Since pregnancy is a time when it's best to avoid pharmaceuticals -- both over-the-counter and prescription -- you may be tempted to try herbal remedies for your common pregnancy ailments. Unfortunately, just because something grows naturally doesn't mean it's safe. Many herbal remedies aren't recommended during pregnancy because their effects aren't well understood.
The Myth That "Natural" Means "Safe"
It's common to consider "natural" treatments safer than pharmaceuticals, but there's simply no truth to this perception. The deadliest substances known to man -- botulin toxin among them -- are natural, and there's nothing inherently safe about a compound simply because it comes from a plant. In general, pregnancy is a time to avoid anything unnecessary in your body. While you probably know this means you shouldn't take unnecessary pharmaceuticals, it's also worthwhile to avoid herbs as they also contain chemicals that don't occur naturally in the body.
Herbal Safety
The FDA regulates pharmaceuticals and food differently than it regulates dietary supplements. Per the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, herbals fall under the general category of dietary supplements. As such, the FDA doesn't require manufacturers to prove safety or efficacy of an herbal supplement, even ones that are marketed to the masses. When you buy an herbal product, there's no guarantee that what you're buying has been tested for safety or even that it does what it says it will do. This particularly goes for pregnant women, since there are very few studies of the effects of herbs on this particular demographic.
Medicinal Herbs
Despite the risk, there are many medicinal herbs that midwives and alternative health care practitioners commonly recommend to pregnant women. Raspberry leaf tea, for instance, is supposed to act as a uterine tonic for late pregnancy. In general, as noted by E. Ernst in a 2003 article in the "British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology," most of the commonly recommended herbs are either unsafe, ineffective or both, and no cases of a medicinal herb has been shown to be both safe and effective for use in pregnancy.
Food Herbs
In contrast, most herbs commonly used in foods are safe for use in pregnancy, though they may or may not have any effect on your symptoms. Food substances are better studied and their safety is more firmly established. For instance, you can safely use ginger to reduce symptoms of morning sickness, explains Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel in their book "What To Expect When You're Expecting." If you're uncertain as to whether an herb is safe during pregnancy, talk to your obstetrician.
References
- FDA: Dietary Supplements
- "British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology"; Herbal Medicinal Products During Pregnancy: Are They Safe?; E Ernst; December 2003
- "What to Expect When You're Expecting"; Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel; 2008
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