Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2006; 11: 37
The aim of this study was to assess the evidence of homoeopathy for childhood and adolescence ailments.
Systematic literature searches were conducted until January 2006 on Medline, Embase, Amed, Cinahl, Cochrane Central, British Homeopathic Library, ClinicalTrials.gov and the UK National Research Register. Bibliographies were checked for further relevant publications. Studies were selected according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. All double-blind, placebo-controlled RCTs of any homoeopathic intervention for preventing or treating childhood and adolescence ailments were included. According to the classification of the World Health Organisation, the age range defined for inclusion was 0 to 19 years. Study selection, data extraction and assessment of methodological quality were performed independently by two reviewers.
Three hundred and twenty-six articles were identified, of which 91 were retrieved for detailed evaluation. Sixteen trials assessing nine different conditions could be included. With the exception of ADHD and acute childhood diarrhoea – each tested in three trials – there is no condition which was assessed in more than two double-blind RCTs. The evidence for ADHD and acute childhood diarrhoea is mixed, showing both positive and negative results for their respective main outcome measures. For each of adenoid vegetation, asthma and upper respiratory tract infection two trials are available suggesting no difference compared with placebo. For four conditions only single trials are available.
The evidence from rigorous clinical trials of any type of therapeutic or preventive intervention testing homoeopathy for childhood and adolescence ailments is not convincing enough for recommendations in any condition.
