The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in pregnancy: Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

Abstract

word count: 297 Main text word count: 2999Page 2 of 16 ObjectivesTo report the frequency of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use by a population of pregnant women in the UK. DesignFour postal self-completion questionnaires completed at 8, 12, 18 and 32 weeks' gestation provided the source of CAMs used. Questions asked for written descriptions about the use of any treatments, pills, medicines, ointments, homeopathic medicines, herbal medicines, supplements, drinks and herbal teas. SettingAn observational, population-based, cohort study of parents and children of 14541 pregnant women residing within the former county of Avon in south-west England. Data was available for 14115 women. ResultsOver a quarter (26.7%; n=3774) of women had used a CAM at least once in pregnancy, the use rising from 6% in the 1 st trimester to 12.4% in the 2 nd to 26.3% in the 3 rd . Herbal teas were the most commonly reported CAM at any time in pregnancy (17.7%; n=2499) followed by homeopathic medicine (14.4%; n=2038) and then herbal medicine (5.8%; n=813). The most commonly used herbal product was chamomile used by 14.6% of women, the most commonly used homeopathic product was Arnica used by 3.1% of women. Other CAMs (osteopathy, aromatherapy, acupuncture/acupressure, Chinese herbal medicine, chiropractic, cranial sacral therapy, hypnosis, non-specific massage and reflexology) accounted for less than 1% of users. ConclusionsCAM use in pregnancy, where a wide range of CAMs has been assessed, has not been widely reported. Studies that have been conducted report varying results to this study (26.7%) by between 13.3% and 87% of pregnant women. Survey results will be affected by a number of factors namely the inclusion/exclusion of vitamins and minerals, the timing of data collection, the country of source, the number of women surveyed, and the different selection criteria of either recruiting women to the study or of categorising and identifying a CAM treatment or product.

The effects of yoga in prevention of pregnancy complications in high-risk pregnancies: A randomized controlled trial

“…Previous studies have investigated the effects of acupuncture (Betts et al, 2012;Borup et al, 2009), homeopathy (Hochstrasser and Mattmann, 1994), Ayurveda (Jayashree, 2008), yoga (Narendran et al, 2005b;Rakhshani et al, 2010), and Qigong (Zhou and Lian, 1989) during pregnancy (Bishop et al, 2011;Kalder et al, 2011;Steel and Adams, 2011). Such interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing occurrences of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (Hofmeyr et al, 2010;Zhou and Lian, 1989), preventing preterm deliveries (Hochstrasser and Mattmann, 1994;Imdad et al, 2011;Sibai, 2011), improving fetal outcomes (Hochstrasser and Mattmann, 1994;Sabour et al, 2006), and enhance quality of life (Rakhshani, 2013;Rakhshani et al, 2010).…”

The use of medicinal herbs in gynecological and pregnancy-related disorders by Jordanian women: a review of folkloric practice vs. evidence-based pharmacology

“…It used to treat dysmenorrhea and delayed menses (Flores & Quinlan 2014). Clinical studies showed that Matricaria aurea (Chamomile) is used for nausea and vomiting intervention in early pregnancy (Bishop et al 2011;Matthews et al 2014) or throughout pregnancy (Broussard et al 2010;Holst et al 2011). A higher incidence of threatening miscarriages and preterm labors was observed among regular pregnant users of chamomile (Cuzzolin et al 2010).…”

“…Flavonoids, tannins and sesquiterpenes (-bisabolol and farnesene) (Minaiyan et al 2010;Aboul et al 2012;Afifi & Kasabri 2014); coumarins, phenolic compounds, polyacetylenes, flavones, flavonols and flavonones Aboul et al 2012); Essential oil (monoterpenes), triterpenes and fatty acids (Capuzzo et al 2014). Chamomile is used as anti-nausea and antiemtic in early pregnancy (Bishop et al 2011;Matthews et al 2014) or throughout pregnancy (Broussard et al 2010;Holst et al 2011). A higher incidence of threatening miscarriages and preterm labors was observed among regular pregnant users of chamomile (Cuzzolin et al 2010).…”

A longitudinal analysis of self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine use by a nationally representative sample of 19,783 Australian women, 2006–2010

“…3,5 Numerous large scale surveys have identified CAM as increasing in popularity in North America, Australia and Europe 7,10,16,28 and such trends have generated much interest among health professionals and policy-makers. 21,34 Previous research has consistently identified women as core consumers of CAM 2,13,19 and findings indicate that the use of CAM is common with regards to a number of women's health issues including pregnancy, 4,20,26 menopause, 15,40 breast cancer 32 and depression. 12,43 In Australia, research has identified CAM use as substantial for both young (aged 18-23) and mid-age (aged 45-50) women.…”