Volume 20, Issue 2, May 2014, Pages 118–124
Use of complementary medicines among HIV-infected children in Lagos, Nigeria
Abstract
Background
Complementary
medicine (CM) use is common among children with chronic illnesses such
as epilepsy and asthma. Lack of data on the profile of CM use among
children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection necessitated
this study.
Methods
Parents
or caregivers of HIV-infected children attending the paediatric
HIV-clinic in a teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, were randomly
selected and interviewed with a semi-structured (open- and close-ended)
questionnaire. Clinical details of the patients were extracted from
their case files.
Results
A
total of 187 parents/caregivers were interviewed. Most of the
parents/caregivers (181; 96.8%) have used CMs for their children.
Mind-body interventions (181; 36.6%) and biological products (179;
36.2%) were frequently used. Relatives, friends and neighbours
influenced CM use in 37.1% of the children. CMs were used mostly to
treat weight loss (79; 43.7%), cold (40; 22.1%), and fever (39; 21.6%).
Conclusion
CM use is common among HIV-infected children in Lagos.
Keywords
- Complementary medicine;
- HIV-infection;
- Children;
- Prevalence;
- Adverse effect
- Corresponding author. Tel.:
+234 809 068 8437.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
