title: Use of Traditional Botanical Medicines During Pregnancy in Rural Rwanda.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the perceptions of healthcare and traditional medicine providers regarding the type, indications, side effects, and prevalence of traditional medicine use amongst pregnant women in a rural Rwandan population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six focus groups with physicians, nurses, and community health workers and four individual in-depth interviews with traditional medicine providers were held. Qualitative data was gathered using a structured questionnaire querying perceptions of the type, indications, side effects, and prevalence of use of traditional medicines in pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The healthcare provider groups perceived a high prevalence of traditional botanical medicine use by pregnant women (50-80%). All three groups reported similar indications for use of the medicines and the socioeconomic status of the pregnant women who use them. The traditional medicine providers and the healthcare providers both perceived that the most commonly used medicine is a mixture of many plants, called Inkuri. The most serious side effect reported was abnormally bright green meconium with a poor neonatal respiratory drive. Thirty-five traditional medicines were identified that are used during pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perceptions of high prevalence of use of traditional medicines during pregnancy with possible negative perinatal outcomes exist in areas of rural Rwanda.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beste
authors.affiliation: Nyamasheke Health Center, Nyamasheke, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Asanti
authors.affiliation: Kibogora District Hospital, Kibogora, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nsabimana
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA ; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA ; Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anastos
authors.affiliation: Women's Equity in Access to Care and Treatment, Kigali, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mutimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Irwin
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Merkatz
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sirotin
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nathan