Chinese herbal medicines used in pregnancy: a population-based survey in Taiwan

Purpose To explore the use (prevalence and related factors) of Chinese herbal medicines used by pregnant women. Methods We used multistage stratified systematic sampling to recruit 2048 postpartum women from the Taiwan national birth register between November and December 2003. Subjects underwent a home interview 6 months after their deliveries. A structured questionnaire was successfully applied to 87% of the sampled population. Results At least one Chinese herbal medicine was used during pregnancy by 24.1% of the interviewed subjects. Pregnant women with threatened abortion appeared to use more Chinese herbal medicines than other pregnant women. Conclusion Chinese herbal medicines are frequently used by pregnant women in Taiwan and are very frequently used by those with a threatened abortion. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.