Self-Medication With Herbal Remedies During Pregnancy: Practices, Reasons, and Adverse Effects

Despite limited knowledge about the benefits and adverse effects of herbal remedies during pregnancy, self-medication with these substances among pregnant women is increasing. The lack of precise data on the prevalence and reasons for this phenomenon poses a significant challenge to designing and implementing effective interventions to reduce it. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of self-medication with herbal remedies among pregnant women.

In this cross-sectional study, 166 pregnant women visiting health centers affiliated with primary healthcare facilities in Kermanshah, western Iran, were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a validated researcher-designed questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS Version 18. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation).

All 166 pregnant women with a mean age of 32.6 ± 5.1 years in this study reported using herbal remedies during pregnancy. The most common herbs consumed were fenugreek (89.8%), mint (71.1%), and cardamom (60.2%). The primary reasons for consumption were nausea and vomiting (12.7%), preventing neonatal jaundice (9%), and respiratory problems (6.6%). Despite this, 30.7% of women reported experiencing side effects such as abdominal pain (10.8%), headache (10.2%), and insomnia (3.6%) after consuming herbal remedies. Participants rated the effectiveness of herbal remedies as moderate (57.8%) and high (27.1%). However, only 30.7% were moderately satisfied and 28.9% were slightly dissatisfied with self-medication with herbal remedies.

The results of this study indicate a high prevalence of self-medication with herbal remedies during pregnancy. Given the serious risks associated with the unsupervised use of these substances, including miscarriage and macrosomia, interventional measures to raise awareness among pregnant women about the dangers of self-medicating with herbal remedies for both mother and fetus are essential. Utilizing mass media to disseminate this information is particularly crucial. Furthermore, conducting clinical trials to investigate the safety and efficacy of herbal remedies during pregnancy is recommended.