Chronic Ayurvedic medicine use associated with major and fatal congenital abnormalities

Herbal Medicinal Product Use During Pregnancy and the Postnatal Period

“…Sample size ranged from 27 to 500 women in interventional studies, 187 to 860,215 women in observational studies, and one to five women in case reports. Seven studies collected data during the first trimester of pregnancy; 71,82,85,88,96,105,107 10 during the second trimester; 41,58,67,81,83,84,87,89,101,108 12 during the third trimester; 38,62,64,80,91,92,100,102,103,106,109,110 five throughout pregnancy; 69,70,75,90,95 five around the time of labor (a few hours before or after delivery); 37,59–61,77 nine throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period; 14,31,39,72–74,78,79,111 three during the third trimester and the postnatal period; 40,112,113 20 during the postnatal period only; 24,34,56,63,65,66,68,76,86,94,97–99,104,114–119 and two did not specify the precise point during pregnancy of data collection. 57,93…”

“…Hepatotoxicity was reported in six case reports associated with: three different lead-contaminated Ayurvedic medications used to maintain pregnancy, 39–41 a herbal tea contaminated with senecionine, 119 a lead-contaminated mountain germander infusion, 115 and a lead-contaminated fennel and cumin infusion 117 each used to increase milk production in the postnatal period.…”

“…Owing to a variety of reasons, including a lack of appropriately designed and powered studies, low reporting rates to inadequate regulatory supervision, and the widely held belief that herbal medicinal products are natural and hence safe, the prevalence of adverse events and herb–drug interactions associated with herbal medicinal product use is unclear. Because there are reports of severe adverse events such as perinatal stroke, 37 severe hyponatremia, 38 and lead poisoning, 39–41 it is important to explore the prevalence of these and other adverse outcomes.…”