Medicinal plant use in the practice of midwifery in rural Honduras

Midwives in rural communities across the globe play an important role as primary health care providers, but few studies have documented the medicinal plants employed in this age-old practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 midwives in seven rural communities near La Ceiba, Honduras, regarding the plants they employ during the birthing process as well as their associated beliefs. Seventy-nine different plant species used to treat 15 conditions occurring during the pregnancy, birth and postpartum stages were recorded. Most plants and uses were reported by only one or two midwives, reflecting the fact that most midwives in this region had immigrated from different parts of the country. Almost all the midwives used or knew of plant remedies for treatment of miscarriages, postpartum abdominal pain and hemorrhages, retained placenta, and for speeding up contractions during labor. The most frequently cited plants as well as those for which there was greatest consensus tended to be widespread cultivated or weedy species. Although use of medicinal plants by midwives has decreased as a result of retraining programs by government health centers, midwives' knowledge of medicinal plants may provide an important resource for improving maternal-infant health in Honduras and elsewhere. Suggestions for future ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies on this topic are provided. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.