Alternative Medicine Used For Pregnant Women


Authors : Himanshu Jaiswal; Dr. Swarup J. Chatterjee; Anurag Tiwari

Volume/Issue : Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 12 - December

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4f2s95s4

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/rp43v3ed

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14550783

Abstract : Alternative medicine includes, among others, various types of practices, therapies, and a vast variety of natural products alongside or in place of Western medical treatments. Many pregnant women use alternative medicine to either help them with common symptoms or promote their general well-being, such as nausea, back ache, anxiety, or for helping with sleep. Some of these include acupuncture, herbal medicine, chiropractic care, massage, and homeopathy. While others, such as prenatal yoga and acupuncture, have a history of being safely provided in a professional setting, some alternative medicine, including some herbal treatments, are more of a concern to both mother and fetus because of inadequate information about their safety and efficacy. This abstract explores the prevalence, motivations, and safety considerations of alternative medicine among pregnant women and why evidence-based guidance coupled with open communication between patients and providers is essential. There is further need for research on these practices to evaluate their effectiveness and safety on pregnant women for making informed decisions.

References :

  1. Giovanni S. A brief history of allopathic medicine. J Tradit Chin Med Sci. 2021;8:S10–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcms.2020.06.002. Article  CAS  Google Scholar 
  2. World Health Organization. Traditional and complementary medicine in primary health care. 2018. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-HIS-SDS-2018.37. Accessed 22 July 2021.
  3. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Complementary, alternative, or integrative health: What’s in a name? 2021. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/complementary-alternative-or-integrative-health-whats-in-a-name.Accessed 22 July 2021.
  4. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Definition of integrative medicine, Information site for evidence-based Japanese Integrative Medicine.2014. https://www.ejim.ncgg.go.jp/en/pro/about/index.html.Accessed 22 July 2021.
  5. Hall HG, Griffiths DL, McKenna LG. The use of complementary and alternative medicine by pregnant women: a literature review. Midwifery. 2011;27(6):817–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2010.08.007. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 
  6. Liddle SD, Pennick V. Interventions for preventing and treating low-back and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(9):CD001139. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001139.pub4. Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 
  7. Smyth RM, Aflaifel N, Bamigboye AA. Interventions for varicose veins and leg oedema in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(10):CD001066. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001066.pub3. Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 
  8. Coyle ME, Smith CA, Peat B. Cephalic version by moxibustion for breech presentation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;5:CD003928. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003928.pub3. Article  Google Scholar 
  9. Miranda-Garcia M, Domingo Gómez C, Molinet-Coll C, Nishishinya B, Allaoui I, Gómez Roig MD, Goberna-Tricas J. Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in pregnant women with noncephalic presentation: an overview of systematic reviews. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:7036914. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7036914. Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 
  10. McParlin C, O’Donnell A, Robson SC, Beyer F, Moloney E, Bryant A, Bradley J, Muirhead CR, Nelson-Piercy C, Newbury-Birch D, Norman J, Shaw C, Simpson E, Swallow B, Yates L, Vale L. Treatments for hyperemesis gravidarum and nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: a systematic review. JAMA. 2016;316(13):1392–401. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.14337. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 
  11. Smith CA, Shewamene Z, Galbally M, Schmied V, Dahlen H. The effect of complementary medicines and therapies on maternal anxiety and depression in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2019;245:428–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.11.054. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 
  12. Steel A, Adams J, Sibbritt D, Broom A. The outcomes of complementary and alternative medicine use among pregnant and birthing women: current trends and future directions. Womens Health. 2015;11(3):309–23. https://doi.org/10.2217/whe.14.84. Article  CAS  Google Scholar 
  13. Strouss L, Mackley A, Guillen U, Paul DA, Locke R. Complementary and alternative medicine use in women during pregnancy: do their healthcare providers know? BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:85. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-85. Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 
  14. Hall HR, Jolly K. Women’s use of complementary and alternative medicines during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study. Midwifery. 2014;30(5):499–505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2013.06.001. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 
  15. Kalder M, Knoblauch K, Hrgovic I, Münstedt K. Use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy and delivery. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2011;283(3):475–82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-010-1388-2. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 
