Table 3: Complementary and alternative medicine products and practices commonly used by patients seen in pediatric cardiology clinics at Stollery Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and their perceived helpfulness.
| Product or practice | Current use, no. (%) |
Ever used, no. (%) | Perceived helpful, no. (%) |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n* | Yes | No | Maybe | ||||||||
|
Product |
n = 68 |
n = 95 |
|||||||||
| Vitamins and minerals |
56 |
(82.4) |
86 |
(90.5) |
|||||||
| Multivitamin |
48 |
(70.6) |
72 |
(75.8) |
72 |
35 |
(48.6) |
4 |
(5.6) |
33 |
(45.8) |
| Vitamin C |
15 |
(22.1) |
31 |
(32.6) |
29 |
19 |
(65.5) |
1 |
(3.4) |
9 |
(31.0) |
| Calcium |
9 |
(13.2) |
15 |
(15.8) |
13 |
8 |
(61.5) |
1 |
(7.7) |
4 |
(30.8) |
| Vitamin B |
2 |
(2.9) |
12 |
(12.6) |
10 |
5 |
(50.0) |
1 |
(10.0) |
4 |
(40.0) |
| Herbals |
8 |
(11.8) |
28 |
(29.5) |
|||||||
| Echinacea |
3 |
(4.4) |
17 |
(17.9)† |
16 |
10 |
(62.5) |
1 |
(6.3) |
5 |
(31.3) |
| Homeopathics |
12 |
(17.6) |
36 |
(37.9) |
|||||||
| Cold remedy |
8 |
(11.8) |
21 |
(22.1) |
18 |
16 |
(88.9) |
1 |
(5.6) |
1 |
(5.6) |
| Teething remedy |
2 |
(2.9) |
13 |
(13.7) |
13 |
11 |
(84.6) |
0 |
(0) |
2 |
(15.4) |
| Miscellaneous |
17 |
(25.0) |
37 |
(38.9) |
|||||||
| Fish oil/omega 3 fatty acids |
8 |
(11.8)† |
16 |
(16.8) |
13 |
2 |
(15.4) |
0 |
11 |
(84.6) |
|
| Acidophilus/probiotics |
6 |
(8.8)† |
14 |
(14.7)† |
12 |
7 |
(58.3) |
1 |
(8.3) |
4 |
(33.3) |
|
Practice |
n = 40 |
n = 65 |
|||||||||
| Massage |
15 |
(37.5) |
26 |
(40.0) |
23 |
21 |
(91.3) |
0 |
2 |
(8.7) |
|
| Faith healing |
10 |
(25.0) |
16 |
(24.6) |
12 |
12 |
(100.0) |
0 |
0 |
||
| Chiropractic |
8 |
(20.0) |
21 |
(32.3) |
20 |
14 |
(70.0) |
3 |
(15.0) |
3 |
(15.0) |
| Aromatherapy |
6 |
(15.0) |
12 |
(18.5) |
11 |
8 |
(72.7) |
0 |
3 |
(27.3) |
|
| Aboriginal healing | 3 | (7.5) | 7 | (10.8) | 6 | 5 | (83.3) | 0 | (0) | 1 | (16.7) |
*Number of valid responses. †Significant difference between the 2 sites (p < 0.05).