Adverse events associated with pediatric complementary and alternative medicine in the Netherlands: a national surveillance study

Pediatric use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the Netherlands is highly prevalent. The risks of pediatric CAM use are, however, largely unknown. Therefore, a 3-year survey was carried out at the Dutch Pediatric Surveillance Unit. Pediatricians were asked to register cases of adverse events associated with pediatric CAM usage. In 3 years, 32 unique adverse events were registered. Twenty-two of these adverse events were indirect and not related to the specific CAM therapy but due to delaying, changing, or stopping of regular treatment, a deficient or very restrictive diet or an incorrect diagnosis by a CAM therapist. These events were associated with many different CAM therapies. Nine events were deemed direct adverse events like bodily harm or toxicity and one-third of them occurred in infants. Only supplements, manual therapies, and (Chinese) herbs were involved in these nine events. In one case, there was a risk of a serious adverse event but harm had not yet occurred. Conclusion: Relatively few cases of adverse events associated with pediatric CAM usage were found, mostly due to delaying or stopping conventional treatment. Nevertheless, parents, pediatricians and CAM providers should be vigilant for both direct and indirect adverse events in children using CAM, especially in infants.

Automated summary

Pediatric use of complementary and alternative medicine is common in the Netherlands, but the risks associated with it are largely unknown. A 3-year survey found relatively few cases of adverse events, mostly caused by delaying or stopping conventional treatment. It is important for parents, pediatricians, and CAM providers to be vigilant for both direct and indirect adverse events in children using CAM, especially in infants.