Can i take echinacea during pregnancy

Echinacea, scientifically known as Echinacea purpura is a herb that is widely popular for centuries for its medicinal properties. This wondrous herb is indigenous to Native America. The roots and other parts of this plant are effectively used to boost the immunity and battle various other infections. It is believed that Echinacea is also beneficial for the health of a pregnant woman. Let us now learn about various benefits that a pregnant woman may derive from this miraculous herb:.

In case you are suffering from any infection or ailment during pregnancy, taking Echinacea may help in speeding up the recovery or reducing the recovery time of that ailment.

Pregnancy may take a toll on your immunity and thus may make you more prone to falling sick. Sometimes you may have recurrent bouts of some infection, and under such situations, Echinacea may prove to be beneficial.

This is because this herb acts as an antioxidant and is effective in strengthening the immunity, which in turn makes your body help fight the infection. If you are suffering from any kind of sunburns during pregnancy, then you may apply this herb topically to cure your condition.

In case, you are suffering from haemorrhoids during pregnancy then you may tropically use this herb to reduce the pain and healing the wounds. In a study on population, it has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of psoriasis, eczema and inflammatory skin conditions. Psoriasis and eczema are very discomforting skin conditions.

Both these conditions may improve if you apply Echinacea on the skin breakouts that may occur in these skin conditions. This herb is beneficial in the formation of T-cells. It is also very effective in improving the ability of WBC white blood cells in keeping various kinds of pathogenic infections at bay.

The presence of echinacein, a medical compound present in this herb is very effective in preventing various bacteria and viruses from penetrating the healthy cells of the body.

Apart from healing various infections and other medical ailments, it is also very fruitful to cure minor cuts, bruises and wounds, and thus can be used as an effective topical disinfectant. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of echinacea in pregnancy when used for upper respiratory tract ailments.

Patients and Methods The study group consisted of women who were prospectively followed up after contacting the Motherisk Program regarding the gestational use of echinacea. This cohort was disease-matched to women exposed to nonteratogenic agents by maternal age, alcohol, and cigarette use. Rates of major and minor malformations between the groups were compared. Results A total of women were enrolled in the study group after using echinacea products during pregnancy; women used the herb in the first trimester.

There were a total of live births, including 3 sets of twins, 13 spontaneous abortions, and 1 therapeutic abortion. Six major malformations were reported, including 1 chromosomal abnormality, and 4 of these malformations occurred with echinacea exposure in the first trimester. In the control group, there were women with live births, 7 spontaneous abortions, and 1 therapeutic abortion.

Seven major malformations were reported. There were no statistical differences between the study and control groups for any of the end points analyzed. Conclusions This first prospective study suggests that gestational use of echinacea during organogenesis is not associated with an increased risk for major malformations. While echinacea is being used by millions in North America, results of controlled trials have been conflicting. Adverse effects following oral administration appear to be rare, limited to taste abbreviations and transient numbness of the tongue.

Given the popularity of this herb and the fact that at least half of all pregnancies are unplanned, 16 it is important to establish the fetal safety of these products. The primary objective of this prospective study was to determine the fetal safety following gestational use of echinacea products. A secondary objective was to characterize patterns of use of this herb in Canada. The study group consisted of women who contacted the Motherisk Program, a teratogen information service at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, regarding the gestational exposure to echinacea between and During the initial counseling, intake forms were completed to record details of pregnancy and exposure.

Women who had used echinacea during pregnancy were prospectively followed up, with standardized forms completed to collect details on demographics, medical and obstetrical histories, concurrent drug use, and pregnancy outcome. The control group consisted of pregnant women who had contacted the Motherisk Program regarding the safety of echinacea for an upper respiratory tract ailment but subsequently did not use it or used a nonteratogenic antibiotic instead.

With the outcome of pregnancy being the primary focus of this study, the rates of major malformations were compared between the study and control groups.

A major malformation was defined as any anomaly that has an adverse effect on either the function or the social acceptability of the child. With patient consent, documentation was requested from the child's primary physician to confirm pregnancy outcome information. This protocol was approved by the hospital's research ethics board. An additional questionnaire recorded the patient's perception of risk after gestational exposure to echinacea, efficacy as reported by the patient, and recommendations made by the patient's health care provider.

The rates of malformations between the groups were compared using the Fisher exact test. A total of women were enrolled and prospectively followed up after gestational use of echinacea. There were live births, including 3 sets of twins; 13 spontaneous abortions; and 1 therapeutic abortion.

The disease-matched control group consisted of women with live births, 7 spontaneous abortions, and 1 therapeutic abortion. No statistical difference was seen between the 2 groups in terms of pregnancy outcome, delivery method, maternal weight gain, gestational age, birth weight, or fetal distress Table 1. Rates of malformations between the study and control groups were also not statistically significantly different Table 1.

There were 6 major malformations including 1 chromosomal abnormality, and 6 minor malformations in the echinacea-exposed group. With first-trimester use of the herb, 4 major and 2 minor malformations were reported. In the control group, 7 major and 7 minor malformations occurred Table 2. Abstract Background: There is a lack of basic knowledge on the part of both clinicians and patients as to the indications for use and safety of herbal medicines used in pregnancy and lactation.

Publication types Review. Substances Plant Preparations.