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Herbal concoction usage before labor, mode of preparation, and association with child and maternal outcomes in urban
Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah1, Abigail Nkromah Asieduwaa2, Martin Klu2
1Department of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, College of Humanties and Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, 00233, Ghana. sychrist2007@gmail.com.
Background:
This study explored herbal concoction use before labor, mode of preparation and association with child and maternal outcomes in urban Ghana.
Methods:
The study employed a concurrent mixed-method design involving 376 mothers at Tafo Government Hospital and Manhyia District Hospital in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Women who had given birth and were within first to sixth weeks after delivery and consented to interview were engaged for quantitative interviews. Women who indicated ever using herbal concoction were selected for qualitative interviews. Thematic analysis informed the qualitative analysis while the quantitative data was analyzed using a binary logistic regression model with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results:
Knowledge of herbal concoctions was high among 358 (95.6%). Prevalence of herbal usage was reported among 67(17.9%). The majority of the women who used herbal concoctions took it throughout their pregnancy 32 (47.7%), used it to induce labor 23 (34.3%) and produced desired results for 64 (95.5%) users. Women of age 26 and above [aOR = 2.150, 95% CI = 1.342-3.446, p = 0.001] were 2.15 times more likely to use herbal concoctions during pregnancy compared to those of lesser years 15-25. Women with other occupations [aOR = 2.677, 95% CI = 1.402-5.110, p = 0.003] were more than 2 ½ times more likely to use herbal concoctions compared to those in the security and banking sectors. Women who underwent episiotomy had significantly higher odds of taking herbal medicines during pregnancy [aOR = 5.576, 95% CI = 2.360-13.178, p = 0.001] than those who did not undergo episiotomy. Mothers with complication experience after birth had reduced odds of consuming herbal concoctions [aOR = 0.286, 95% CI = 0.094-0.870, p = 0.027] prior to labour. Thematic analysis revealed women used concoctions to facilitate labor, for therapeutic value, while socio-cultural influence and secrecy shielded herbal concoction use prior to labour from healthcare providers.
Conclusion:
Implementing evidence-based educational programs on the possible dangers of using herbal concoctions and correct use where evidence supports efficacy of use remains an effective way of decreasing the abuse and incorrect usage of herbal medication by pregnant women in Ghana.