Uses of dietary supplements and herbal medicines during pregnancy in women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies– A study of taiwan birth cohort

Objective: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of dietary supplements and herbal medicines for the care of pregnant women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Materials and methods: A total of 366 women undergoing ART and their children from the dataset of Taiwan Birth Cohort Study (TBCS, 2005) were enrolled in this study. Structured questionnaires were applied to collect the health information at 6-month follow-up after their delivery. The related use patterns were analyzed to investigate the final birth outcomes. Results: Comparing with those of non-ART group, the women undergoing ART consumed more supplements of multivitamin, fish oil, and calcium than herbal medicines during pregnancy. This study revealed that the consumptions of multivitamin, calcium pills, Genseng, and Suz-Wu-Tang were associated with low birth weight, whereas the intake of Huanglian was associated with birth weight. Besides, the uses of multivitamin and Suz-Wu-Tang were related to lower gestational age of infants. Conclusions: Physicians and nurses must educate themselves in dietary supplements and herbal/alternative medicines for offering accurate advices for pregnant women to optimize their care. The results could be of reference for further investigation on longitudinal effects of dietary supplements and herbal medicines during pregnancy in women undergoing ART continuously followed with TBCS. Keywords: Assisted reproductive technologies (ART), Dietary supplements, Herbal medicines, Pregnancy, Postpartum