J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2002 Feb; 23(1 Suppl): S37-45.

The role of complementary and alternative medicine in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Chan E.

Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. eugeniachan@onebox.com

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in pediatrics has become widespread. Parents of young children with developmental and behavioral problems such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are particularly drawn to CAM interventions to avoid or decrease use of psychotropic medications. This paper reviews the epidemiology of CAM use for ADHD, describes a conceptual model of CAM, discusses a variety of commonly used therapies for ADHD, and introduces a systematic, pragmatic approach to discussing CAM therapy use with parents.