2.1.1. Benefits of ginger

compared to other medicines, the safety issue during pregnancy is a concern. Using herbal medicine in first 3 months and late in third trimester is dangerous for the foetus. Before using any herbal medicine, it is better to consult the doctor and the pharmacist to ensure that the herbs are appropriate and safe to use during pregnancy [12]. In pregnancy, mothers are concerned about all medications that may affect their health, the health of the foetus, and the pregnancy outcomes. Availing evidence-based information about benefits and untoward effects of herbal medicine use during pregnancy is important for safer pregnancy and healthy foetus. The aim of this chapter is to provide the best available information on benefits and untoward effects of herbal medicine use during pregnancy. This chapter identified the prevalence of herbal medicine use during pregnancy across regions and countries. The chapter also identified the commonly used herbs and described the character of women who used herbs during pregnancy. The benefits and untoward effects of commonly used herbal medicine during pregnancy are

2. Herbal medicine use during pregnancy: benefits and untoward effects

Herbal medicine use during pregnancy is common across regions and countries. The prevalence of herbal medicine use during pregnancy is varied across regions and countries. Multinational study conducted in different countries showed that 28.9% of pregnant women used herbal medicine during pregnancy [2, 4]. A literature review from the Middle East revealed that up to 82.2% of the women used herbal medicine at some point during pregnancy. The study also identified that many women used herbal medicine during the first trimester [5]. An observational cohort study done in South West England found that 26.7% of the women used a complementary or alternative medicine at least once during pregnancy. The use of herbs rose from 6% in the first trimester to 12.4% in the second trimester and to 26.3% in third trimester [13]. In Australia, 36% of the women took at least one herbal medicine during pregnancy [14]. Studies done in Africa showed the prevalence of herbal medicine use during pregnancy was

The most commonly consumed herbal medicines during pregnancy include; ginger [2, 4–11], cranberry [2, 4, 10–11], valerian [2, 4, 10], raspberry leaf [2, 4, 10–11, 13], chamomile [13–14], peppermint [5, 13], rosehip [13], thyme [5], fenugreek [5, 9], green tea, sage, and aniseed [5]. Eucalyptus, tenaadam (Ruta chalepensis), damakess (Ocimum lamiifolium), feto, omore are also other herbal medicines used during pregnancy [6–8]. Garlic [6–8, 15–18], palm kernel oil, bitter kola and dogonyaro (Azadirachta indica) are other herbs that are used during pregnancy [15–18]. Being students, having no education, having low income and having tertiary education level make women more likely to use herbal medicine during pregnancy [2, 4, 6–8, 15–18]. The other factors that make women more likely to consume herbal medicines are being primiparas [2, 4, 9],

Based on the available researches and literature reviews, the most commonly used herbal medicines during pregnancy are identified. The benefits and untoward effects of the herbs are

reviewed based on scientific findings.

104 Herbal Medicine

between 12 and 73.1% [3, 6–9, 15–19].

non-smoking [2, 9] and old age women [13–14].

also reviewed.

Ginger is used as anti-nauseant and anti-emetic for nausea and for hyperemesis gravidarum. The recommended daily dose of ginger is up to 1g dried powder [21]. A single blind clinical trial showed ginger as an effective herbal medicine for decreasing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. This study also suggested a daily total of 100 mg ginger in a capsule [22].

A randomized controlled clinical trial conducted on 120 women over 20 weeks of gestation with symptoms of morning sickness showed consumption of 1500 mg of dried ginger for 4 days improves nausea and vomiting. The study also revealed that newborns whose mothers consumed ginger during pregnancy had normal birth weights and normal APGAR score [23]. Consumption of ginger in amounts used in food preparation is likely to be safe. Taking 1–2 g dried ginger over the course of a day has been shown to relive symptoms of minor disorder of pregnancy [24–26]. Using higher doses of ginger is not safe for pregnant women. Thus, pregnant women should not use higher dose of ginger.
