Herbal Medicines—Are They Effective and Safe during Pregnancy?

Since the teratogenicity of Thalidomide has been proven, herbal products are more commonly used in pregnancy to not only relieve morning sickness but also to fight infections. These products are frequently considered as natural and therefore harmless. However, herbs contain a number of active substances that, when used during pregnancy, can affect the development of the fetus. Often, pregnant women do not consult the usage of herbal medicines with a physician. The access to these products is easy and treatment of certain ailments with the use of herbs is common in many countries. The aim of the present literature review was to discuss available data regarding the efficacy and safety of cranberry, chamomile, Echinacea purpurea, garlic, ginger, Ginkgo biloba, and peppermint, which are used to counteract the most common ailments during pregnancy, i.e., infections and pregnancy-related ailments (e.g., nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and headache). Analysis of available data showed that ginger is one of the most extensively analyzed herbal remedies. The dose of ginger below 1000 mg per day may help to relief hypereremesis gravidarum, and such an amount of ginger did not increase frequency of adverse effects for either woman or developing fetus. Data regarding other herbs are most often heterogeneous and give conflicting results with no clear conclusions. However, all herbal products should be used with a special caution in pregnancy. Further high-quality human studies should be determined to confirm the safe doses of herbal products which could be used by pregnant or breast-feeding women.

ASUHAN KEBIDANAN PADA IBU HAMIL DENGAN MORNING SICKNESS DI KLINIK ROHUL SEHAT DESA RAMBAH

Pregnancy is an event that is very meaningful and eagerly awaited by every family, especially newly married couples. But sometimes the changes that occur at a time like this can cause physiological stress for the mother-to-be. The effect of pregnancy for each woman is different. In the first trimester, nausea and vomiting are common. Usually this is experienced in the morning or when smelling certain odors. This feeling of nausea is often called morning sickness. To comprehensively carry out midwifery care for antepartum in the first trimester with morning sickness at the Rohul Sehat Clinic, Rambah Village, using 7 steps of Varney management. This study uses an observational descriptive research method with a case study approach. Data collection techniques by means of interviews, physical examination and observation. After doing midwifery care with morning sickness which took place gradually with health education within 1 week has been resolved. It is hoped that it can provide more complete information to antepartum in the first trimester with morning sickness.

HUBUNGAN KEHAMILAN TRIMESTER PERTAMA DENGAN MORNING SICKNESS

Kesehatan wanita sebagai bagian integral dari perkembangan suatu bangsa, sangat dipengaruhi oleh perkembangan bangsa secara menyeluruh. Peningkatan status kesehatan wanita merupakan komponen penting bagi pembangunan bangsa, baik secara langsung mengkontribusi pada perbaikan ekonomi dan sosial maupun secara tidak langsung melalui kesehatan dan kesejahteraan keluarga yang merupakan kunci utama peningkatan sumber daya manusia

Pharmacognostic screening and antiemetic evaluation of the ethanol extract of the leaves of Morinda lucida benth. (rubiaceae)

Emesis is a common side and adverse effect associated with many illnesses, even drugs. It is the act or process of vomiting. Causes vary from pregnancy, morning sickness, motion sickness, chemotherapy and so on. Emetics are drugs or substances that induce vomiting. Antiemetics are agents given to stop vomiting and to stop the nauseous feeling. Morinda lucida, Benth. family, Rubiacae. It is commonly known as brimstone tree. It is about 24m long, the branches are fibrous in nature and does not break easily, the tree bark is brown to grey, the leaves are green with green fruits. This project is focused on the pharmacognostic evaluation and antiemetic activities of the ethanol extract of the leaves of Morinda lucida. The plants were properly collected and identified by a taxonomist, then, air dried at room temperature, blended using an electric miller. The ethanol leaf extract of the plant was obtained using cold maceration, filtered and concentrated using rotary evaporator. The extract was used for antiemetic evaluations, pharmacognostic and chromatographic (thin layer chromatography) evaluations. The LD50 was determined using Lorkes method. Pharmacognostic evaluation shows the presence of, lignin, cellulose, saponin, tannis, alkaloids flavonoids. The LD50 shows that there was no death recorded. The result of the research shows that the ethanol extract of Morinda lucida on 2 weeks old chickens exhibited antiemetic effect. It can therefore be concluded that the ethanol extract of Morinda lucida possess antiemetic activity as claimed and the result of these findings can be of great importance to the development of new antiemetic drug.

Determinants of adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation among postnatal mothers in Addis Ababa referral hospitals, Ethiopia

Abstract: In Ethiopia, adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation is extremely low. There were only 5% who took more than 90 tablets during their pregnancy. However, only limited data is available on the determinant factors of non-adherence. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify determinants of adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation among postnatal mothers in three referral hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Methods: An institutional based unmatched case-control study was conducted on 240 women who have been at postnatal care. Data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaire. Data were entered and analyzed using EpiData and SPSS version 20.0, respectively. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to identify the determinants at p-value < 0.25 and < 0.05, respectively.Results: The major determinant factors of adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation were, mothers age group 29-33 [AOR=1.66, 95% CI: 2.010-0.0492], ANC initiation time [AOR=4.21, 95% CI: 2.3-10.6], counseling on IFAS [AOR=3.89, 95% CI: 1.8-8.4], time taken to travel to health facility [AOR=3.17,95% CI:1.35-7.4], gravidity [AOR=2.08,95% CI:1.06-4.09], morning sickness [AOR 0.33, 95% CI: 0.15-0.69] and planned pregnancy [AOR=4.2, 95% CI: 1.6-10.9].Conclusion: This study highlighted age of participants, planned pregnancy, antenatal care initiation time, morning sickness, gravidity, counseling and distance to health facility are the key factors that have independently associate with adherence. Counseling should be given for clients on the correct dosage and duration of supplementation to prevent anemia and neural tube defects.

