title: Self-reported Use and Attitudes Regarding Herbal Medicine Safety During Pregnancy in Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the vast use of herbal medicines in the world, little is known about their use in pregnancy and the attitudes of pregnant women regarding their safety during pregnancy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the use and attitudes of pregnant women toward herbal medicine use in pregnancy in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was completed by 400 women selected by convenience sampling from postnatal and prenatal wards of two hospitals. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 13.5. Chi2 test was used to analyze the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age was 26.4 (± 5.2) years and the mean number of pregnancies was 1.9 (± 0.98). The use of herbal remedies during pregnancy was positive in 22.3% of patients. They took herbal medicines recommended by their physician (46.1%), through self-medication (44.9%), or with the advice of family members or friends (9%). Additionally, 39.8% believed that it was safe to use herbal remedies during pregnancy, 32.3% believed that it was harmful for both mother and fetus, and 22% did not know whether it was safe or not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Herbal medicine use was not high among our subjects but was significantly affected by age. The level of education, place of living, and number of pregnancies significantly affected the attitudes of the subjects. Women with higher education mostly relied on their own information, whereas those with lower education relied on physician advice. Further educational programs are required to increase the information for this group of susceptible individuals.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammadreza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sattari
authors.affiliation: Student Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dilmaghanizadeh
authors.affiliation: Drug applied research center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamishehkar
authors.affiliation: Health Services Management Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Simin Ozar
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Mashayekhi
keywords: Fetus; Plants, Medicinal; Pregnancy; Safety