Quality of Life in Some Asthmatic Children Treated with Homeopathic Remedies and their Parents

Abstract

Introduction: After treating a group of children with asthma using the individualized homeopathic prescriptions technique, this study examined the relationship between parental and child reports of quality of life and described the relationship of clinical asthma severity including respiratory tests on their quality of life. Method: Thirty children with asthma were treated by homeopathic medicines, for a period of 6 months. Parent and child quality of life measurements were obtained pre and post intervention using Juniper's Paediatric Caregivers Quality of Life (PACQLQ) and Juniper's Paediatric Quality of Life Questionnaires (PAQLQ). Asthma severity was measured using criteria from the current clinical practice guidelines of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Results: There was a significant improvement in parental and children total and subscale quality of life scores at follow up. Mean parental total quality of life scores were correlated at follow-up with their children asthma severity. For all children, emotional quality of life was significantly associated with asthma severity. Parent's emotional quality of life and activity quality of life were significantly associated with children's asthma severity (p=0.0001). No significant correlation was found between respiratory tests results and quality of life of children and their parents. Conclusion: Homeopathic medicines, in the classical way of prescription, proved to be effective in amelioration of quality of life in children and their parents.