The Use of Herbal Products/Dietary Supplements and Affecting Factors in Patients Applying to a Pediatric Neurology Outpatient Clinic: A Descriptive Questionnaire Study

Abstract

Objectives: The use of herbal products/dietary supplements (HP/DS) in the pediatric population is increasing day by day. The interaction of HP/DSs with drugs with a narrow therapeutic index such as phenytoin, phenobarbital, and valproic acid, may cause problems in treatment. In this respect, it is very important to determine the use of HP/DS in children with neurological diseases and/or complaints. In this study, it was aimed to determine the use of HP/DS and the factors affecting the use of these products in individuals with a neurological complaint and/or disease who applied to the pediatric neurology outpatient clinic. Methods: Parents were questioned face-to-face as part of the descriptive questionnaire research. 174 questionnaires with appropriate data quality were included in the study. The statistical software tool SPSS 23.0 was used to analyze the data. Results: 44.6% of the parents stated that they gave HP/DS to their children. The findings of the analysis showed that kids whose parents use HP/DS are more likely to utilize these items themselves (p<0.001). The most commonly used products are linden (70.1%), bee products (26.0%), carob (18.2%), chamomile (13.0%), and lemon (13.0%).  It has been determined that the reasons for parents to have their children use HP/DS are to strengthen the immune system (51.9%), improve general health status (40.3%), and supplement normal nutrition (27.3%), respectively. Conclusions: This study revealed a high frequency of HP/DS use in children with pediatric neurological diseases/complaints in Türkiye. The frequency of HP/DS use was higher in children whose parents tended to consume HP/DS. Considering the high use of these products, healthcare professionals need to inform parents to prevent adverse effects caused by HP/DS.