ArticleBritish journal of clinical pharmacology2018
The use of complementary and alternative medicines during breastfeeding: results from the Herbal supplements in Breastfeeding InvesTigation (HaBIT) study.
Article in British journal of clinical pharmacology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Herbal Medicinal Product Use During Pregnancy and the Postnatal Period: A Systematic Review.Obstetrics and gynecology · 2019Pooled it
- Comparison of the effects of vocal and instrumental traditional music on anxiety in candidates for general surgery: a randomized controlled clinical trial.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Trial
- Effects of aromatherapy with Matricaria chamomile essential oil on anxiety and hemodynamic indices in patients with acute coronary syndrome, 2021: a randomized controlled trial.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2024Trial
- Herbal medicine use and associated factors among lactating mothers visiting maternal and child health clinic at Woldia comprehensive specialized hospital, North Wollo Zone, Ethiopia, 2023.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2025Article
- Reasons, associated factors, and attitudes toward breastfeeding mothers' use of complementary medicine products: a study from Türkiye.International breastfeeding journal · 2025Article
- Safety Profile of Vitamin D in Italy: An Analysis of Spontaneous Reports of Adverse Reactions Related to Drugs and Food Supplements.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Editorial: Safety of drugs and CAM products in pregnancy and breastfeeding: evidence from clinical toxicology.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Article
- Self-Learning about Herbal and Dietary Supplements: Perspectives Using the Theoretical Domains Framework.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology as a Guarantee of Patient Safety: The Role of the Clinical Pharmacologist.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Shared decision-making about medication intake during lactation: A prospective longitudinal study in Greece.European journal of midwifery · 2022Article
- Use of Herbal Medicines Among Breastfeeding Mothers in Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2022Article
- "Fear of stopping" vs "wanting to get off the medication": exploring women's experiences of using domperidone as a galactagogue - a qualitative study.International breastfeeding journal · 2021Article
- Measuring the impact of pharmacovigilance activities, challenging but important.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2019Article
- The use of complementary and alternative medicines during breastfeeding: results from the Herbal supplements in Breastfeeding InvesTigation (HaBIT) study.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2018Article
- The Impact of Previous Pregnancy Loss on Lactating Behaviors and Use of Herbal Medicines during Breastfeeding: A Post Hoc Analysis of the Herbal Supplements in Breastfeeding InvesTigation (HaBIT).Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsThe use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) during breastfeeding is increasing, mainly because of their presumed greater safety compared with conventional medications. However, CAMs can cause serious adverse effects, and there is limited high-quality evidence supporting their use during lactation. In Italy, specific investigations on the attitude of lactating women towards CAMs are lacking. The Herbal supplements in Breastfeeding InvesTigation (HaBIT) study aimed to explore attitudes to and knowledge on CAMs among lactating women.
methodsA web-based survey was conducted over a 6-year period among lactating women resident in Tuscany, Italy. Data on lactating behaviour, CAMs use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and women's knowledge about the efficacy and safety of CAMs were collected.
resultsA total of 388 lactating women answered the questionnaire. The majority of them were primiparae, with a high educational level. Of these, 204 women declared themselves to have used CAMs during breastfeeding. Moreover, 61% and 48% of subjects reported also using CAMs before and during pregnancy, respectively. A significant proportion of subjects were unable to identify correctly the types of CAMs they were using. Seventy-three per cent of women were convinced that CAMs were equally safe or safer than conventional medications; nevertheless, 65% of women admitted to have no scientific information about the potential risks of CAMs, and 14 CAMs users reported that they had experienced side effects.
conclusionsThese results demonstrate the need for healthcare providers to increase the awareness of breastfeeding women about CAMs. Further research is needed to support the evidence base for nonpharmaceutical approaches for symptom control during breastfeeding.
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