Type of herbal medicines utilized by pregnant women attending ante-natal clinic in Offinso north district: Are orthodox prescribers aware?

Abstract

Background: There is scanty data on the usage and safety of herbal medicines in pregnancy and breast feeding. Though they may be efficacious on account of their long experience of usage, effects of these herbal preparations and the extent of usage in pregnancy and breastfeeding are not known. There were anecdotal claims of herbal medicine usage in pregnancy in Offinso North District. Objective: To determine the prevalence and the pattern of herbal medicine usage among pregnant women attending ANC in all the health facilities in Offinso North District and to determine the level of awareness of healthcare givers about these herbal medicines. Design: Cross-sectional study. Method: A standardized structured questionnaire was administered to pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in the Offinso North district. Results: Age of respondents ranged from 15-49 years among which 25 (6.5%) took herbal medicines through varying routes of administration. High usage was found amongst those married and also with no formal and basic education and a median age of 25 years. Awareness of orthodox health practitioners about these herbal medicines was scanty. Conclusions: The study emphasized the use of herbal medicines particularly through some unconventional mode of preparations by pregnant women in Offinso North. Orthodox practitioners' awareness of their usage was found to be inadequate, highlighting an urgent need for health care practitioners and other health care givers to be aware of this practice and make efforts in obtaining information about herb use during antenatal care.

Use of Herbal Medicine by Pregnant Women: What Physicians Need to Know

“…While the use of HMs for the above described indications is not country specific, some indications for HM use were more prominent within particular regions. For example, pregnant women in India and Ghana were more likely to use HMs to prevent miscarriage and improve the health status of the unborn baby than their counterparts in the developed nations (Adusi-Poku et al, 2015;Bhatt, 2016). Common fetal-related indications were an improvement of fetal physical and mental growth (Rahman et al, 2008;Adusi-Poku et al, 2015;Mugomeri et al, 2015;Bhatt et al, 2016;Dika et al, 2017), prevention of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (Tabatabaee, 2011), or even protecting the unborn baby from evil (Maputle et al, 2015).…”

Prevalence and Predictors of Use of Herbal Medicines Among The Most Recently Delivered Mothers in Tabora Municipality, Tanzania

“…Despite their unclear pharmacology and potential toxicity, high proportions of women in Tanzania use herbal medicines during pregnancy and in inducing labor; 23% in Mwanza [6]. A recent systematic review of literature [7] focusing on use of herbal medicines to induce labor by pregnant women revealed proportions of herbal use in the most recent pregnancy ranging from 6.5% in Ghana [8] to 80% in Uganda [9]. Some pregnant women often perceive herbal medicines as being natural and therefore safe, regardless of the unknown risks [6,10].…”

Understanding forgotten exposures towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3: the case of herbal medicine use in Tanzania

“…Existing evidence supports high magnitude of exposures to herbal medicines whose safety is not known, subjecting mothers and newborns to potentially toxic substances just before, during or immediately after birth. For example, a recent systematic review of literature [3] focusing on use of herbal medicines to induce labour by pregnant women revealed proportions of herbal use in the most recent pregnancy ranging from 6.5% in Ghana [4] to 80% in Uganda [5]. Similarly, high proportions (23%) of women in Tanzania use herbal medicines during pregnancy and in inducing labour [6].…”