HERB SAFETY IN PREGNANCY

Course overview

This course will attempt to answer a question that is rarely addressed in Chinese medical texts: Can herbs cause birth defects? We will study the mistakes that modern medicine has made on this issue and explore the potential for similar errors in modern Chinese medical reasoning. Based on a survey of Eastern and Western research, we will assess the risk of fetal harm and developmental disabilities from herbs that are commonly prescribed to pregnant women and describe the ethical obligations for informed consent that are incumbent upon Chinese medical providers.