HERBAL MEDICINE USAGE IN MALARIA TREATMENT DURING PREGNANCY: PRACTICAL MATTERS AND DANGER PERCEPTION AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN AHOADA TOWN OF NIGERIA

Background: Studies suggest that the use of traditional medicine during pregnancy could be dangerous and may predispose to herb-induced heartburn, premature labor, allergic reaction, miscarriage and abortion; but its input in the treatment of malaria among pregnant women is not well established.  In this study, practical matter associated with the use of herbs in the treatment of malaria and the perception of its dangers among pregnant women was evaluated. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 189 volunteered pregnant women of Ahoada town in their first trimester. The pregnant women were sampled randomly and interviewed with a structured questionnaire. SPSS version 16.0 was used for data analysis. Results: Greater proportion (51.3%) used herbal medicine for malaria treatment during pregnancy; most of them (60.3%) have not used herbal medicine until the time of pregnancy and 54% were persuaded by family members to use traditional medicine with the perception that traditional medicine is safe as 51.3% agrees that herbal medicines are more effective than modern medicines for malaria treatment. 51.9% disagree that traditional medicine cannot cause any side effects to a pregnant woman or her baby. Higher proportion (61.9%) disagree that traditional medicine can cause premature birth and 75.1% disagree that herbal medicine can cause sudden contractions or miscarriages in a pregnant woman. Although, 59.8% disagree that herbal medicine makes the fetus (baby) healthy and 50.8% agree herbal medicines can cause deformities in babies. Conclusion: Herbal medicine may be beneficial for the treatment of malaria among pregnant women, but there is a controversy of information on the dangers of its use. Thus, health care providers are encouraged to provide proper care, health education and counseling to help educate expectant mothers on the potential danger of the use of traditional medicine during pregnancy.