Literature Review: The Effectiveness of Giving Ginger (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe) to Pregnant Women Nausea Vomiting 1st Trimester Pregnancy

Nausea and vomiting often occur when you wake up in the morning, which is also called morning sickness. Nausea and vomiting that occur in the first trimester of pregnancy are caused by increased levels of the hormone Estrogen and Human Chorionic Gonadotropine (HCG) in serum from the placenta and can cause a decrease in appetite so that there is a change in electrolyte balance with potassium, calcium and sodium which causes changes in body metabolism. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy affects about 80-90% of pregnant women. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is the most widely used herbal therapy in the management of nausea and vomiting. The purpose of this study was to determine how effectiveness ginger was in reducing the frequency of nuesea and vomiting in pregnant women in the 1st trimester.This study uses a literature study method obtained through electronic media with keywords. There were 8 selected articles, consisting of 5 international and 3 national articles. This article provides information about the effectiveness of giving ginger to reduce the frequency of nausea and vomiting in pregnant women in the 1st trimester. The conclusions obtained from the analysis are that ginger can reduce nausea and vomiting in pregnant women in the 1st trimester.

The Effect Of Lemon Oil Aromaterapy Inhalation On Emesis Gravidarum In Trimester Pregnant Women I

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy causes the mother to become weak, pale, and decrease body fluids. Lemon oil is one of the herbal oils that is considered a safe drug in pregnancy, according to a study 40% of women used lemon aromatherapy to relieve nausea and vomiting and 26.5% reported being effective for controlling nausea and vomiting symptoms. This study was to determine the effect of inhalation of lemon oil aromatherapy on emesis gravidarum in first trimester pregnant women. By using the literature study method, an analysis was carried out on the results of searching journals and articles with a review of existing theories. This study revealed that there was an effect of giving inhaled lemon aromatherapy on morning sickness in pregnant women.

Recent Advances in the Development of Thalidomide-Related Compounds as Anticancer Drugs

Introduction: Thalidomide is an old well-known drug that was first used as morning sickness relief in pregnant women before being withdrawn from the market due to its severe side effects on normal fetal development, However, over the last few decades, the interest in this old drug has been renewed because of its efficacy in several important disorders for instance, multiple myeloma, breast cancer, and HIV-related diseases due to its antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory properties. Unfortunately, even in these cases, many aftereffects as deep vein thrombosis, peripheral neuropathy, constipation, somnolence, pyrexia, pain, and teratogenicity have been reported, showing the requirement of careful and monitored use. For this reason, research efforts are geared toward the synthesis and optimization of new thalidomide analogues lacking in toxic effects to erase these limits and improve the pharmacological profile. Aims: This review aims to examine the state-of-the-art concerning the current studies on thalidomide and its analogues towards cancer diseases (with few hints regarding the antimicrobial activity), focusing the attention on the possible mechanisms of action involved and the lack of toxicity. Conclusion: In the light of the collected data, thalidomide analogues and their ongoing optimization could lead, in the future, to the realization of a promising therapeutic alternative for cancer-fighting.

Determinants of adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation among postnatal mothers in Addis Ababa referral hospitals, Ethiopia

Abstract: In Ethiopia, adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation is disappointingly low were only 5% took more than 90 tablets during their pregnancy; however, only limited data are available on the determinant factors of non-adherence. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify determinants of adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation among postnatal mothers in three referral hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Purpose:Methods: An institutional based unmatched case-control study was conducted on 240 women who have been at postnatal care. Data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaire. Data were entered and analyzed using EpiData and SPSS version 20.0, respectively. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to identify the determinants at p-value < 0.25 and < 0.05 respectively.Results: The major determinant factors of adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation were, mothers age group 29-33 [AOR=1.66, 95% CI: 2.010-0.0492], ANC initiation time [AOR=4.21, 95% CI: 2.3-10.6], counseling on IFAS [AOR=3.89, 95% CI: 1.8-8.4], time taken to travel to health facility [AOR=3.17,95% CI:1.35-7.4], gravidity [AOR=2.08,95%CI:1.06-4.09], morning sickness [AOR 0.33, 95% CI: 0.15-0.69] and planned pregnancy [AOR=4.2, 95%CI: 1.6-10.9].Conclusion: This study highlighted age of participants, planned pregnancy, antenatal care initiation time, morning sickness, gravidity, counseling and distance to health facility are factors that have independently associate with adherence. Counseling should be given for clients on the correct dosage and duration of supplementation for prevention of anemia and neural tube defects.