While some herbal medicines may not be recommended for use during pregnancy, the popular herb echinacea seems to be safe for expectant mothers, study results suggest.

The herb "was not shown to pose a risk in pregnancy," according to lead study author Michael Gallo, a toxicologist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Ontario, Canada.

Gallo and his colleagues studied 206 pregnant women who used echinacea during their pregnancy and another 206 women who did not use the herb.

There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of pregnancy outcome, delivery method, maternal weight gain, birth weight or fetal distress, the authors report in the November 13th issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Similarly, no great difference was seen between the two groups in regard to birth defects, the report indicates.

Gallo was surprised that "unlike with prescription and over-the-counter drugs, pregnant women were less cautious with the herb echinacea in pregnancy as they felt it posed little risk."

Healthcare providers were also less concerned, Gallo told Reuters Health. "Over half of them suggest(ed) echinacea was safe, even though previous studies showing safety were not available."

And although Gallo's study testifies to the safety of the herb, he stressed that further study is needed.

"As herbal medicine use continues to grow and use in pregnancy becomes more popular, the need for research at the basic and clinical level becomes more apparent," he said. "We should not rely on the potentially false assumption that 'natural' is synonymous with 'safe.'"

(From Reuters)