New study shows widespread use of homeopathy in German children

childrNew study shows widespread use of homeopathy in German children

A new study published in ‘Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety’ shows that homeopathic medicines, along with phytotherapeutic medicines, are commonly used for German children.  The study’s aim was to estimate prevalences and determinants of conventional, homeopathic and phytotherapeutic drugs and expenditures.

Population-based data on drug utilization of 3,642 children revealed 42.3% of the children reported drug use; 24.1% of the drugs were homeopathic and 11.5% were phytotherapeutic. The proportion of children who took at least one homeopathic remedy was 14.3%. Drugs prescribed by physicians were dominated by conventional medicine (76.5%), whereas in non-prescribed drugs, both homeopathy and conventional medicine accounted for 37% each. Boys (OR = 0.78) used less homeopathy than girls. Income showed only a weak influence. Education had a strong effect on the use of phytotherapy such that children of mothers with higher school education (>10 years vs. <10 years) used more phytotherapy (OR = 2.01).

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