Abstract:
Introduction: The usage of herbal medicine in pregnancy has increased in recent years despite the advancement observed in conventional treatments. This study aims to determine the factors associated with utilization of herbal medicines in pregnancy.
Method: This is a cross-sectional study performed in Mumbai, among women of any gestational age attending antenatal wards in two hospitals selected randomly. A simple random sampling method was used to select the women. Data was collected by face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 16.0.
Result: A total of 202 pregnant women were surveyed. Herbal medicine usage in current pregnancy was 46.0%, with 98.9% utilized herbal medicine to maintain her as well as foetus wellness and 24.7% used for pregnancy-related symptoms. The most common indication for acquiring herbal medicines was to promote foetus mental and physical growth. The most commonly used herbal medicines were dried fruits (91.4%), followed by saffron (24.7%). The herbal medicine use was significantly associated with women in pregnancy weeks ≥ 27 (adjusted OR= 1.912, CI= 1.029-3.554, p= 0.040) and monthly household income ≥ ₹20,000 (adjusted OR= 2.766, CI= 1.505-5.083, p= 0.001). Herbal medicine users commonly obtained their supplies from the supermarket, herbal drug store and pharmacy. The mean monthly expenditure on herbal supplies was approximately ₹800. Among 93 users, 66.7% disclose the use of herbs while 33.3% did not disclose the use of herbal medicines to medical doctors. Among those who did not disclose the use of herbal medicines, lack of knowledge of herbs and belief on the effectiveness of modern medicine prescribed by doctors were identified as most common barriers for non-utilization. The study found a significant association between beliefs in natural treatments and herbal medicine use (p<0.001). Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of herbal medicine usage among the respondents in the study area. Therefore, pregnancy care providers should be aware of the common herbal supplements used in pregnancy. The family members, friends, relatives and traditional birth attendants should be educated so that correct information is shared among other people.
Key words: Herbal medicines, pregnancy, hospital, India
