- a Good Hope Hospital, Rectory Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B75 7RR, UK
- b Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Public Health Building, School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Received 20 December 2012, Revised 26 April 2013, Accepted 8 June 2013, Available online 11 July 2013
Abstract
Objective
to
determine the prevalence of women's use of complementary and
alternative medicines (CAM) during pregnancy in the UK, reasons for use,
who recommended CAM, and the characteristics of women that are
associated with use of CAM during pregnancy.
Design
cross-sectional questionnaire.
Setting
Birmingham Women's Hospital.
Participants
315 postnatal women were surveyed while on the postnatal ward.
Findings
the
questionnaire response rate was 89% (315/355). CAM use during pregnancy
was reported by 180 women (57.1%). CAM users differed significantly
from non-CAM users by education level, parity and previous CAM use
before pregnancy. Vitamins (34.9%), massage therapy (14.0%), yoga
(11.1%) and relaxation (10.2%) were the most commonly reported uses of
CAM. 33.0% of women reported they did not disclose their use of CAM to a
doctor or midwife, and 81.3% were not asked by their doctor or midwife
about their use of CAM during pregnancy.
Key conclusions and implications for practice
this
study found a high prevalence of CAM use during pregnancy, which is
within the range of findings of studies from Australia and Germany. It
is important that health-care providers routinely ask about CAM use
during pregnancy and are able to provide pregnant women with appropriate
advice regarding CAM use.
Keywords
- Pregnancy;
- Complementary and alternative medicine;
- Cross sectional study
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