Abstract
Naturopathic medicine is a growing profession in North America that provides expertise in complementary and alternative, or integrative care to pediatric patients. It is imperative that healthcare providers have an understanding of the training and scope of other health professionals in order to effectively make decisions regarding research, collaborative clinical care, and policy. Given the prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine by children and families in North America, and the growing interest in “integrative” medicine, we aim to offer an overview of naturopathic care for children. This document describes the principles, training, and scope of naturopathic medicine, including health promotion, disease prevention, and illness management. It describes the process by which naturopathic doctors create an integrative healthcare plan for children, evaluate and apply evidence, and integrate ethical issues in practice management, and speaks to the role naturopathic doctors have regarding advocacy for community and planetary health as it relates to pediatrics.
Highlights
The 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) revealed that approximately one in nine children (11.8%) used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the previous 12 months [1]
It is critical that parents and guardians are guided by healthcare providers thoroughly trained in integrative approaches to pediatric care
CAM use in pediatric medicine is becoming increasingly popular in North America
Summary
The 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) revealed that approximately one in nine children (11.8%) used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the previous 12 months [1]. Some medical schools incorporate integrative approaches and lifestyle medicine into their curricula [7,8], naturopathic doctors (NDs) are the only professionals that are trained primarily in these approaches at a doctoral level This ideally positions them as experts in these paradigms, to ensure safety and effectiveness for families when working independently or in collaboration with other providers. The aim is to better equip other healthcare providers to make decisions regarding collaborative clinical care It reflects what is taught within the accredited naturopathic medical institutions, and what is promoted by the Pediatric Association of Naturopathic Physicians’ (PedANP) through member resources and continuing education. Licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) complete an accredited (www.cnme.org, accessed on 21 December 2021) four year post-graduate medical education which blends conventional biomedical training with traditional modalities, including clinical nutrition, mind-body medicine, lifestyle counselling, botanical medicine, hydrotherapy, and hands-on manual therapies. The American Board of Naturopathic Pediatrics (an independent arm of the PedANP) offers a fellowship certification process (https://www.pedanp.org/board-certification, accessed on 21 December 2021), which is recognized as evidence of board-certification in some regulated jurisdictions of practice
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