Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Treating Children's Diseases in Iran: A Systematic Review

All across the world, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used to treat children. Due to the increasing use and tendency to complementary therapies in Iranian children. 

This systematic review aims to synthesize the existing evidence on the use of CAM the treatment of children's diseases in Iran. 

This was a systematic review study. A search was done on published clinical trials, qualitative, observational, and quasi-experimental studies from January 1, 2020, to January 3, 2023, in nine scientific research databases, namely PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley Online, Scopus, SciELO, LILACS, Google Scholar, Magiran, and SID. The keywords used in English were as follows = ((“Complementary medicine” OR “alternative medicine” OR “CAM” OR “integrative medicine” OR “traditional medicine” OR “herbal medicine” OR “acupuncture” OR “homeopathy” OR “cupping therapy” OR “massage therapy” OR “aromatherapy” OR “naturopathy” OR “spiritual healing” OR “larval practice” OR “music therapy” OR “reflexology”) AND (“pediatric” OR “child” OR “children” OR “adolescent” OR “infant”) AND (“Iran”) AND (“prevalence” OR “epidemiology” OR “frequency” OR “usage” OR “utilization” OR “incidence”)). Meanwhile, the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines were followed to ensure a rigorous and transparent review process.

The initial search yielded 865 articles. After removing duplicates and screening titles and abstracts, 808 were excluded for not meeting inclusion criteria, resulting in 26 full-text articles selected for the analysis. These studies examined a variety of CAM interventions, including mind-body techniques (e.g. music therapy, meditation), manipulative methods (e.g. massage, cupping therapy), and physiologically based therapies (e.g. herbal medicine, aromatherapy). CAM methods were most frequently employed to address various conditions, such as pain and anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms, respiratory distress syndrome, diabetes, functional constipation, sleep disorders, and cancer-related symptoms in children. The findings indicate a significant role of CAM therapies in symptom management and improving quality of life.

AM modalities, particularly mind-body and physiologically based therapies, are frequently used among Iranian children to manage specific health conditions. Further research is recommended to evaluate CAM therapies’ safety, effectiveness, and interactions with conventional treatments to optimize integrated pediatric care in Iran.