Letter to Editor
Ginseng and Common Pregnancy Disorders Dear Sir: Ginseng consumption in pregnancy is very popular among the Asian population. Consumption of ginseng during pregnancy has long been Chinese tradition and is believed to provide the extra energy for both mother and baby.') Many expecting mothers may have been exposed to ginseng during pregnancy and therefore it is useful to know its effects on pregnancy. I n 1990, one thousand consecutive patients delivering in the Caritas Medical Centre, Hong Kong were interviewed after their deliveries about their history of ginseng consumption during pregnancy. After excluding patients with multiple pregnancies and patients who were not sure about ginseng comsumption, the outcome of 913 patients were analysed. Eightyeight patients (9.6%) consumed ginseng during pregnancy. Each patient was matched to a control selected from amongst the remaining patients who delivered within the same period but who have not taken ginseng. All patients were matched for parity and to within one year of age. Eight patients in the control group had preeclampsia but only one patient in the ginseng group had the condition (Table 1). The control group also had higher mean blood pressures in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, but the differences were not statistically significant. The incidences of the other common obstetrical disorders, and the reproductive outcome was not significantly different between the two groups of patients. Ginseng is a central nervous system stimu-
Table 1. Clinical characteristics, obstetric complications and perinatal outcome of patients Ginseng group
Control group I _
Total Age (years) Mean+SD Range Parity
0 1 2 >2 Preeclampsia* GDM/IGT** Antepartum haemorrhage Mode of delivery Spontaneous vaginal Forceps/ventouse Caesarean section Birth weight (grams) MeankSD Low birth weight (
Ginseng and Common Pregnancy Disorders Dear Sir: Ginseng consumption in pregnancy is very popular among the Asian population. Consumption of ginseng during pregnancy has long been Chinese tradition and is believed to provide the extra energy for both mother and baby.') Many expecting mothers may have been exposed to ginseng during pregnancy and therefore it is useful to know its effects on pregnancy. I n 1990, one thousand consecutive patients delivering in the Caritas Medical Centre, Hong Kong were interviewed after their deliveries about their history of ginseng consumption during pregnancy. After excluding patients with multiple pregnancies and patients who were not sure about ginseng comsumption, the outcome of 913 patients were analysed. Eightyeight patients (9.6%) consumed ginseng during pregnancy. Each patient was matched to a control selected from amongst the remaining patients who delivered within the same period but who have not taken ginseng. All patients were matched for parity and to within one year of age. Eight patients in the control group had preeclampsia but only one patient in the ginseng group had the condition (Table 1). The control group also had higher mean blood pressures in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, but the differences were not statistically significant. The incidences of the other common obstetrical disorders, and the reproductive outcome was not significantly different between the two groups of patients. Ginseng is a central nervous system stimu-
Table 1. Clinical characteristics, obstetric complications and perinatal outcome of patients Ginseng group
Control group I _
Total Age (years) Mean+SD Range Parity
0 1 2 >2 Preeclampsia* GDM/IGT** Antepartum haemorrhage Mode of delivery Spontaneous vaginal Forceps/ventouse Caesarean section Birth weight (grams) MeankSD Low birth weight (
