Abstract
BackgroundThe use of alternative medicines and dietary supplements is constantly changing, as are dietary habits. One example of this phenomenon is the current popularity of ginger products as an everyday health boost. Ginger and licorice has also been shown to ameliorate nausea a common complaint in early pregnancy. Alternative medicines are often regarded as safe. However, they might affect fetal development, such as through alterations of hormone metabolism and cytochrome P450 function. Health care professionals may be unaware of the supplementation habits of pregnant women, which may allow adverse exposures to go unnoticed, especially if the rates of use in pregnancy are not known. We therefore investigated the use of alternative medicines and licorice among pregnant Danish women.MethodsA total of 225 pregnant women were included in a prospective cohort when attending the national prenatal screening program at gestational weeks 10–16. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their socio-economic status and lifestyle habits, including their intake of alternative medicine and licorice.ResultsWe found that 22.7% of women reported taking alternative medicines, with 14.7% reporting daily consumption. Ginger supplements were consumed by 11.1%, mainly as health boost and 87.1% reported consumption of licorice. Regular or daily licorice consumption was reported by 38.2 and 7.1%, respectively. Notably, the use of licorice was reflected by an increase in blood pressure of the pregnant women.ConclusionsThe use of licorice and alternative medicines appears to be common in pregnant Danish women, supporting the need for further investigations into the safety of alternative medicine use during pregnancy and the importance of up-to-date personalized counseling regarding popular health trends and lifestyle habits.
Highlights
The use of alternative medicines and dietary supplements is constantly changing, as are dietary habits
With the plethora of internet-based platforms, new health trends can spread rapidly among pregnant women. Such habits may escape the attention of health care professionals, allowing adverse exposures in early pregnancy to go undetected
The main finding of this cohort study of Danish pregnant women was that 23% reported using alternative medicines, with ginger products being by far the most
Summary
The use of alternative medicines and dietary supplements is constantly changing, as are dietary habits. One example of this phenomenon is the current popularity of ginger products as an everyday health boost. Health care professionals may be unaware of the supplementation habits of pregnant women, which may allow adverse exposures to go unnoticed, especially if the rates of use in pregnancy are not known. With the plethora of internet-based platforms, new health trends can spread rapidly among pregnant women. Such habits may escape the attention of health care professionals, allowing adverse exposures in early pregnancy to go undetected. The prevalence of such use among pregnant women in Denmark has not previously been published
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