Table 4.
Top most commonly used herbal medicines during breastfeeding (in descending order of popularity)
| Common/local name of herbal medicine | Botanical/Scientific name | Numbers(%)reporting use of this herb (N = 181) | Recommended by | n of specific herb users) who believed the herb was helpful | Indication for use (n(%) of specific herb users) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitter medicine(Gbangba) | Cassia sieberiana DC. | 66(36.5) | Relative(32),myself(21),friends(4),neighbour(2), health worker(2), in-law(1), mate(1) | 64 | Stomach ache 58(84.1), malaria 9(13.0), breast milk production 2(2.9) |
| Rabena | Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb. | 53(29.3) | Relative(33), myself(13), friend (2), neighbour(2), family(1) health worker(1), herbalist(1) | 53 | Cleansing of the breast against contaminated milk29(54.7),gynaecological infections 20(37.7) stomach-ache3(5.7), malaria 6(11.8) |
| Lemon grass | Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf | 6(3.3) | Relative(5),myself(1) | 6 | General Wellbeing (3), Stomach ache (1), malaria(1), common cold(1) |
| Moringa | Moringa oleifera Lam. | 6(3.3) | Relative (4), myself(1), friend(1) | 6 | Stomach ache(3), General Wellbeing (2), malaria(1) |
| Garlic | Alium sativum L | 5(2.8) | Myself (2), family (1) | 5 | General Wellbeing cough, cold |
| Tea bush | Camellia sinensis | 2(1.1) | Relative & neighbour | 2 | General Wellbeing, Fungal Infection |
| Pawpaw leaves | Carica papaya | 2(1.1) | Myself | 2 | stimulate Breast milk production |