Many doctors still unsure as to how well they work
　　Homeopathic treatments can help some childhood ailments, but experts say talking doctors into taking advantage of them is still a hard sell.
　　According to an article from The Washington Post, published on MSNBC, homeopathic remedies can treat the symptoms that go along with ear infections, including fever, pain and irritability. Homeopathy is based on the principle that "like cures like," the article says. That means that substances that cause symptoms are given in very small doses to sick individuals to help cure those symptoms.

Most doctors say, however, that claims of success have not been proven. They say those who get well after taking homeopathic remedies do so because of the power of suggestion. But one doctor, Jennifer Jacobs of Seattle, is running tests to show that homeopathic remedies can work, according to the article. Her latest efforts, published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, is a study of acute otitis media, or inflammation of the middle ear. According to that study, children who got homeopathic remedies had a genuine reduction in symptoms within 24 hours.

Homeopathic remedies are just one example of alternative therapies parents are considering for their children. According to this article from CNN, the American Academy of Pediatrics is urging doctors to offer guidance to parents in this area. To find out more about scientific claims relating to homeopathy, you can read this article from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

From HealthScout