Return to site

AAP Helps Pediatricians Better Understand Complementary Therapies

Mark Holterman

broken image

An experienced medical researcher and practitioner within the pediatric surgery specialty, Mark Holterman, MD, serves as a professor of surgery and pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and practices at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois. Active within the professional community, Dr. Mark Holterman belongs to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Consisting of over 60,000 pediatricians, the AAP supports the mental, social, and physical health of children, infants, and young adults. The organization accomplishes this through various education opportunities and resources, such as its recent report “Pediatric Integrative Medicine.” This report was published online in August 2017 and includes updated research and background information designed to help pediatricians better counsel families about complementary therapies for chronic medical conditions.
In addition to updating its information, the new Pediatric Integrative Medicine report requests that pediatricians expand their education about integrative medicine and promote the creation of reliable safety standards for complementary therapy. A large amount of research suggests that complementary therapies are effective treatment options for children dealing with a wide range of chronic medical conditions. However, certain treatments, specifically those that use herbal products and dietary supplements, have not been well-tested for safety due to their classification as food.
Further, the report encourages pediatricians to learn more about how natural products and prescription medication interact with one another. The AAP also requests that pediatricians ask families and patients about any history with complementary therapies.