Risks and Effects of Medicinal Plants as an Adjuvant Treatment in Mental Disorders during Pregnancy

Many medicinal plants used by patients with mental illnesses during pregnancy contain various active compounds. It is essential to guide and inform patients about the potential risks associated with the use of medicinal herbs, teas, plant parts, and plant-based products, as well as the critical time periods during which their use may be particularly harmful. The aim of this article is to highlight the most commonly used medicinal plants with psychotropic effects and to emphasize the risks associated with their use in pregnant patients with mental disorders. Pregnant women worldwide frequently consume herbal medicines (including herbal teas, medicinal herbs, and plant extracts), under the mistaken belief that these substances are inherently safe for the fetus and entirely beneficial because of their natural origin, as opposed to synthetic alternatives. However, natural sedatives, hypnotics, and antidepressants—such as valerian, lemon balm, lavender, passionflower, St. John's wort, mint, and chamomile-can be used without supervision and often in combination with other sedative agents, further increasing the likelihood of unpredictable risks. Methods: This study is a narrative review that involves the analysis and synthesis of scientific literature on the use of medicinal plants in mental health during pregnancy and lactation. The literature search was conducted using keywords, and data were collected from medical databases, including PubMed, Medscape, UpToDate, Elsevier, and Google Scholar. Results and discussions: A significant concern is that patients may self-administer these substances without informing their healthcare provider. Medicinal plants can induce clinical, biochemical, and genomic alterations, modulate maternal immune responses, and interfere with enzymatic and cytochrome pathways, thereby affecting the concentration and pharmacokinetics of prescribed medications in maternal blood plasma. Moreover, the active compounds in herbal medicines can cross the placental barrier, posing potential risks to fetal development, including teratogenicity, toxicity, and delayed adverse effects.