The use of medicinal plants and phytotherapics during pregnancy: an integrative review

• Autor(a) principal: Sartori, Luciana Bortoli
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Silva, Chana de Medeiros da
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista Fitos
• Texto Completo: https://revistafitos.far.fiocruz.br/index.php/revista-fitos/article/view/1467
• topic: Plantas Medicinais; Fitoterapia; Gravidez; Medicinal plants; Phytotherapy; Pregnancy

It is known that the use of products based on natural resources are harmless and its use does not require a follow-up to a qualified healthcare professional, but this thought must be demystify, regardless the geographical, socioeconomics, ethnic and cultural variables that are likely to distinguish them, pregnant women make use of medicinal plants or phytotherapics. This article aims to carry out a literature integrative review of brazilian scientific publications about the use of medicinal plants as well as phytotherapics during pregnancy. A research was made to find out publications in the last 20 years, on databases as PubMed, SciELO, Science Direct and Virtual Health Library with the descriptors in English “medicinal plants AND pregnancy” and “phytotherapy AND pregnancy” and their correspondents in Portuguese “plantas medicinais e gravidez” and “fitoterapia e gravidez” from July to October 2020. 27 articles were inserted which were published between 2000 and 2019 and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. To sum up, it was verified that three major themes have been discussed: adverse reactions, embryotoxicity, teratogenic and abortive effects of medicinal plants; safety and efficacy of the use of medicinal plants; and behaviors and beliefs regarding the use of medicinal plants.