A nationwide survey showed that just 12% of parents with children under the age of 18 have spoken to their child’s doctor about complementary and integrative approaches to medicine, yet nearly 90% want to know more. The survey, conducted by Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, assessed parents’ attitudes about various approaches to treating a child’s illnesses. The survey showed parents are concerned about the overuse of prescription medications with their children; 85% feel it’s important to minimize a child’s dependence on drugs, especially for behavioral issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or anxiety. Parents also feel strongly about eliminating their child’s pain and improving quality of life; almost 90% feel both these factors are as important as treating their child’s condition. Other findings include: 68% of parents agreed integrative medicine was an effective treatment approach; more than three-fourths of parents agree combining conventional and complementary/alternative approaches to medicine is innovative and that hospitals should offer medical experts on both conventional and complementary/alternative therapies; and almost two-thirds of parents who have children with serious health issues had never considered an integrative approach because they are unfamiliar with the subject.