Uso de plantas medicinais e medicamentos fitoterápicos por crianças e adolescentes: uma breve revisão

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most people worldwide use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services, including medicinal plants and herbal medicines, as their primary source of healthcare or as adjuncts to treatments for their current health problems. The use of medicinal plants and herbal medicines for psychological, neurological, intestinal, respiratory, and dermatological disorders is widespread by child and adolescents care providers, but despite of this, it is still rarely physicians that asked about this in pediatric care. The aim of this study is to conduct a brief narrative review of the literature, analyze, and discuss some evidence described in the scientific community regarding the use of medicinal plants and herbal medicines by children and adolescents. We found a lack of both standardization and knowledge about dosages, a scarcity of clinical studies in pediatrics, and a mistaken perception that natural products are harmless. This increases the risk of adverse events and unwanted drug interactions, interferes with the pharmacological effectiveness of medicinal plants and herbal medicines, and makes it difficult to accurately assess their efficacy and safety. We conclude that there is a need to train healthcare professionals in integrative practices, as well as to strengthen scientific research on medicinal plants and herbal medicines in the pediatric population.