ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY In keeping with the principles of evidence-based practice, we have endeavored to identify all the relevant literature on the specific health products examined. Our search strategy employed systematic searching of the following databases:
● AltHealthWatch ● AMED ● CinAhl ● Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews ● Cochrane CENTRAL Controlled Trials Database ● E-Psyche ● DARE ● MedLine
The MeSH terms used for searching included ‘pregnancy’, ‘lactation’, and ‘breastfeeding’. For individual health products, we searched using both the common and Latin names, and where appropriate, we searched using known synonyms. In the case of a well-known active ingredient or constituent, this term was also used in the search for its safety during pregnancy and lactation. The principal databases used were:
● Pubmed ● Cochrane Trial Registry (CENTRAL) and Cochrane Review database ● AMED ● CINAHL ● E-Psyche
To ensure that reports, trials, and other forms of evidence were not overlooked owing to the variety of common names for each individual herb, e.g. Panax ginseng is also known as ren shen in traditional Chinese medicine, the following additional databases were consulted:
● www.naturalstandard.com ● www.naturaldatabase.com ● The Complete German Commission E Monographs by the American
Botanical Council
Each relevant journal article was collected and referenced in our database. The nature of the findings and the grade of evidence were then assessed and compiled in our final report.
