Introduction
The use of herbal medicines in pregnancy is extremely fashionable although there is very little real evidence of safety.
The incidence of use by expectant mothers is unconfirmed, but is usually associated with prior knowledge, and has been
quoted as varying between 7% and 55%2–5 with echinacea and ginger the most frequently used.Although the majority of women discontinue taking herbal medicines once they are aware of their pregnancies, many others commence taking them
on the advice of their maternity care providers.6 However, while pregnant women recognise the potential dangers of inappropriate drug use, they fail to appreciate that the chemicals in herbal medicines also have the power, if used incorrectly, to trigger abnormal pathology through toxicity.There appears to be an implicit belief that,because herbal remedies are natural, they are automatically safe, but it is important that pregnant women do not view them as a panacea for all their symptoms, without understanding that there is a complex physiopathology and pharmacology
involved. Remedies may interact with prescribed drugs and anaesthetics ,or cause fetal malformations. Proprietary ‘‘herbal tonics’’ may also pose risks, including possible fetal alcohol syndrome if the herbs are manufactured in an
alcohol base. Some authorities, in the absence of adequate safety data, caution against the use of almost all herbal medicines during pregnancy, whilst others suggest that there is a need for improved education of both healthcare professionals and consumers, as well as quality control legislation and further well-designed studies to establish safety
and efficacy of the various remedies.