Chapter 30 Paediatrics
OVERVIEW OF PAEDIATRIC CONSIDERATIONS
Working with children can be extremely rewarding, but it is very different from treating adults. Children often face very different medical conditions to adults and require specialised care. Practitioners need to be aware of children’s special needs, the sensitivity of the child, and the child’s parents and their siblings. While many childhood conditions can be treated in the family home, it is wise to seek the help of medical intervention when a condition is worsening, and to do so as soon as possible because children (especially babies) can become gravely ill quite quickly. Conversely, they can recover quickly once appropriate intervention is commenced. Children’s immune systems and nervous systems develop rapidly, and this also needs to be considered at all times when embarking on any health intervention.
The terminology for the classification of the paediatric patient is used in this chapter according to the definitions given at the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH).1 The ICH recommended age should be classified in completed days, months or years following the stage categories of:
The United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a ‘minor’ as anyone under the age of 18 years.2
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in paediatric treatment is prevalent.3–5 Studies have shown that the use of one or more CAM therapies for treatment of children range between 20 and 70% of cases. The rates for general paediatric patients are 20–30%, for adolescents 30–70% and for paediatric patients with chronic or recurrent conditions, including those considered to be incurable, 30–70%.3,4 CAM practices used most commonly for children include infant massage, general massage and vitamin and herbal therapies. Demographic data for paediatric treatment reflect that seen in generalised populations, showing that the parents of children being given CAM therapies are often more educated and affluent. They choose to use CAM because they believe it is natural, lower cost, more effective, has been recommended by family or friends, are worried about possible side effects of conventional therapies, or conventional therapies have failed them in the past.3,4,6
Ethical and legal considerations
Cohen and Kemper raised some questions about the clinically appropriate use of CAM in paediatrics.5 They suggested that the non-judicious use of various CAM therapies may cause direct harm (or indirect harm) by creating an unwarranted financial and emotional burden. They recommended a series of questions that practitioners treating paediatric patients could ask when deciding how to advise patients on the use of CAM. These questions are:
Cohen and Kemper also concluded that paediatric use of CAM therapies may raise legal as well as clinical concerns.5 A cautious yet balanced approach ideally can help guide the specialised paediatric naturopath towards clinical advice (including referral) that is clinically responsible, ethically appropriate and legally defensible. Employing such an approach—one that embraces both clinical and legal concerns—can help to protect the child’s welfare as new parameters for integrative health care unfold.
PAEDIATRIC MEDICATION CONSIDERATIONS
The consensus is that children do not equate to small adults.7 There are marked differences in pathology, physiology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics between children and adults.8–10 The efficacy of a medication depends on the practitioner selecting an appropriate preparation, calculating the correct dosage and motivating the family to ensure regular administration.11
There are some important considerations when deciding the dose of medications at different life stages. Drugs are metabolised very differently in neonates and children compared to adults. Absorption is affected by differences in gastric acid secretion, bile salt formation, gastric emptying, intestinal motility and microflora.7 These are mostly reduced in a neonate and may also be reduced—though sometimes raised—in an ill child. The distribution of the volume of drugs in children can change with age because of the differences in the body’s composition of minerals, lipids, proteins and water (see Figure 30.1 below); plasma protein binding capacity also changes with age. Drug elimination can be longer in babies than adults. So, when medicating babies and children less than 12 years old, body weight and age should be considered.8 (See Table 30.1 with formulas below.)
Figure 30.1 Changes in body proportions of body composition with growth and ageing
Source: Adapted from Puig M, Body composition and growth. In Walker WA. Watkins JB, eds. Nutrition in pediatrics. 2nd edn. Hamilton, Ontario, BC: Decker, 1996.
AGE | RULE | FORMULA |
---|---|---|
Birth to 12 months | Ausberger’s rule | |
1–2 years | Fried’s rule (or Ausberger’s rule) | |
2–12 years | Young’s rule or | |
Ausberger’s rule or | ||
Clarke’s rule | ||
12–16 years | Ausberger’s rule | |
16+ years | Unless the teenager is of small stature, adult doses may be considered. |
Individual practitioners will have a preference for one formula over another when selecting a dose for children. Table 30.1 can be used to guide those in doubt when considering a herbal formula. Ausberger’s rule and Clarke’s rule for calculations of paediatric doses of medications are based on weight as opposed to age and may be more suitable to allow for the faster metabolism of children at certain ages.12 Fried’s rule and Young’s rule are based on age alone.
Hepatic metabolism
Medications are metabolised by enzymatic and metabolic reactions. Phase I activity for drug metabolism is reduced in neonates, increases progressively during the first 6 months of life, slows during adolescence, and usually attains adult rates by late puberty.8,9 Neonates metabolise medications much more slowly than adults do. By 6 months of age the immature reactions involving acetylation, glucuronidation and conjugation with amino acids have matured to adult levels.9 The metabolic pathways for phase II reactions reach adult levels by 3–4 years of age.9,14–16
Digestive flora
Colonisation of the gastrointestinal tract begins at birth and is usually established by week 1. The type of microorganism will depend on hygiene and diet. Bifidobacterium is the most prolific organism in a breastfed baby.13 It is estimated that the number of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in newborns is up to a total of 1010/g wet weight.17 Implications of this altered flora are discussed in the chapters on irritable bowel syndrome, atopic skin disorders and asthma.
Nutrition in children
The physiological differences in children when compared to adults also result in differing nutritional requirements for children. This reflects the population’s unique needs for growth and development, as well as their differing maintenance requirements due to higher metabolisms. The estimated average requirements for the main nutrients are listed in Tables 30.2 and 30.3.18–20
Herbal medicine in children
The conditions encountered in paediatric practice may be different from those encountered in general practice (for example, otitis media and colic). Therefore the herbal medicines most commonly used will also differ. Table 30.4 outlines common paediatric conditions and herbal medicines used to treat these conditions.
MAIN CONDITIONS | MAIN TREATMENT ACTIONS | COMMON HERBS |
---|---|---|
Infants and toddlers | ||
Colic | Carminative | |
Common cold | ||
Constipation | Iris versicolor, Angelica polymorpha, Rumex crispus, Taraxacum officinale (radix), Glycyrrhiza glabra | |
Children | ||
Respiratory tract infections | ||
Fever | ||
Allergy | Antiallergy | Albizzia lebbeck, Scutellaria baicalensis |
Asthma | ||
Adolescents | ||
Acne | ||
Warts | ||
Stress |
COMMON PAEDIATRIC CONDITIONS
Generally, these conditions can be treated in a similar manner to the adult populations as suggested in appropriate chapters (while also paying attention to recommendations in this chapter). The more common conditions treated in infants and toddlers, children and adolescents are:13,25
OTITIS MEDIA
A study has shown that olive oil infused with extracts of Allium sativum, Verbascum thapsus, Calendula officinalis and Hypericum perforatum is effective in reducing pain in children with otitis media.26
COMPLIANCE ISSUES
Children
Children of all ages need to be given positive feedback on their progress and positive attitudes. Realistic goals should be set to increase the likelihood of compliance—for example, in the case of planned weight loss, planning to lose 1 of 10 kg by the next follow-up consultation if on a weight-loss plan, or having three different-coloured vegetables at least four times a week if diversifying their foods has been recommended.8