Herbal medicine use in a group Taif children, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

SUMMARY AIM: In fact, herbs can be particularly safe and effective for children because herbs tend to be so much gentler than pharmaceutical alternatives. The present study aims to assess the therapeutic use and the prevalence of herbal remedy in Taif children, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Cross-sectional, qualitative survey and a questionnaire of 15 close-ended questions written carefully and directly were used for this study. 300 parents completed the questionnaire who attended the general pediatric out-patient clinics of 3 central hospitals in Taif. Data were collected daily from 8 am to 4 pm for 2 months period from 15 October to 15 December 2012. RESULTS: The present study revealed a reasonable proportion of the respondents used herbs for their children. About (58.0%) of parents used herbs for their children for the past four months earlier and about (70.3%) used herbs for their children in the past. The most commonly used herbs were; anise (24.7%) and fenugreek (14.7%). CONCLUSION: Herbal remedy is used in mid-range in Taif during childhood. To achieve high therapeutic safety, it is important to ask parents explicitly about such use and using natural medicines under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.