While herbal medicines may not be recommended during pregnancy, a new study suggests that the popular herb Echinacea is safe for expectant mothers. The herb "was not shown to pose a risk in pregnancy," according to researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada.
The researchers studied 206 pregnant women who used Echinacea during their pregnancy and another 206 women who did not use the herb. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of pregnancy outcome, delivery method, maternal weight gain, birth weight, fetal distress or birth defects.
And although this study testifies to the safety of the herb, further study is needed. We should not rely on the potentially false assumption that 'natural' is synonymous with ‘safe'.
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