Are herbal medicinal products less teratogenic than Western pharmaceutical products?
LEUNG Kwok-Yin1, LEE Yuk-Ping, CHAN Ho-Yee, LEE Chin-Peng, Mary TANG Hoi-Yin Department of Prenatal Diagnosis and Counselling, Tsan Yuk Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China 1 Correspondence to Dr LEUNG Kwok-Yin, Consultant. Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, the University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China. Phn 852-2855-3913. Fax 852-2517-3278. E-mail leungky1@ha.org.hk. Received 2002-09-12 Accepted 2002-10-09 KEY WORDS herbal medicine; pregnancy; teratogenicity ABSTRACT AIM: To determine the use and teratogenicity of herbal medicinal products (HMP). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in a University hospital to compare the difference in the pattern of use and fetal outcomes between pregnant women who took HMP and Western pharmaceutical products (WPP). RESULTS: From 1995 Jan to 2001 Dec, 61 and 372 women took HMP and WPP one month before or during their current pregnancies respectively. There was an increase in