A recent study done by Harvard Medical School researchers has found that as many as 12 percent of children and adolescents in the U.S. use complementary and alternative medicines (CAM).

According to HealthDay, the study published in the journal Pediatrics reviewed data on more than 9,400 children under the age of 18. Researchers say CAM was found to be used most often by children with serious chronic diseases, despite proof of the treatments’ safety or effectiveness.

They also found that remedies like homeopathic or herbal treatments were more likely to be used by children whose parents also use CAM.

"In addition, CAM use was more common among adolescents, children who live in the West and those that used prescription medications," said the study’s lead researcher Dr. Gurjeet Birdee.

Researchers say that more research is needed to help guide pediatricians in making recommendations for CAM therapies in children. They also say that parents should be aware that some alternative therapies may have side effects or reactions with prescription drugs.

"Healthcare providers need to inquire about CAM use in households and advise patients appropriately regarding clinical efficacy, or lack thereof, and potential adverse interactions between herbs and drugs," said Birdee.