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Use of Herbs or Nutrient Supplements as a Complementary and Traditional Medicine Product in Pediatric Hematology Patients
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Original Article
VOLUME: 52 ISSUE: 1
P: 53-57
2019

Use of Herbs or Nutrient Supplements as a Complementary and Traditional Medicine Product in Pediatric Hematology Patients

Acta Haematol Oncol Turc 2019;52(1):53-57
DOI: 10.5505/aot.2019.16362
Turan Bayhan 1
Mualla Çetin 1
Fatma Gümrük 1
Özlem Şatırer 2
Pınar Kahyaoğlu 2
Şule Ünal 1
1. Hacettepe University, Division Of Pediatric Hematology
2. Hacettepe University Department Pediatrics
3.
No information available.
No information available
Received Date: 2018-10-04T23:29:49
Accepted Date: 2019-04-09T13:33:10
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Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Complementary and traditional medicine (CTM) has been used in many chronic diseases during childhood by parents. Herbal medicines and nutrient supplements are the most common used CTM therapies, besides they have increased risk of side effects and drug interaction. In our study, we aimed to investigate frequency of herbal medicine and nutrient supplement usage and associated factors in pediatric patients with hematological diseases.

METHODS

Parents of 138 children with a hematological cancer or chronic hematological disease who were between 1 – 20 years of age filled the study questionnaire

RESULTS

Median age of patients were 9 (1 – 20) years, 91 (65.9%) of patients were with malign and 47 (34.1%) of patients were with benign diseases. Seventy one (51.4%) of patients have used minimum one CTM nutrient supplement or herbal medicine. Forty seven patients used only one product, 20 patients used two products and four of the patients used three products. Totally 21 kinds of CTM therapies have been used. Most commonly used five herbal medicine and nutrients supplements were; carob molasses (39 patients), gelee royale (13 patients), grape seed extract (9 patients), grape molasses (7 patients), and pollen (6 patients). Twenty seven (38%) of patients used products without permission of their doctors. When we compared frequency of CTM nutrient support or herbal medicine usage in patients with malign and benign diseases, statistically significantly patients with malign diseases have tendency to utilize these products (61.5%, 31.9%, p; 0.001, respectively).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Herbal medicine and nutrient support usage is common in pediatric patients with hematological diseases, especially if patients have malign diseases. Some of the patients have been using these products without permission of their responsible doctors. During follow-up of patients with hematological diseases doctors should ask patients if they use CTM therapies, and should give rational advices without prejudice about CTM therapies.