Herbal Medicinal Product Use During Pregnancy and the Postnatal Period

Balbontin, Yolanda Muñoz; Stewart, Derek; Shetty, Ashalatha; Fitton, Catherine M.; McLay, James S.

doi:10.1097/aog.0000000000003217

Cited by 51 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 100 publications

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“…The most common herbs used were found to be anise, peppermint, sage, chamomile, and cinnamon which is consistent with the study conducted in Palestine in 2013, in which anise and chamomile were the most commonly reported herbs used by pregnant women in that country [ 9 ] as well as Egypt [ 41 ], and peppermint in Turkey [ 33 ]. While ginger was found to be the most reported herb used in the UK and Norway [ 38 , 42 ], red raspberry leaf is one of the most widely used herbal teas during pregnancy in other countries, mainly due to its presumed effect on labour stimulation [ 44 , 45 ]. This variation in herbs use in different countries may be due to the use of these herbs in standard dietary ingredients as a spice, a flavouring agent or to reduce food spoilage in different cultures [ 46 – 49 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from Palestine

Quzmar

Istiatieh

Nabulsi

et al. 2021

BMC Complement Med Ther

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Background The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing worldwide. To the best of knowledge, there is a lack of studies that assess CAM use by Palestinian women during pregnancy. This research aims to determine the prevalence of Palestinian women’s use of CAM during pregnancy, the most frequently used CAM products during the pregnancy period, the main sources that encourage the use of CAM among pregnant women, and the causes of CAM use. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in Palestine using a questionnaire from April 2018 to March 2019. The samples were selected by convenience sampling, including currently pregnant or previously pregnant women in the Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) clinic at Rafedia Hospital and in primary health care clinics in Nablus city-Palestine. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic variables, health status, types and frequency of CAM used, patients’ sources of information, causes of their usage, attitudes, and beliefs. Results Four hundred currently or previously pregnant women participated. Three hundred fifty-five (91.5%) used at least one method of CAM during pregnancy. Most women used at least one method of biologically-based therapies during pregnancy (87.7%). One hundred and one pregnant women (26.7%) utilised at least one type of herb during pregnancy. The most-reported herb used by 12.3% of participants was anise. Of the mind-body therapies, prayer was the most commonly used method during pregnancy (8.3%). Two hundred and sixty-one (65.3%) participants used CAM because they believed CAM was not harmful to them or their babies during pregnancy. Participants gained most of their information about CAM from their families (43.8%) and friends (24.3%). Approximately two-thirds of participants (64.0%) thought that obstetricians should be able to advise on commonly used CAM. Conclusions During pregnancy, CAM products are commonly used, and it is important to determine what types are being used by women in Palestine. These findings supplement the body of knowledge on the use of CAM by pregnant women. Pregnancy care providers need to be aware to the familiar types of CAM that women use.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from Palestine

Quzmar

Istiatieh

Nabulsi

et al. 2021

BMC Complement Med Ther

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“… 2009, Lans et al [ 12 ] Use in pets – no evidence of mechanism 2009, Holst et al [ 14 ] A review of the literature 2009, Holst et al [ 40 ] Survey of mothers 2010, Tiran [ 41 ] Opinion piece 2012, Hall et al [ 42 ] Review of CIM for induction. No evidence on mechanism 2011, Trillo et al [ 43 ] An article on a proposed RCT in Spain that did not appear to proceed 2016, Weed [ 44 ] An opinion piece 2017, Gilmartin [ 45 ] Survey of health care professionals 2019, Munoz Balbontin et al [ 46 ] A Systemic review of many herbal products used in pregnancy and postnatal review. Only identified 3 studies on raspberry leaf that had already been incorporated in this review.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biophysical effects, safety and efficacy of raspberry leaf use in pregnancy: a systematic integrative review

