THE USE OF HERBAL MEDICINES DURING BREASTFEEDING: RESULTS FROM THE HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS IN BREASTFEEDING INVESTIGATION (HABIT)

Aims: Use of complementary and alternative drugs (CADs) during breastfeeding is commonly increasing, mainly due to their presumed higher safety compared to traditional medications. Indeed, CADs can cause serious adverse effects, and high-quality evidence supporting their use during lactation is limited. In Italy, specific investigations on the attitude of lactating women towards CADs are lacking. The Herbal supplements in Breastfeeding InvesTigation (HaBIT) aimed to explore the attitudes and knowledge on CADs among lactating women. Methods: A web-based survey was conducted over a six-years period among lactating women resident in Tuscany (Italy). Data on lactating behavior, CADs use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and women knowledge about CADs’ efficacy and safety were collected. Results: 388 lactating women answered the questionnaire; the major- ity of them were primiparae with high education level. Two-hundred and four women declared to have been CADs users during breastfeed- ing. Moreover, the 61 and 48% of subjects reported CADs use also before and during pregnancy. A significant proportion of subjects were unable to correctly identify the type of CADs they were using. The 73% of women were convinced that CADs had higher or comparable safety than conventional medications; nevertheless, 65% of women admitted to have no scientific information about the potential risks of CADs, and 14 CADs users reported to have experienced side effects. Conclusions: These results claim the necessity that healthcare provi- ders amplify their role to increase nursing women’ awareness about CADs. Further research is needed to support the evidence base of non- pharmaceutical approaches for symptom control during breastfeeding