Is Blue Cohosh Harmful During Pregnancy?

I am 6 weeks pregnant and for the past week or so I have been taking a multivitamin with blue cohosh as one of the main ingredients in it. I heard that it is dangerous and promotes miscarriage, Will this harm my baby or is it just a myth? Should I stop taking the vitamin?

Stop taking the vitamin. Blue Cohosh should not be used during the first 8 months of pregnancy. It can cause premature uterine contractions, leading to miscarriage. Later in pregnancy it should be used only on the advice of a midwife. For other herbs that are contraindicated during pregnancy, please go to our website at www.richters.com, choose "Q&A" from the main menu, then choose "Medicinal Herbs and Their Uses" and search for the item "Herbs to Avoid in Pregnancy".