Bowman

Taylor

Muggleton

et al. 2021

BMC Complement Med Ther

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Background Childbearing women have been using various herbs to assist with pregnancy, labour and birth for centuries. One of the most common is raspberry leaf. The evidence base for the use of raspberry leaf is however under-developed. It is incumbent on midwives and other maternity care providers to provide women with evidence-based information so they can make informed choices. The aim of this study was to review the research literature to identify the evidence base on the biophysical effects, safety and efficacy of raspberry leaf in pregnancy. Methods A systematic, integrative review was undertaken. Six databases were searched to identify empirical research papers published in peer reviewed journals including in vitro, in vivo, human and animal studies. The search included the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection and AMED. Identified studies were appraised independently by two reviewers using the MMAT appraisal instrument. An integrative approach was taken to analysis. Results Thirteen studies were included. Five were laboratory studies using animal and human tissue, two were experiments using animals, and six were human studies. Included studies were published between 1941 and 2016. Raspberry leaf has been shown to have biophysical effects on animal and human smooth muscle including the uterus. Toxity was demonstrated when high doses were administered intravenously or intaperitoneally in animal studies. Human studies have not shown any harm or benefit though one study demonstrated a clinically meaningful (though non-statistically significant) reduction in length of second stage and augmentation of labour in women taking raspberry leaf. Conclusions Many women use raspberry leaf in pregnancy to facilitate labour and birth. The evidence base supporting the use of raspeberry leaf in pregnancy is weak and further research is needed to address the question of raspberry leaf’s effectiveness.

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“…Current preclinical evidence ( Table 1 ) supports the neuroprotective benefits of maternal supplementation using omega-3 fatty acids [ 58 , 59 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ], piceatannol and resveratrol [ 47 , 48 , 49 ], vitamin A [ 68 , 69 ], melatonin [ 77 , 78 ], or creatine [ 84 , 85 ], as well as dietary interventions consisting of pomegranate juice (rich in polyphenols) [ 41 , 43 , 54 ] or broccoli sprouts (rich in sulforaphane) [ 75 ]. The advantage of using nutraceuticals (over traditional drugs) for HI prevention is that these compounds usually have low toxicity, have minimal interactions with other drugs, and are comparatively inexpensive and broadly accessible [ 38 , 39 , 40 ]. However, most of the aforementioned studies did not examine embryotoxicity or any potential detrimental effects to the mothers (or, at least, these were not reported).…”

Section: Conclusion and Future Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The present review summarizes the preclinical in vivo studies and the few available human clinical studies in which nutritional interventions were applied as prophylaxis before the HI cerebral damage, either as a maternal dietary supplementation during pregnancy or to the offspring before HI induction. The interventions examined only included natural products and nutraceuticals, which may be attractive alternatives to traditional drugs as they have a low toxicity profile, are comparatively affordable, and are widely available [ 38 , 39 , 40 ]. The neuroprotective and preventive properties of polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and other plant-derived and endogenous compounds in the context of neonatal HI are summarized below.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutraceuticals in the Prevention of Neonatal Hypoxia–Ischemia: A Comprehensive Review of their Neuroprotective Properties, Mechanisms of Action and Future Directions

Reyes-Corral

Sola-Idígora

Puerta

et al. 2021

IJMS

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Neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI) is a brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation to the brain due to birth asphyxia or reduced cerebral blood perfusion, and it often leads to lifelong limiting sequelae such as cerebral palsy, seizures, or mental retardation. HI remains one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide, and current therapies are limited. Hypothermia has been successful in reducing mortality and some disabilities, but it is only applied to a subset of newborns that meet strict inclusion criteria. Given the unpredictable nature of the obstetric complications that contribute to neonatal HI, prophylactic treatments that prevent, rather than rescue, HI brain injury are emerging as a therapeutic alternative. Nutraceuticals are natural compounds present in the diet or used as dietary supplements that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or antiapoptotic properties. This review summarizes the preclinical in vivo studies, mostly conducted on rodent models, that have investigated the neuroprotective properties of nutraceuticals in preventing and reducing HI-induced brain damage and cognitive impairments. The natural products reviewed include polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, plant-derived compounds (tanshinones, sulforaphane, and capsaicin), and endogenous compounds (melatonin, carnitine, creatine, and lactate). These nutraceuticals were administered before the damage occurred, either to the mothers as a dietary supplement during pregnancy and/or lactation or to the pups prior to HI induction. To date, very few of these nutritional interventions have been investigated in humans, but we refer to those that have been successful in reducing ischemic stroke in adults. Overall, there is a robust body of preclinical evidence that supports the neuroprotective properties of nutraceuticals, and these may represent a safe and inexpensive nutritional strategy for the prevention of neonatal HI encephalopathy.

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Herbal Medicinal Product Use During Pregnancy and the Postnatal Period

Abstract: Synthesis of pooled data on herbal medicinal products used during and after pregnancy highlights the need for robust safety studies.

Cited by 51 publications

References 100 publications

The use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from Palestine

The use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from Palestine

Biophysical effects, safety and efficacy of raspberry leaf use in pregnancy: a systematic integrative review

Nutraceuticals in the Prevention of Neonatal Hypoxia–Ischemia: A Comprehensive Review of their Neuroprotective Properties, Mechanisms of Action and Future Directions

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