Tea Tree Oil When Pregnant

Melaleuca alternifolia, or the tea tree, is indigenous to Australia. Its leaves and branch tips are steam-distilled to produce an essential oil that has been used by practitioners of folk medicine to treat tonsillitis, sinusitis, colitis, mouth ulcers, dental infections, head lice, skin ulcers, acne, burns, insect bites, herpes, dandruff, yeast infections, fungal nail infections and any number of other conditions. The scientific evidence to support the use of tea tree oil for any of these conditions is inconclusive, according to the Mayo Clinic, and its safety during pregnancy has not been established.

Internal Use

Although tea tree oil has been administered internally for some conditions, such as bone infections or premature labor, it can be toxic. Severe allergic reactions, impaired immunity, confusion, loss of balance, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weakness and coma have been reported by people who took tea tree oil orally. The "Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines" reports that doses of 2 tsp. have caused neurologic symptoms in children and doses of 2 oz. have led to coma.

External Use

Topical applications of tea tree oil are usually well-tolerated, and the "PDR for Herbal Medicines" states that "no health hazards are known in conjunction with the proper administration of designated therapeutic doses." However, external use of tea tree oil has been linked to reactions ranging from mild redness and irritation to severe blistering rashes. If you are allergic to eucalyptus or any other tree in the myrtle family, do not use tea tree oil. If you develop a rash while using tea tree oil, discontinue the product.

Pregnancy

There is not enough information to determine if tea tree oil is safe during pregnancy. Tea tree oil has been known to decrease the force of spontaneous contractions, so it could possibly interfere with the progress of normal labor. One manufacturer of tea tree oil products cautions against the use of its products during pregnancy and nursing unless you are under medical supervision. Do not apply tea tree oil to your breasts or nipples when nursing, because it can be toxic to infants.

Considerations

Many of the studies demonstrating tea tree oil's benefits have been performed in laboratory settings. For example, tea tree oil has exhibited the ability to kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in test tubes, but according to a March 2005 review in the "British Journal of Community Nursing," it has not proved particularly useful for eradicating these organisms from infected or colonized patients. Your use of tea tree oil should be tempered by the knowledge that it might not prove as effective as its proponents claim, and it should not be regarded as perfectly safe, particularly during pregnancy.