TY - JOUR
T1 - Complementary and alternative medicine use during early pregnancy
AU - Pallivalappila, Abdul Rouf
AU - Stewart, Derek
AU - Shetty, Ashalatha
AU - Pande, Binita
AU - Singh, Rajvir
AU - Mclay, James S.
N1 - Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the support of all the staff at the antenatal clinic, Royal Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, in carrying out this project and also all the women who participated by completing and returning the questionnaire.
PY - 2014/10
Y1 - 2014/10
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and explore predictors of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use during early pregnancy.STUDY DESIGN: A questionnaire survey of pregnant women (500) attending for mid trimester scan at the maternity services in Grampian, North-East Scotland. Outcome measures included; CAM used; vitamins and minerals used; independent predictors of use; views and experiences. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.RESULTS: The response rate was 66%. Two thirds of respondents (63%) reported using CAM, excluding vitamins and minerals, during early pregnancy. Respondents reported using a total of 28 different CAM modalities, of which oral herbal products were the most common (37% of respondents, 25 different products). The independent predictors of CAM use identified were: use by family and friends (OR 4.1, 95% CI 2.3-7.3, p<0.001); ethnicity (non-white British) (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.8-6.8, p<0.001); and use prior to pregnancy (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.8, p=0.014). In comparison to prescribed medicines, most users were uncertain if CAM were safer (63%), more effective (66%), free from possible adverse effects (46%) or drug-CAM interactions (50%).CONCLUSIONS: Despite the majority of respondents being uncertain about their safety and effectiveness, CAM modalities and CAM products are widely used during the early stages of pregnancy in this study population. The role of family and friends rather than health professionals in the decision to use CAM may be of concern and requires further investigation.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and explore predictors of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use during early pregnancy.STUDY DESIGN: A questionnaire survey of pregnant women (500) attending for mid trimester scan at the maternity services in Grampian, North-East Scotland. Outcome measures included; CAM used; vitamins and minerals used; independent predictors of use; views and experiences. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.RESULTS: The response rate was 66%. Two thirds of respondents (63%) reported using CAM, excluding vitamins and minerals, during early pregnancy. Respondents reported using a total of 28 different CAM modalities, of which oral herbal products were the most common (37% of respondents, 25 different products). The independent predictors of CAM use identified were: use by family and friends (OR 4.1, 95% CI 2.3-7.3, p<0.001); ethnicity (non-white British) (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.8-6.8, p<0.001); and use prior to pregnancy (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.8, p=0.014). In comparison to prescribed medicines, most users were uncertain if CAM were safer (63%), more effective (66%), free from possible adverse effects (46%) or drug-CAM interactions (50%).CONCLUSIONS: Despite the majority of respondents being uncertain about their safety and effectiveness, CAM modalities and CAM products are widely used during the early stages of pregnancy in this study population. The role of family and friends rather than health professionals in the decision to use CAM may be of concern and requires further investigation.
KW - Antenatal
KW - Complementary therapies
KW - Herbal medicine
KW - Pregnancy
KW - Views and experiences
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2014.08.017
DO - 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2014.08.017
M3 - Article
C2 - 25190299
VL - 181
SP - 251
EP - 255
JO - European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
JF - European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
SN - 0301-2115
ER -