Complementary and Integrative Health Methods Used for the Treatment of Oral Mucositis in Children with Cancer in Turkey

Purpose: We aimed to determine the complementary and integrative health (CIH) methods used by parents to treat oral mucositis in their children who have cancer.

Design And Methods: In this multicenter, cross-sectional study, data for the study were collected via the demographic form and CIH form for oral mucositis. The data collection tools were filled out by the researchers during the face-to-face interviews. The parents (N = 302) of children with cancer who had undergone at least one round of chemotherapy were included in this study.

Results: According to the parents' statements, oral mucositis developed in 91.1% of the children with cancer, and CIH was used in 50.9% of them to treat its side effects. Parents stated that to deal with the oral mucositis, they mainly used black mulberry (41.5%), carbonate (15.2%), and honey (11.6%). Some of the parents (51.8%) used CIH for their children without informing their healthcare providers.

Practice Implications: The majority of healthcare providers were unaware of the parents' use of CIH for their children's oral mucositis treatment. Parents' opinions of these methods, of which the side effects and potential interactions with chemotherapeutic agents are not precisely known, and their use by parents for their children's oral mucositis should be evaluated by healthcare providers.