Herbal medicine in pregnancy

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Antenatal care necessitates understanding patient practices beyond conventional medicine.
• The use of alternative therapies during pregnancy is a growing area of interest.
• Potential risks associated with alternative medicine, particularly herbal remedies, require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of alternative medicine use among pregnant women.
• To identify common alternative therapies, with a focus on herbal medicine.
• To highlight potential risks of herbal therapies during pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among 305 consecutive antenatal patients.
• Data collection occurred over two months during patient registration.
• The survey focused on the usage of alternative and herbal medicine.

Main Results:

• Nearly 40% of surveyed patients reported using alternative medical therapies.
• Herbal therapy was used by 12% of the antenatal population.
• No direct correlation with pregnancy outcomes was studied, but potential risks were noted.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of pregnant women utilize alternative medicine.
• Herbal therapies pose potential risks to pregnancy, labor, and fetal development.
• Gathering a detailed herbal medicine history is crucial during antenatal care.