In general, we believe that alternative medicine is inappropriate for children.  Why? The potential risks are too high.

Until high-quality studies show clearly that a particular alternative therapy is safe and effective for children, that therapy should be avoided.

Children should never be given herbal remedies or vitamin megadoses in the belief that they are safer than pharmaceuticals.

We know too little about what works and what doesn’t and about the appropriate preparation and proper dosage for age and body weight to risk trying such potentially dangerous products as herbal remedies on our children.

Children are not just miniature versions of adults.

If you are thinking of trying any alternative remedy with your children, first talk with their physician or primary health care provider.

Keep in mind that many minor illnesses play an important role in early childhood development. They challenge the body and help build the immune system we need as healthy adults.

Compromise the immune system in a child, and you may have an adult with a chronic condition that could readily have been avoided by letting a child’s minor illness run its natural course.

Parents might limit their exploration of alternative treatments to those that do not alter the body’s chemistry — such as acupressure or massage.

Here’s the entire series:

• Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 1 – Introduction
• Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 2 – Chiropractic for Children
• Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 3 – Herbs for Children and the Risks
• Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 4 – Herbs and Herbalism
• Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 5 – Homeopathy
• Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 6 – Vaccination and Alternative Medicine
• Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 7 – Risks Are Too Great for Children

You can read more about this topic in my book, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, which is endorsed and co-published by the Christian Medical and Dental Associations.