Medicinal Plants used during Antenatal Care by Pregnant Women in Eastern Uganda

Abstract

Plants are commonly used during the antenatal stage in pregnancy to manage different ailments in Africa. In Uganda, both medicinal and food plants are used to handle common pregnancy related conditions. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Iganga district, eastern Uganda. Seven traditional birth attendants (TBA) and 46 mothers were interviewed. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and household interviews. The TBAs were identified using snowball sampling. A total of 33 plant species, belonging to 23 families were documented. Out of these, the pregnant mothers used 45.5 % as both food and medicine. The most frequently used plant life form was herbs (58.8%). The leaves are the most commonly used plant parts (59%). Most of the plants (58.8%) were semi cultivated and were being domesticated in crop fields and home gardens. Most of the plants were used to manage anaemia and for child development and good health among the pregnant women. The pregnant women and TBAs in Namungalwe sub County have diverse knowledge on medicinal and nutri-medicinal plants in the management of common pregnancy related diseases, which can be used to supplement modern antenatal services, inspite of the ban of the activities of TBA. Further research on the bioavailability of nutrients, efficacy and safety of the medicinal plants used by pregnant women should be done. RésuméLes plantes sont couramment utilisées pendant le stade prénatal pendant la grossesse pour gérer les différentes maladies en Afrique. En Ouganda, les plantes médicinales et alimentaires sont utilisées pour traiter des conditions courantes liées à la grossesse et pour compléter les services de soins prénatals modernes. Une enquête ethnobotanique a été menée dans le district d'Iganga, dans l'est de l'Ouganda. Sept accoucheuses traditionnelles (AT) et 46 mères ont été interviewées. Les données ont été recueillies à l'aide des questionnaires structurés et d'entrevues auprès des ménages. Les AT ont été identifiées en utilisant un échantillonnage en boule de neige. Un total de 33 espèces végétales appartenant à 23 familles ont été documentées. Parmi cellesci, les femmes enceintes consommaient 45,5% de nourriture et des médicaments. La forme de vie végétale la plus fréquemment utilisée était les herbes (58,8%). Les feuilles sont les parties de plantes les plus utilisées (59%). La plupart des plantes (58,8%) étaient semi-cultivées et étaient domestiquées dans les champs cultivés et dans les jardins potagers. La plupart des plantes étaient utilisées pour gérer l'anémie et pour le développement de l'enfant et une bonne santé chez les femmes enceintes. Les femmes enceintes et les accoucheuses traditionnelles dans le sous-comté de Namungalwe avaient des connaissances diverses sur les plantes médicinales et nutri-médicinales dans la prise en charge des maladies courantes liées à la grossesse, qui peuvent être utilisées pour compléter les services prénataux modernes. (Afr J Reprod Health 2017; 21[4]: 33-44).

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