Herbs and Pregnancy
ask an expert: health and safetycanada
(May.25.10)
I’ve heard so many different theories on the types of herbs you should and shouldn’t have when you’re pregnant. What’s the truth? What herbs should you really stay away from?
Kate J. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca, and Myla Moretti, from the Motherisk Program answered;
Herbal remedies are really a tremendously large group of products that have been used to treat disease, boost the immune system, cure illnesses and improve health. They come in a variety of forms: pills, liquids, lotions, teas and more. The use of herbs by women is actually quite common and seems to be getting more popular.
It’s not surprising that you’ve had a hard time finding an answer, and in fact, there is no easy answer. There is actually very little proof that shows any of these products are safe in pregnancy. The truth is, it’s difficult to study these products in pregnancy. There is a lack of standardization, which means that even agents with the same name can have different ingredients, quality, formulations or strengths. It’s hard to know exactly what any patient may be taking.
You should always first consider why you are taking this product, if it’s really necessary during your pregnancy. Remember, just because something is "natural" we cannot assume that it is always safe. There is a reason why these products are sold. There is a belief that they will have some kind of pharmacological effect. This means, most certainly, there is an active ingredient which makes it like any other drug. It has the potential to have dangerous or harmful effects. Even when we have good studies on medications in pregnancy, physicians are still hesitant, medications are prescribed only when they are absolutely necessary.
For now, the evidence in pregnancy is still very limited. We have some small studies that looked at ginger, echinacea, glucosamine and St. John’s Wort in pregnancy. None of these studies could show any risks to the baby. The rates of birth defects were not any higher than what we would see in non-exposed pregnancies. Still, these studies were small, and the jury is still out. The notable exception here is probably ginger, which is often used to treat morning sickness, it appears to be safe and effective. We also do not know which herbs are certain to cause harm either.
Until we know more, it’s probably best to use caution and avoid most herbs during pregnancy, at least during the first trimester, the period when the fetus formation is most susceptible to external exposures. It is particularly important to avoid products which could stimulate the uterus and lead to contractions.
Myla Moretti is the Assistant Director at the Motherisk Program at the Hospital for Sick Children. The Motherisk Program is a source for evidence-based information about the risk or safety of drugs, chemicals, disease and other exposures during pregnancy and lactation You can find more information online at www.motherisk.org.
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