Nearly 12 percent of U.S. children use alternative treatments, survey shows

Dr. Sean Palfrey, a professor of pediatrics and public health at Boston Medical Center, estimates that about 30 percent of his patients seek alternative medicines for their children. He said the government survey suggests that parents reach for unconventional treatments when their children are struggling with chronic conditions, such as back and neck pain, colds, anxiety and attention deficit disorders.

"These are things that are multi-faceted, with many different causes that Western medicine doesn’t have one antibiotic or vaccine to make better, so people look around," Palfrey said.

The government's report focused on 36 diverse products and practices, such as herbal and other nonvitamin supplements, meditation, chiropractic and acupuncture, that are not generally considered to be part of conventional medicine.

While nearly 40 percent of adults in the survey reported using some sort of unconventional medicine or treatment in the past year, parents with higher incomes and higher education were more likely to seek unconventional approaches for themselves and their children.

The survey also compared usage among adults from 2002 to 2007 and found that, overall, the percentages have remained about steady -- 36 percent in 2002 and 38 percent in 2007. But there has been a substantial shift in the types of therapies, with a significant increase in the percentage of people using meditation, message therapy, yoga and deep breathing.