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Im HB, Ghelman R, Portella CFS, Hwang JH, Choi D, Kunwor SK, Moraes SDTDA, Han D. Assessing the safety and use of medicinal herbs during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study in São Paulo, Brazil. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1268185. [PMID: 37795036 PMCID: PMC10546009 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1268185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Despite the lack of evidence supporting the safety and clinical efficacy of herbal medicine (HM), its use among pregnant women continues to increase. Given the high prevalence of contraindicated herbs among the pregnant population in Brazil, it is crucial to examine the use of HM and evaluate its safety based on the current scientific literature to ensure that women are using HM appropriately. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2022 to January 2023 at a public teaching hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 333 postpartum women in the postnatal wards and postnatal clinic were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The survey instrument consisted of 51 items covering the use of HM during pregnancy, sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, COVID-19 experiences, and pregnancy outcomes. For data analysis, chi-square and multivariate logistic regression were conducted using SPSS ver. 26.0. Results: Approximately 20% of respondents reported using HM during their most recent pregnancy, with a higher use observed among women from ethnic minority groups and those with prior HM experience. Among the 20 medicinal herbs identified, 40% were found to be contraindicated or recommended for use with caution during pregnancy. However, only half of the women discussed their HM use with obstetric care providers. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the continued public health concern regarding the use of contraindicated or potentially harmful HM among pregnant women in Brazil, highlighting the need for sustained efforts to reduce the risk of inappropriate HM use. By updating antenatal care guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence, healthcare providers can make informed clinical decisions and effectively monitor pregnant women's HM use, ultimately promoting safer and more effective healthcare practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyea Bin Im
- Department of Global Health and Development, Graduate School, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Health Services Management, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ricardo Ghelman
- Brazilian Academic Consortium for Integrative Health, São Paulo, Brazil
- School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caio Fábio Schlechta Portella
- Brazilian Academic Consortium for Integrative Health, São Paulo, Brazil
- School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jung Hye Hwang
- Department of Global Health and Development, Graduate School, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Health Services Management, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dain Choi
- Department of Global Health and Development, Graduate School, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Health Services Management, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangita Karki Kunwor
- Department of Global Health and Development, Graduate School, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Health Services Management, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Dongwoon Han
- Department of Global Health and Development, Graduate School, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Health Services Management, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Xiong Y, Liu C, Li M, Qin X, Guo J, Wei W, Yao G, Qian Y, Ye L, Liu H, Xu Q, Zou K, Sun X, Tan J. The use of Chinese herbal medicines throughout the pregnancy life course and their safety profiles: a population-based cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2023; 5:100907. [PMID: 36813231 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.100907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chinese herbal medicines have been long used among pregnant populations in China. However, despite the high susceptibility of this population to drug exposure, it continued to remain unclear about how often they were used, to what extent they were used at different pregnancy stages, and whether their use was based on sound safety profiles, particularly when used in combination with pharmaceutical drugs. OBJECTIVE This descriptive cohort study aimed to systematically investigate the use of Chinese herbal medicines throughout pregnancy and their safety profiles. STUDY DESIGN A large medication use cohort was developed by linking a population-based pregnancy registry and a population-based pharmacy database, which documented all prescriptions at both outpatients and inpatients from conception to 7 days after delivery, including pharmaceutical drugs and processed Chinese herbal medicine formulas that were approved by the regulatory authority and prepared under the guidance of national quality standards. The prevalence of the use of Chinese herbal medicine formulas, prescription pattern, and combination use of pharmaceutical drugs throughout pregnancy were investigated. Multivariable log-binomial regression was performed to assess temporal trends and further explore the potential characteristics associated with the use of Chinese herbal medicines. Of note, 2 authors independently conducted a qualitative systematic review of patient package inserts of the top 100 Chinese herbal medicine formulas used to identify their safety profiles. RESULTS This study included 199,710 pregnancies; of those pregnancies, 131,235 (65.71%) used Chinese herbal medicine formulas, including 26.13% during pregnancy (corresponding to 14.00%, 8.91%, and 8.26% in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy) and 55.63% after delivery. The peak uses of Chinese herbal medicines occurred between 5 and 10 weeks of gestation. The use of Chinese herbal medicines significantly increased over the years (from 63.28% in 2014 to 69.59% in 2018; adjusted relative risk, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.13), which was particularly great during pregnancy (from 18.47% in 2014 to 32.46% in 2018; adjusted relative risk, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.77-1.90). Our study observed 291,836 prescriptions involving 469 Chinese herbal medicine formulas, and the top 100 most used Chinese herbal medicines accounted for 98.28% of the total prescriptions. Of those, a third (33.39%) were dispensed at outpatient visits; 6.79% were external use, and 0.29% were administered intravenously. However, Chinese herbal medicines were very often prescribed in combination with pharmaceutical drugs (94.96% overall), involving 1175 pharmaceutical drugs with 1,667,459 prescriptions. The median of pharmaceutical drugs prescribed in combination with Chinese herbal medicines per pregnancy was 10 (interquartile range, 5-18). The systematic review of drug patient package inserts found that the 100 most frequently prescribed Chinese herbal medicines contained a total of 240 herb constituents (median, 4.5); 7.00% were explicitly indicated for pregnancy or postpartum conditions; 43.00% were reported with efficacy or safety data from randomized controlled trials. Information was lacking about whether the medications had any reproductive toxicity, were excreted in human milk, or crossed the placenta. CONCLUSION The use of Chinese herbal medicines was prevalent throughout pregnancy and increased over the years. The use of Chinese herbal medicines peaked in the first trimester of pregnancy and was very often used in combination with pharmaceutical drugs. However, their safety profiles were mostly unclear or incomplete, suggesting a strong need for postapproval surveillance for the use of Chinese herbal medicines during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiquan Xiong
- Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); NMPA Key Laboratory for Real World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); Sichuan Center of Technology Innovation for Real World Data, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan)
| | - Chunrong Liu
- Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); NMPA Key Laboratory for Real World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); Sichuan Center of Technology Innovation for Real World Data, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan)
| | - Mingxi Li
- Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); NMPA Key Laboratory for Real World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); Sichuan Center of Technology Innovation for Real World Data, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan)
| | - Xuan Qin
- Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); NMPA Key Laboratory for Real World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); Sichuan Center of Technology Innovation for Real World Data, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan)
| | - Jin Guo
- Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); NMPA Key Laboratory for Real World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); Sichuan Center of Technology Innovation for Real World Data, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan)
| | - Wanqiang Wei
- Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); NMPA Key Laboratory for Real World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); Sichuan Center of Technology Innovation for Real World Data, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan)
| | - Guanhua Yao
- Xiamen Health Commission, Xiamen, China (Dr Yao and Dr Qian)
| | - Yongyao Qian
- Xiamen Health Commission, Xiamen, China (Dr Yao and Dr Qian)
| | - Lishan Ye
- Xiamen Health and Medical Big Data Center, Xiamen, China (Ms Ye, Mr Liu, and Mr Xu)
| | - Hui Liu
- Xiamen Health and Medical Big Data Center, Xiamen, China (Ms Ye, Mr Liu, and Mr Xu)
| | - Qiushi Xu
- Xiamen Health and Medical Big Data Center, Xiamen, China (Ms Ye, Mr Liu, and Mr Xu)
| | - Kang Zou
- Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); NMPA Key Laboratory for Real World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); Sichuan Center of Technology Innovation for Real World Data, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan)
| | - Xin Sun
- Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); NMPA Key Laboratory for Real World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); Sichuan Center of Technology Innovation for Real World Data, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan).
| | - Jing Tan
- Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); NMPA Key Laboratory for Real World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan); Sichuan Center of Technology Innovation for Real World Data, Chengdu, China (Dr Xiong, Ms Liu, Ms Li, Ms Qin, Ms Guo, Mr Wei, Mr Zou, Dr Sun, and Dr Tan).
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Martin K, Shah K, Shrestha A, Barrett E, Shrestha K, Zhang C, Shrestha A, Byham-Gray L, Rawal S. Reproducibility and Relative Validity of a Dietary Screener Adapted for Use among Pregnant Women in Dhulikhel, Nepal. Matern Child Health J 2023; 27:49-58. [PMID: 36167941 PMCID: PMC9869922 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-022-03547-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Here we examined the reproducibility and validity of a dietary screener which was translated and adapted to assess diet quality among pregnant Nepalese women. METHODS A pilot cohort of singleton pregnant women (N = 101; age 25.9 ± 4.1 years) was recruited from a tertiary, periurban hospital in Nepal. An adapted Nepali version of the PrimeScreen questionnaire, a brief 21-item dietary screener that assesses weekly consumption of 12 healthy and 9 unhealthy food groups, was administered twice, and a month apart, in both the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Up to four inconsecutive 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDRs) were completed each trimester and utilized as the reference method for validation. For each trimester, data from multiple 24-HDRs were averaged across days, and items were grouped to match the classification and three weekly consumption categories (0-1, 2-3, or 4 + servings/week) of the 21 food groups represented on the PrimeScreen. RESULTS Gwet's agreement coefficients (AC1) were used to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of the adapted PrimeScreen against the 24-HDRs in both the 2nd and 3rd trimester. AC1 indicated good to excellent (≥ 0.6) reproducibility for the majority (85%) of food groups across trimesters. There was moderate to excellent validity (AC1 ≥ 0.4) for all food groups except for fruits and vegetables in the 2nd trimester, and green leafy vegetables and eggs in both the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. CONCLUSIONS The modified PrimeScreen questionnaire appears to be a reasonably valid and reliable instrument for assessing the dietary intake of most food groups among pregnant women in Nepal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Martin
- Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences, School of Health Professions, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, 65 Bergen Street. Room 157, Newark, NJ, 07107, USA
- Department of Human Ecology, SUNY Oneonta, Oneonta, NY, USA
| | - Krupali Shah
- Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences, School of Health Professions, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, 65 Bergen Street. Room 157, Newark, NJ, 07107, USA
| | - Abha Shrestha
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dhulikhel Hospital, Dhulikhel, Nepal
| | - Emily Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Kusum Shrestha
- Department of Public Health, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel, Nepal
| | - Cuilin Zhang
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Archana Shrestha
- Department of Public Health, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel, Nepal
- Department of Chronic Disease and Epidemiology, Center of Methods for Implementation and Prevention Science, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Institute for Implementation Science and Health, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Laura Byham-Gray
- Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences, School of Health Professions, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, 65 Bergen Street. Room 157, Newark, NJ, 07107, USA
| | - Shristi Rawal
- Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences, School of Health Professions, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, 65 Bergen Street. Room 157, Newark, NJ, 07107, USA.
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