Kathleen,
You asked about a Mothering magazine article that reported on a JAMA study
showing that pregnant or nursing women should avoid echinacea, senna,
goldenseal, comfrey, and licorice.....

Goldenseal is something pregnant women are asked to steer clear of since
berberine has been shown to stimulate uterine contractions in some animal
studies.....and the use of it in pregnancy could potentially cause
miscarriage.  Many echinacea preparations include goldenseal.  So its the
goldenseal, not the echinacea, that should be avoided.

Joyce Blangiardo RN, LCCE, FACCE, IBCLC
LamazeLady+AEA-msn.com
Long Island, NY