  16. Quzmar Y, Istiatieh Z, Nabulsi H, Zyoud SH, Al-Jabi SW. The use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy: a cross sectional study from Palestine. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2021;21(1):108. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-021-03280-8. Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 
  17. Onyiapat J, Okafor C, Okoronkwo I, Anarado A, Chukwukelu E, Nwaneri A, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine use: Results from a descriptive study of pregnant women in Udi local government area of Enugu state, Nigeria. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017;17(1):189. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1689-0. Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 
  18. Pallivalapila A, Stewart D, Shetty A, Pande B, Singh R, Mclay JS. Use of complementary and alternative medicines during the third trimester.Obstet Gynecol. 2015;125(1):204–11. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000000596. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 
  19. Yamamoto S, Wada Y. Awareness, use and information sources of folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects in pregnant Japanese women. Public Health Nutr. 2017;21(4):732–9. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980017003172. Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 
  20. 20.  Sato Y, Nakanishi T, Chiba T, Yokotani K, Ishinaga K, Takimoto H, et al. Prevalence of inappropriate dietary supplement use among pregnant women in Japan. Asia Pac J ClinNutr. 2013;22(1):83–9 (https://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/22/1/83.pdf). PubMed  Google Scholar 
  21. Adams J, Lui CW, Sibbritt D, Broom A, Wardle J, Homer C, Beck S. Women’s use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy: a critical review of the literature. Birth. 2009;36(3):237–45. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-536X.2009.00328.x. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 
  22. Pallivalappila AR, Stewart D, Shetty A, Pande B, McLay JS. Complementary and alternative medicines use during pregnancy: a systematic review of pregnant women and healthcare professional views and experiences. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/205639.
  23. Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health. Annual change -the number of births and birth rate (2002–2019).https://www.fukushihoken.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kiban/chosa_tokei/jinkodotaitokei/kushityosonbetsu.html?SLANG=ja&TLANG=en&XMODE=0&XCHARSET=utf-8&XJSID=0. Accessed 14 Feb 2022.
  24. Raosoft. Sample size calculator.https://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm.
  25. Rindfuss RR, Choe MK, Tsuya NO, Bumpass LL, Tamaki E. Do low survey response rates bias results? Evidence from Japan. Demographic Res. 2015;32(26):797–828. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2015.32.26. Article  Google Scholar 
  26. Hyodo I, Amano N, Eguchi K, Narabayashi M, Imanishi J, Hirai M, et al. Nationwide survey on complementary and alternative medicine in cancer patients in Japan. J ClinOncol. 2005;23(12):2645–5 https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2005.04.126. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 
  27. Quandt SA, Verhoef MJ, Arcury TA, Lewith GT, Steinsbekk A, Kristoffersen AE, et al. Development of an international questionnaire to measure use of complementary and alternative medicine (I-CAM-Q). J Altern Complement Med. 2009;15(4):331–9 https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2008.0521. Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 
  28. Minakami H, Maeda T, Fujii T, Hamada H, Iitsuka Y, Itakura A, et al. Guidelines for obstetrical practice in Japan: Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) and Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (JAOG) 2014 edition. J ObstetGynaecol Res. 2014; 40: 1469–99. https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.12419. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 
  29. Kawaguchi R, Matsumoto K, Ishikawa T, Ishitani K, Okagaki R, Ogawa M, et al. Guideline for gynecological practice in Japan: Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2020 edition. J ObstetGynaecol Res. 2021;47:5–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.14487. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

30.John LJ, Shantakumari N. Herbal medicines use during pregnancy: a review from the Middle East. Oman Med J. 2015;30(4):229–36. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2015.48. Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Alternative medicine includes, among others, various types of practices, therapies, and a vast variety of natural products alongside or in place of Western medical treatments. Many pregnant women use alternative medicine to either help them with common symptoms or promote their general well-being, such as nausea, back ache, anxiety, or for helping with sleep. Some of these include acupuncture, herbal medicine, chiropractic care, massage, and homeopathy. While others, such as prenatal yoga and acupuncture, have a history of being safely provided in a professional setting, some alternative medicine, including some herbal treatments, are more of a concern to both mother and fetus because of inadequate information about their safety and efficacy. This abstract explores the prevalence, motivations, and safety considerations of alternative medicine among pregnant women and why evidence-based guidance coupled with open communication between patients and providers is essential. There is further need for research on these practices to evaluate their effectiveness and safety on pregnant women for making informed decisions.

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe