title: Use of and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine among midwives in Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to evaluate the use of and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among midwives in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information was requested from 129 midwives at family health centers in Samsun concerning their suggestions for the use of complementary and alternative medicine for pregnant women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  58.9% of the midwives in this study had suggested CAM methods to pregnant women. It was found that, among CAM methods, the midwives studied made use of herbal treatment, diets and exercises the most (32.6%, 27.9% and 28.7%, respectively) and acupuncture, relaxation techniques and fast walking the least (1.6%, 6.2%, and 7.0%, respectively). It was found that the CAM method most suggested by the midwives studied was herbal therapy, and this therapy was suggested for nausea-vomiting, anemia, gastralgic complaints, constipation, sore throat, insomnia, hypertension, sinusitis, cough, the common cold, stress, hemorrhoids and asthenia-fatigue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Complementary and alternative medicine, especially herbal therapy, is commonly suggested to pregnant women by those midwives studied in Samsun.
authors: Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun School of Nursing, Samsun, Turkey. zelihaceren@hotmail.com
authors: Zeliha
authors: Z
authors: Koc
authors: Serap
authors: S
authors: Topatan
authors: Zeynep
authors: Z
authors: Saglam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003151:Community Health Centers; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey