Abstracts

OBJECTIVES: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown substantially in North America and has drawn the attention of conventional-medicine practitioners. Conventional-medicine practitioners have expressed concern about the potential for unregulated CAM therapies to cause harm, the sometimes-uncertain cost-benefit ratios associated with these therapies, and the possibility that some CAM providers might advise against established conventional therapies, such as vaccination. These concerns are heightened with respect to the pediatric use of CAM products. To address this issue, we conducted a systematic audit of pediatric and adolescent case files at a large, college-based, Canadian naturopathic teaching clinic. We specifically sought to describe the demographic characteristics, reasons forpresentation, use of CAM products, and vaccinations status of children presenting for naturopathic assessment. We also determined factors associated with the use of CAM products and vaccination status. METHODS: We identified all charts for children (