ArticleBMC complementary and alternative medicine2013
Herbal medicine use in pregnancy: results of a multinational study.
Article in BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 88 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
88 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 218 citations in OpenAlex.
- Patient-physician communication on herbal medicine use during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ global health · 2024Pooled it
- Herbal Medicinal Product Use During Pregnancy and the Postnatal Period: A Systematic Review.Obstetrics and gynecology · 2019Pooled it
- Complementary medicine products used in pregnancy and lactation and an examination of the information sources accessed pertaining to maternal health literacy: a systematic review of qualitative studies.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2018Pooled it
- Safety classification of herbal medicines used among pregnant women in Asian countries: a systematic review.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2017Pooled it
- Traditional Medicine Utilisation Among Pregnant Women in Sub-saharan African Countries: A Systematic Review of Literature.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingPooled it
- Beyond prescription medicine in pregnancy - raspberry leaf and other herbs in Australia.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2026Article
- Parental and professional perspectives on prenatal psychosocial experiences perceived to be linked to autism spectrum disorder: a qualitative content analysis study.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- Use of analgesics during pregnancy: patterns of use and knowledge of medication safety among women in Serbia.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Temporal trends in the prescription of traditional Japanese herbal (Kampo) medicines to pregnant women: analysis of an administrative hospital database in Japan.Journal of pharmaceutical health care and sciences · 2025Article
- Assessing the role of Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as a tool for addressing inequality in access to medications and allocation of public funds for pregnant women.BMJ global health · 2025Article
- Perinatal Outcomes After the Use of Kampo Medicines Containing Ephedra During Pregnancy.Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2025Article
- Herbal products use during pregnancy and postpartum: study of consumption and user profile in Catalonia.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Article
- Article
- A Narrative Review of Quercetin's Role as a Bioactive Compound in Female Reproductive Disorders.Nutrients · 2025Review
- The Impact of the Fruit and Seed of Date on Childbirth Stages and Pregnancy Complications.Sultan Qaboos University medical journal · 2024Review
- Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of treatments for Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2024Article
- Risk of Major Congenital Malformations Associated with the Use of Japanese Traditional (Kampo) Medicine Containing Ephedra During the First Trimester of Pregnancy.Drugs - real world outcomes · 2024Article
- Effect of alternative and complementary medicine on male infertility: An umbrella review.Health science reports · 2024Article
- Risk factors and outcomes associated with pregnancy-related acute kidney injury in a high-risk cohort of women in Nigeria.Journal of nephrology · 2024Article
- Adherence to the national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy in England: the PEAR Study.Public health nutrition · 2024Article
28 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) is growing in the general population. Herbal medicines are used in all countries of the world and are included in the top CAM therapies used.
methodsA multinational study on how women treat disease and pregnancy-related health ailments was conducted between October 2011 and February 2012 in Europe, North and South America and Australia. In this study, the primary aim was to determine the prevalence of herbal medicine use in pregnancy and factors related to such use across participating countries and regions. The secondary aim was to investigate who recommended the use of herbal medication in pregnancy.
resultsThere were 9,459 women from 23 countries participating in the study. Of these, 28.9% reported the use of herbal medicines in pregnancy. Most herbal medicines were used for pregnancy-related health ailments such as cold and nausea. Ginger, cranberry, valerian and raspberry were the most commonly used herbs in pregnancy. The highest reported rate of herbal use medicines was in Russia (69%). Women from Eastern Europe (51.8%) and Australia (43.8%) were twice as likely to use an herbal medicine versus other regions. Women using herbal medicines were characteristically having their first child, non-smokers, using folic acid and consuming some alcohol in pregnancy. Also, women who were currently students and women with an education other than a high school degree were more likely to use herbal medicines than other women. Although 1 out of 5 women stated that a physician had recommended the herbal use, most women used herbal medicine in pregnancy on their own initiative.
conclusionsIn this multinational study herbal medicine use in pregnancy was high although there were distinct differences in the herbs and users of herbal medicines across regions. Most commonly the women self-medicated with herbal medicine to treat pregnancy-related health ailments. More knowledge regarding the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines in pregnancy is warranted.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.