Complementary and alternative medicine use in the first trimester: safety perceptions and preference of pregnant women

Abstract

Aim/Objectives: To assess the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) during the fi rst trimester, the perceptions of the women on the safety of CAM and their preferences for CAM. Methods: This study was carried out in two London teaching hospitals. Expectant mothers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to ascertain their CAM use during the fi rst trimester; perception of CAM safety in comparison to conventional medicines; and preference for CAM in treating medical conditions. Results: Six hundred and seven women were approached of which 560 participated in the study; their age was 31.9 ± 5.1 years. 40.5% of them had used at least one form of CAM in the fi rst trimester. When asked to compare the safety of CAM to conventional medicines, 12.3% felt CAM is safer, 27% thought both CAM and conventional medicines are equally safe, 15.9% felt CAM is less safe while 44.8% felt they did not know about the safety of CAM compared to conventional medicines. In treating a new medical condition, 17.1% of the participants would choose CAM rather than conventional medicines as their most preferred therapy. Conclusions: These fi ndings demonstrate that a considerable proportion of the women had used CAM in early pregnancy. Although almost half of the participants did not know about the safety of CAM compared to conventional medicines, nearly a fi fth would want CAM as a fi rst choice therapy. Therefore, routine counselling about CAM is important during antenatal assessments. Further research is also necessary to better understand CAM use in pregnancy.