SIDDHA HERBAL MEDICINES IN ANTENATAL CARE: THERAPEUTIC ROLE AND SAFETY PERSPECTIVES – A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Pregnancy represents a complex physiological state requiring careful maintenance of maternal and fetal health. Traditional medical systems, including Siddha medicine, provide structured antenatal care through dietary regulation, lifestyle modification, and controlled herbal interventions. Siddha literature emphasizes maintaining equilibrium among the three humors—Vaatham, Pitham, and Kabam—to ensure safe gestation and childbirth. Herbal medicines are traditionally administered in mild forms to alleviate common pregnancy discomforts such as nausea, constipation, edema, fatigue, and musculoskeletal pain. Despite widespread traditional use, concerns regarding herbal safety during pregnancy remain significant because phytochemicals may cross the placental barrier and influence fetal development. Modern evidence suggests that while certain herbs such as ginger and garlic demonstrate therapeutic benefits with acceptable safety profiles, others require cautious administration due to potential teratogenic or abortifacient effects. This narrative review analyzes Siddha herbal medicines commonly used during pregnancy, evaluates their therapeutic indications, and discusses safety perspectives based on contemporary scientific literature. Integrating classical Siddha knowledge with evidence-based evaluation may support safer integrative antenatal healthcare.