Clinical study on effect of Chinese herbal medicine for supplementing kidney and Qi and activating blood circulation in treating intrauterine growth retardation of fetus

Abstract

To explore the therapeutic effect and its possible mechanism on using Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for supplementing Kidney and Qi, and activating blood circulation in treating intrauterine growth retardation of fetus (IUGR). Fifty-five cases of IUGR were observed, 30 of them were treated with CHM and 25 treated with amino acid for control. The neonatal birth weight in the CHM group was markedly greater than that in the control group. Not only the maternal fundal height and abdominal circumference, but also the fetal growth parameters, including biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length in the CHM group increased much faster than those in the control group. After CHM treatment, the maternal serum levels of estriol (E3) and human placental lactogen (hPL) were close to the normal pregnancy group, but the levels in the control group were significantly different from the normal range. The umbilical venous plasma concentration of essential amino acids was markedly improved after treatment, however, the improvement in the CHM group was more significant than that in the control group. No adverse effect of CHM was found both in mother and fetus. CHM for supplementing Kidney and Qi, and activating blood circulation was more effective in the improvement of placental function and amino acid transportation than those of amino acid.