary and alternative medicine with healthcare professionals.Relevance to clinical practice. To sustain medical treatment and prognosis of thalassaemia, it is important for nurses to consultwith their patients and parents regarding the use and potential risks of some complementary and alternative medicine.Key words: children, complementary and alternative medicine, nurses, nursing, thalassaemia, Turkey