Prevalence of herbal medicine use and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Mbeya Refferal Hospital in 2010

ABSTRACT Background Herbal medicines are defined as plant-derived material or preparations perceived to have therapeutic benefits; they often contain raw or processed ingredients from one or more plants. Plants have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Herbal medicines are used in pregnancy although there is very little real evidence of safety. Although herbs are natural, not all herbs are safe to take during pregnancy. Some herbal products may contain agents that are contraindicated in pregnancy. In developing countries the quality of health provision remains poor. With poor health facilities and poor emergency obstetric care, the maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity have remained high. Some of the factors contributing to high maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity can be minimized just by health education. This can only be achieved when these factors are well studied. The use of herbal medicine during pregnancy may be among the contributing factors to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. This study looked at the magnitude of herbal medicines use during pregnancy and their associated factors. Methodology A cross sectional study on the use of herbal medicine during pregnancy was conducted on 400 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Mbeya Referral Hospital. The interviewers initially explained the working definition of herbal medicines to the mothers. All pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria and consented were interviewed. Pregnant women who were gravida two or above were interviewed using structured Swahili version questionnaires regarding their immediate past pregnancy. Results; The prevalence of herbal medicine usage was 55%. The use of herbal medicine during pregnancy was associated with long distance to the nearest health facility and low education level (p=