Patterns of vitamin, mineral and herbal supplement use prior to and during pregnancy.

At the antenatal clinic, 211 women were interviewed to assess vitamin, mineral and herbal use pre-conceptually and in the three trimesters of pregnancy. The majority of women (62%) used both a vitamin or mineral supplement and a herbal preparation during the course of pregnancy. Folate (70%), iron (38%) and multivitamins (27%) were the vitamin and mineral supplements most frequently taken by pregnant women. Ginger (20%) and raspberry leaf (9%) were the most frequently used herbal preparations. Women relied on advice from friends and relatives in deciding to use herbal preparations.