Pregnancy Over 40 and Herbal Treatments
I think most women consider herbal remedies and preparations as "all natural" and safe. I did use some herbal teas in combination when I was trying to conceive, but when I was actually pregnant, the only thing that seemed to help my nausea was peppermint green tea (decaffeinated).My site: www.getpregnantover40.com for more on making your own teas and natural remedies
Many medicines and herbal preparations are derived from "all natural" sources, but they are not necessarily safe in pregnancy. Always check with your doctor before taking anything in pregnancy. Read more:
Overall, 462 (10.9 percent) of the 4,239 mothers reported using herbal products in the 3 months before or at some point during pregnancy. The prevalence of herbal use anytime during pregnancy was 9.4 percent. The prevalence during pregnancy was highest (6.9 percent) during the first trimester.
Excluding the 86 mothers whose only use of herbs involved herbal teas, the prevalence of herb exposure before or during pregnancy was 8.9 percent.
The most commonly reported products used early in pregnancy were ginger, which has been shown to help ease morning sickness, without side effects to the unborn child, and ephedra, an herbal stimulant that was banned in the U.S. in 2004 after reports linked it to heart attacks, strokes and at least 155 deaths.
The products used most often throughout pregnancy were herbal teas and chamomile, which has also been shown to ease morning sickness.
Herb exposure was more prevalent in women older than 30 and with more than 12 years of education. Of the 10 states studied, Iowa had the lowest rate of herbal use (5.4 percent) and Utah had the highest (16.5 percent).
"The fact that use of herbal products was greatest during the first trimester raises concerns about fetal safety, because this is a critical period of fetal organ development," Broussard noted.
from:
vancouversun.com
