USE OF GINGER IN PREGNANCY
Date of issue: October 2017, Version: 2

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most commonly used non-medicinal remedies for pregnancy-related nausea, particularly during the first trimester when symptoms of nausea and vomiting are common.
Three cohort studies, one case-control study, and a number of small clinical trials which addressed the safety of ginger use during human pregnancy found no increased incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including congenital malformations. However, while the available data are reassuring, the studies generally involve small numbers of exposed women and increased risk of adverse effects on the developing fetus relating to ginger exposure cannot be completely ruled out.
Exposure to ginger at any stage in pregnancy would not usually be regarded as medical grounds for termination of for additional fetal monitoring. However, other risk factors may be present in individual cases which may independently increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome. Clinicians are reminded of the importance of consideration of such factors when performing case-specific risk assessments.
This is a summary of the full UKTIS monograph for health care professionals and should not be used in isolation. The full UKTIS monograph and access to any hyperlinked related documents is available to NHS health care professionals who are logged in.
If you have a patient with exposure to a drug or chemical and require assistance in making a patient-specific risk assessment, please telephone UKTIS on 0344 892 0909 to discuss the case with a teratology specialist.
If you would like to report a pregnancy to UKTIS please click here to download our pregnancy reporting form. Please encourage all women to complete an online reporting form.