Temporal trends in the prescription of traditional Japanese herbal (Kampo) medicines to pregnant women: analysis of an administrative hospital database in Japan.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Japanese traditional (Kampo) medicines are commonly prescribed in clinical practice, with increasing evidence supporting their use during pregnancy. The efficacy and safety of Kampo medicines during pregnancy have increasingly been studied; however, evidence in support of these medicines is inadequate. Thus, we conducted a temporal trend analysis of Kampo medicine prescriptions to determine the Kampo medicines for which further safety evidence is required.

Methods

Administrative data from pregnant Japanese women who visited acute-care diagnosis procedure combination hospitals between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2023, were used in this study. Therapeutic categories related to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes D numbers 5100 and 5200 were defined as

SUBMITTER: Kikuchi D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12729618 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature