How safe is Autheem therapy for young Saudi infants? A question worth asking.

Autor:	Bin Alamir AA; Department of Pediatric, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Majmaah, Saudi Arabia., AlShammari AM; College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Majmaah, Saudi Arabia., Almutairi MM; College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Majmaah, Saudi Arabia., Aldhafiri HJ; College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Majmaah, Saudi Arabia., Alnasser Y; Department of Pediatric, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.; George Washington Milken School of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States.; BronxCare Hospital, Bronx, NY, United States.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Journal of family medicine and primary care [J Family Med Prim Care] 2024 Aug; Vol. 13 (8), pp. 3184-3189. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 26.
DOI:	10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1959_23
Abstrakt:	Background: In Saudi Arabia, a traditional therapy for a folk labeled problem known as "Autheem - " is often offered to infants. The procedure involves manipulating an infant's soft palate to alleviate pain associated with infant colic and poor feeding. However, concerns remain about this procedure's impact on infant health and its potential to transmit infections. This study focused on perceptions that Saudi mothers hold about Autheem therapy. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted via an online platform to reach Saudi mothers in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia. Results: Five hundred and thirty-six Saudi mothers participated; half were older than 30 years of age. Despite a high rate of college degree attainment, the majority of mothers relied on their elders as a source of information (88.4%). Autheem was viewed to be a stand-alone disease by 86.5% of respondents; 71.4% believed it could not be treated with modern medicine. Most infants were under six months of age when they received Autheem therapy (72%). Roughly 13% of mothers found that their infant had a fever after the therapy; we found an association between Autheem therapy and viral illnesses. About 13% of mothers altered their child's vaccination schedule after Autheem therapy. Conclusion: Older mothers have more positive attitudes towards and stronger beliefs in Autheem therapy than younger mothers. The therapy's strong association with viral illnesses and its negative impact on vaccination schedules are major public health concerns. Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest. (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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