Parental use of conventional and complementary therapy for autism in Jordan.

Parental use of conventional and complementary therapy for autism in Jordan. Complement Ther Med. 2020 Jan;48:102275 Authors: Masri AT, Khatib F, Al Qudah A, Nafi O, Almomani M, Bashtawi M, Alomari F, Qutifan S, Qutifan A Abstract OBJECTIVE: We investigated parental use of conventional therapies and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for children with autism in Jordan. METHOD: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2018 through December 2018 at the paediatric neurology clinics of three tertiary referral hospitals in Jordan. The accompanying parent was interviewed to complete a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: 274 parents were interviewed. The most common medications used were those to treat hyperactivity (150; 54.7 %), anticonvulsants (60; 21.9 %), and sleep aids (6; 2.1 %). CAM was used by 129 parents (47.0 %). A casein-free diet was the most commonly used dietary modification (24; 8.7 %), while fish oil (Omega-3) was the most common supplement used (96; 35.0 %). Hyperbaric oxygen, chelation therapy, and antifungal treatment were also occasionally used. Higher parental education levels and access to rehabilitation services correlated with higher CAM use (p < 0.05). PMID: 31987222 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Complementary Therapies in Medicine - Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Tags: Complement Ther Med Source Type: research