Naturopathy an Option for Some Kids

But training and licensing varies widely from state to state, researcher says.

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
Tuesday, July 3, 2007; 12:00 AM

Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

TUESDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- About one in six naturopathic physicians include pediatric patients in their practice in the state of Washington, new research finds.

The study, which is published in the July issue of Pediatrics, also found that almost 30 percent of children seen by a naturopathic doctor visit them for overall health supervision, and almost 20 percent received their immunizations from a naturopathic doctor.

"We were looking to see how many naturopathic physicians treat children on a regular basis and found only about 15 percent do. The conditions seen by naturopathic doctors are similar to what pediatricians see," said study author Wendy Weber, a naturopathic doctor and a research associate professor at the School of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Wash., north of Seattle.

Weber was quick to point out, however, that her study was done only in the state of Washington, one of only 14 states that licenses its naturopathic practitioners, and that its findings would likely be different in other states.

Naturopathic medicine focuses on treating the whole person, not just an illness, with natural means such as diet, exercise, vitamins and herbal products. People with chronic illnesses, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, asthma and Crohn's disease, often seek the advice of naturopathic doctors. Prevention and self-care are important components of naturopathic medicine. In some states that license naturopathic doctors, they can also prescribe medications, such as antibiotics and hormone therapy, and they can administer vaccines.

Naturopathic physicians must be licensed in the following states and territories: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"Washington is one of the far more liberal and open-minded states. [Naturopathic medicine in Washington] would probably be the example or a model of what naturopathic medicine should be," said Dr. David Steinhorn, medical director of the Judith Nan Joy Integrative Medicine Initiative at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.