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