Are herbal medicinal products less teratogenic than Western pharmaceutical products.
Abstract
AIM: To determine the use and teratogenicity of herbal medicinal products (HMP).
METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in a University hospital to compare
the difference in the pattern of use and fetal outcomes between pregnant women
who took HMP and Western pharmaceutical products (WPP).
RESULTS: From 1995 Jan to 2001 Dec, 61 and 372 women took HMP and WPP one month
before or during their current pregnancies respectively. There was an increase in
the prevalence of pregnant women who took HMP from 0 % in 1995 to 0.8 % in 2001.
Among HMP users, 51.6 %, 82.8 % and 58.6 % of them had low monthly family income
(<15 000), low education level (secondary education or below) and were unemployed
respectively. In comparison to WPP, pregnant women used smaller number of HMP
(1.4 vs 3.0, P < 0.01) at a later gestation (4.8 weeks vs 3.1 weeks, P <0.01) and
within a shorter duration (11.1 d vs 47.9 d, P < 0.01). The prevalence of
congenital fetal abnormalities in the group of women who took HMP (3.3 %) was not
significantly higher than that who took WPP (0.8 %). There were no and two
abnormal fetal karyotypes in the former and latter group respectively. No and ten
women in the former and latter group underwent termination of pregnancy for
anxiety respectively. The proportions of silent miscarriage in the former and
latter group were similar (6.6 % vs 5.4 %).
CONCLUSION: Pregnant users of HMP were from lower socio-economical status. There
was no significant difference in the teratogenicity between HMP and WPP.
Keywords:
METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in a University hospital to compare
the difference in the pattern of use and fetal outcomes between pregnant women
who took HMP and Western pharmaceutical products (WPP).
RESULTS: From 1995 Jan to 2001 Dec, 61 and 372 women took HMP and WPP one month
before or during their current pregnancies respectively. There was an increase in
the prevalence of pregnant women who took HMP from 0 % in 1995 to 0.8 % in 2001.
Among HMP users, 51.6 %, 82.8 % and 58.6 % of them had low monthly family income
(<15 000), low education level (secondary education or below) and were unemployed
respectively. In comparison to WPP, pregnant women used smaller number of HMP
(1.4 vs 3.0, P < 0.01) at a later gestation (4.8 weeks vs 3.1 weeks, P <0.01) and
within a shorter duration (11.1 d vs 47.9 d, P < 0.01). The prevalence of
congenital fetal abnormalities in the group of women who took HMP (3.3 %) was not
significantly higher than that who took WPP (0.8 %). There were no and two
abnormal fetal karyotypes in the former and latter group respectively. No and ten
women in the former and latter group underwent termination of pregnancy for
anxiety respectively. The proportions of silent miscarriage in the former and
latter group were similar (6.6 % vs 5.4 %).
CONCLUSION: Pregnant users of HMP were from lower socio-economical status. There
was no significant difference in the teratogenicity between HMP and WPP.