Self-medication with conventional and herbal medicines in pregnancy: prevalence and factors in Northwest Ethiopia.

Background: Self-medication with conventional or herbal medicines during pregnancy is often considered an important part of everyday self-care without medical supervision. Many pregnant women self-medicate with conventional pharmaceuticals and herbal remedies without taking the necessary safety precautions, which can lead to complications for both the mother and fetus. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 26 February 2024, to 26 March 2024, involving 206 pregnant women, with a response rate of 98.5%. Data were collected using a systematic random sampling technique and analysed using SPSS version 27.0. Logistic regression analyses were employed to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios, with statistical significance set at a 95% confidence interval and p-value of less than 0.05. Results: The prevalence of self-medication during pregnancy was 36.5% (95% CI: 29.6-42.9) for conventional medicines and 59.6% (95% CI: 52.2-66.0) for non-conventional medicine. Younger age [AOR = 4.89, 95% CI = 1.21-19.70], rural residency [AOR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.06-0.99], no formal education, primary education, and secondary education [AOR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.05-0.98], [AOR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.10-0.91], and [AOR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.13-0.85], being primigravida [AOR = 3.19, 95% CI = 1.31-7.76], and a prior history of self-medication with conventional medicines [AOR = 5.07, 95% CI = 2.23-11.52] were significantly associated with self-medication with conventional medicines during the current pregnancy. Rural residency [AOR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.14-4.39] and a history of prior self-medication with herbal medicines [AOR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.13-4.25] were significantly associated with self-medication with herbal medicines during the current pregnancy. Conclusion: This study found that self-medication with both conventional and herbal medicines during pregnancy is prevalent. These practices were strongly linked to maternal socio-demographic factors, reproductive characteristics, and previous experiences with self-medication. To reduce potential risks to both maternal and fetal health, it is crucial to promote counseling and health education at both maternity care units and within the community.