Traditional perinatal plant knowledge in Sub-Saharan Africa: Comprehensive compilation and secondary analysis

Sub-Saharan Africa has rich ethnobotanical heritage of public health relevance within pluralistic systems of perinatal care. Compiling of reported medicinal plant use during pregnancy and postpartum from historical and contemporary sources allowed for analyses directed at i) identification of the most important taxa in relation to key functional purposes, ii) establishing patterns of use, and iii) testing the hypothesis that perina-tal plant use is non-random.Data from 410 publications generated 5979 use reports related to 2122 species from 181 plant families, with 53% of reports published from 2005 to 2020. New species continue to be added at a constant rate. With 86% (67/78) of perinatal-focused papers published since 2005, purposeful research contributes to an increase in overall data availability. For analysis, reports were categorized as i) uterotonic (n = 2596), ii) prenatal (n = 1778, 555 specifically for preventing miscarriage or delaying the onset of labor), iii) lactation and post-partum recovery (n = 1194, 812 as galactagogues), or iv) newborn and infant health (n = 1018). Most fre-quently reported species per category are discussed in relation to published pharmacological data. Based on congruence among linear regression, negative binomial regression, Bayesian, and Imprecise Dirichlet Model statistics, non-random use includes preference for i) latex-producing families during lactation and postpar-tum, ii) families differentiating tocolytic and general pregnancy application, and iii) Crassulaceae species for infant umbilicus healing. Significant underuse of the Rubiaceae throughout the perinatal, and for the Apocy-naceae and Euphorbiaceae during pregnancy and parturition specifically, suggests avoidance. Traditional plant knowledge remains relevant to the health and social well-being of Sub-Saharan African populations. Within pluralistic systems, documentation of traditional practices can contribute to comple-mentary approaches and the mediation of potential conflicts with conventional healthcare. Refinement of quantitative and qualitative methodologies for documenting perinatal knowledge, beliefs, and practices can further understanding of the congruence among sociocultural, ecological, molecular, behavioral, and health aspects of women's perinatal use of medicinal plants.(c) 2023 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This article aims to collect reported medicinal plant use during pregnancy and postpartum, analyze the most important taxa in relation to key functional purposes, and test the hypothesis that perinatal plant use is non-random. Data from 410 publications showed that 53% of reports were published from 2005 to 2020, indicating a continuous increase in overall data availability. The most frequently reported categories of plant use were uterotonic, prenatal, lactation and post-partum recovery, and newborn and infant health. Non-random use was observed in the preference for certain plant families during different stages of perinatal care.