THOUSANDS of pregnant women could be risking the health of their unborn babies by taking herbal remedies without knowing the risks.
According to a new study, two-thirds of women take herbal medicine to help with the symptoms of pregnancy, but less than half know the safety of the products.
Most women taking herbal remedies also neglect to tell their doctor or midwife about the
medication. The most commonly taken remedies are ginger, to ease nausea and vomiting; cranberry, for urinary tract infections; and raspberry leaf, which helps prepare the uterus for childbirth.
But raspberry-leaf products have been linked with the life-threatening condition pre-eclampsia, which can kill the mother in late pregnancy or increase the risk of the baby needing special care after birth.
The first UK study to investigate the use of herbal remedies among pregnant women, which will be presented to the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester which starts today, also shows that a greater proportion of British women use the remedies than pregnant women in Norway, the US or Australia.
Lone Holst, the researcher from Norway's University of Bergen who carried out the study, said: "I don't think you should take anything in pregnancy because there is so little information available about the safety of these products.
"Women wrongly think these products are safe because they are natural. Any pregnant women thinking of taking herbal remedies must make sure her doctor and midwife knows."
The study was based on 578 pregnant women who attended antenatal clinics at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
It found that older women were more likely to use herbal products and most people took them on the recommendation of family and friends rather than health professionals. Some 49% of women did not know the health risks of taking herbal remedies while pregnant, although 60% said they were using at least one product.
Dr Ann Walker, a qualified herbalist and university lecturer, said: "Herbal practitioners are always very careful about the use of herbs in pregnancy, and particularly avoid those which are likely to stimulate the uterus.
"My main advice would be to avoid over-the-counter herbals because their use in pregnancy needs professional guidance."
The full article contains 373 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
