Despite thousands of years of herbal lore and traditional practices, modern practitioners seem to have precious little to say when it comes to the effects of these therapies on children and pregnant women. In many cases, studies do not exist to measure potential benefits and risks of alternative medicine use in children and expectant moms. Here are some interesting possibilities:

Herbal Fertility Treatments
As more couples wait to have children later in life, it's become commonplace for couples to need help conceiving. While fertility drugs and sophisticated technology consistently make headlines, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may offer another option. Practitioners have been treating infertility for centuries using a combination of herbs, acupuncture and moxibustion, the application of smoldering herbs at specific acupuncture points.

Another treatment involves the application of an herbal bracelet worn around the wrist during ovulation. The herbs are supposedly absorbed through the skin, stimulating the reproductive organs.

TCM doctors also encourage women trying to get pregnant to soak their feet in hot water. As much as it sounds like an old wives tale, according to TCM, energy meridians stimulated during acupuncture flow from the reproductive organs into the legs. So when the feet are warmed, more energy is supposedly pushed into the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.

It's a way, practitioners say, to nourish this area of the body. Using the same logic, women are also advised to refrain from drinking anything cold during ovulation. Traditional Chinese doctors also believe that stress can affect a woman's ability to conceive. They recommend meditation for women trying to get pregnant. However, the process isn't as simple as it sounds. To increase the chances of success, women are encouraged to visit their practitioner several times a week, often for several months.

Using TCM for Breech Births
We've all heard that a woman shouldn't take herbs during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester when so much critical fetal development is taking place. The truth is that no one really knows what, if any, effects herbal supplements have on a growing fetus, so the preference is to play it safe. Pregnant women should talk with their doctor before taking supplements.

However, there is increasing evidence that in cases where a baby is in a breech, or feet-first position, the treatment recommended by TCM can cause a baby to turn on its own, thus avoiding a caesarean section. As in TCM fertility treatments, the doctor uses moxibustion. In the case of a breech baby, the smoldering herbal stick is placed just above the mothers toes, stimulating what's known as the empirical point with its penetrating heat.