Herbal medicine use among pregnant women at antenatal clinic in Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Herbal medicines are raw or processed plant-derived ingredients. Their use during pregnancy may contributed to several adverse effects that could be lethal to the mother and their unborn children. AIMS: This study aims to assess the prevalence of herbal medicine use and associated factors among pregnant women at Woldia General Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (WGCSH) in Ethiopia. SAMPLES: The sample size in this study was 272. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 270 pregnant mothers from March 2 to April 2, 2021, at WGCSH in the antenatal care clinic. A standardized, structured questionnaire-based interviewer was used to collect the socio-demographic variables; obstetrics variables; and other related variables for this study. The prevalence of herbal medicine use and associated factors were determined using descriptive and logistic regression analysis, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The prevalence of herbal medicine use in this study was 22.6%. Most of the pregnant women used Ocimum lamiifolium and Rutachalepensis. The use of herbal medicines during pregnancy in rural areas was higher than in urban areas (OR 2.51; 95% CI 1.35–3.54). The place of residence (AOR 3.66; 95% CI 1.83–4.74), perception of needing to use herbal medicine (AOR 2.20; 95% CI 4.99–9.86), stage of pregnancy (AOR 2.56; 95% CI 1.16–9.36), distance from the health facility (AOR 2.90; 95% CI 1.52–12.65), and previous use of herbal medicine (AOR 3.23; 95% CI 2.74–7.56) were significantly associated with herbal medicine use. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly one-fourth of pregnant mothers at WGCSH used herbal products and preparations.