Women's reasons for taking complementary medicine products in pregnancy and lactation: Results from a national Australian survey

Larisa Ariadne Justine Barnes; Margaret I Rolfe; Lesley Barclay; Kirsten McCaffery; Parisa Aslani

doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101673

Women's reasons for taking complementary medicine products in pregnancy and lactation: Results from a national Australian survey

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2022 Nov:49:101673. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101673. Epub 2022 Oct 20.

Authors

Larisa Ariadne Justine Barnes¹, Margaret I Rolfe², Lesley Barclay², Kirsten McCaffery³, Parisa Aslani⁴

Affiliations

¹ The University of Sydney School of Pharmacy, Pharmacy & Bank Building (A15), Science Road, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia; University Centre for Rural Health, The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, 61 Uralba Street, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia. Electronic address: larisa.barnes@sydney.edu.au.
² University Centre for Rural Health, The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, 61 Uralba Street, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Public Health, Edward Ford Building (A27), Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
³ The University of Sydney, School of Public Health, Edward Ford Building (A27), Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
⁴ The University of Sydney School of Pharmacy, Pharmacy & Bank Building (A15), Science Road, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.

PMID: 36332327
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101673

Abstract

Background: and purpose: Pregnant and breastfeeding women commonly use complementary medicine products (CMPs), including dietary supplements and herbal medicines. This study investigated women's reasons for use.

Materials and methods: A national, cross-sectional, online survey conducted between July-September 2019 investigated reasons for CMP use during pregnancy and lactation. Australian women who were currently pregnant and/or breastfeeding participated. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square and principal component analyses.

Results: Of the 810 women surveyed (n = 354 pregnant; n = 456 breastfeeding), most reported prior CMP use and felt that CMPs had been beneficial to maintaining and optimising their own and their children's health. However, when ill, they preferred medicines prescribed by doctors or pharmacists. Perceived benefits to their unborn or breastfeeding babies' health and their own health (both cohorts), the health of their pregnancy (pregnant participants), and benefits to the breastfeeding process and breastmilk supply (breastfeeding participants) were important reasons for women's CMP use.

Conclusion: Women's reasons for CMP use centred on perceived benefits to their own health and the health of their babies. Women's prior positive experiences with CMP use, combined with preferences for pharmaceutical use when ill, indicates their use of CMPs can be considered complementary, rather than alternative, to biomedical health care.

Keywords: Breastfeeding; Complementary therapies; Decision-making; Dietary supplements; Herbal medicine; Pregnancy.

MeSH terms

Australia
Breast Feeding*
Child
Complementary Therapies*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Lactation
Pregnancy