Abstract
BackgroundComplementary traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat patients with cerebral palsy (CP). However, large-scale surveys examining its use in the treatment of CP and associated disorders are lacking.MethodsWe enrolled 11,218 patients ≤ 18 years of age with CP in the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database from 1995 to 2011. Patients were categorized as TCM users (n = 6,997; 62.37%) and non-TCM users (n = 4,221; 37.63%) based on the inclusion of TCM in their treatment plan.ResultsChildren with higher proportions of complementary TCM use were male, younger, and lived in urbanized areas. Most TCM users (n = 5332, 76.2%) visited TCM outpatient departments more than 20 times per year. In both groups, the three most common reasons for clinical visits were problems of the nervous system, respiratory system, and digestive system. Acupuncture was commonly used in problems of injury, musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, and nervous system. Chinese herbal medicine was used to improve the primary symptoms of CP in patients, as well as its associated disorders. The incidence rate ratios in allergic rhinitis, dyspepsia, menstrual disorders, and musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases among TCM users were significantly higher than non-TCM users. Although patients receiving complementary TCM therapies had higher medical expenditure for utilizing outpatient clinical consultations, their medical costs for visiting ER and hospitalization were significantly lower than that of non-TCM user within one year of the diagnosis of CP.ConclusionThis study was a large-scale survey to characterize patterns of complementary TCM use among children with CP. The complementary use of TCM in children with CP was considerably high. Future clinical trials and basic researches can be developed based on the findings of this study.
Highlights
Complementary traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat patients with cerebral palsy (CP)
We investigated the characteristics of adjunctive TCM use in children with CP by analyzing Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD)
Catastrophic illness certificates were administered to children with CP who had completed a clinical and neuroimaging evaluation, followed by a thorough and routine review by pediatricians or rehabilitation physicians appointed by the National Health Insurance (NHI) Administration
Summary
Complementary traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat patients with cerebral palsy (CP). The most common risk factors for CP are prematurity, followed by intrauterine growth restriction, intrauterine infection, antepartum hemorrhage, severe placental pathology, and multiple pregnancy [2]. It is the most common motor disability in childhood with a prevalence of approximately 2 to 4 cases per 1000 children [3]. In addition to abnormalities of motor activity and posture, children with CP often have other disorders of cerebral function, including intellectual disability or specific learning disabilities, behavioral and emotional disorders, seizures and impaired vision and speech [5]. Teams consisting of the family and medical staff are necessary to maximize children's social and emotional development, communication, education, nutrition, mobility, and independence in daily activities [6, 7]
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