Herbal supplements in pregnancy: unexpected results from a multicentre study

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background:

• Herbal products are often marketed as safe, leading to widespread use among pregnant women.
• Over a quarter of Italian pregnant women use herbs daily for at least three months during gestation.
• This study highlights a potential association between daily almond oil application and preterm birth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of herbal supplement use during pregnancy.
• To determine if herbal product consumption adversely affects pregnancy outcomes.
• To assess the specific risk of preterm birth associated with almond oil use.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted over 15 months.
• Seven hundred women were interviewed within three days of childbirth in three northern Italian hospitals.
• Data collected included herb consumption patterns and pregnancy outcomes.

Main Results:

• 189 women were regular herbal users (daily use for ≥3 months).
• Almond oil, chamomile, and fennel were the most frequently used herbs.
• Almond oil users had a higher incidence of preterm birth (29/189 vs. 51/511), with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.09 for birth before 37 weeks.

Conclusions:

• Daily almond oil application during pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of preterm birth.
• The findings suggest a hypothesis that requires validation in larger, prospective studies.
• The study's sample size limited the investigation of other adverse pregnancy outcomes.