Miscarriage: Herbs to the rescue

By Sade Oguntola - updated: Thursday 24-09-2009

Corchorus olitorius
(Ewedu in Yoruba) helps
to prevent miscarriages, In African culture, infertility is a big issue
because of the value that is placed on children. For this reason, efforts are made to prevent miscarriage or babies dying in their mothers’ wombs.

A miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of an unborn baby before 20 weeks gestation, which is before it can survive outside the womb.

Despite the different approaches to miscarriage or threatened abortion through orthodox medicine, many still rely on herbs for the treatment of many illnesses, including the treatment of threatened abortion.

From one community to another, different medicinal plants had been used. A documentation of herbs in Orba and Nsukka towns of Enugu State that can arrest threatened miscarriage as well as tests to ascertain their effectiveness was done by a scientist from the Department of Botany, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

It was carried out by Dr. Florence Akaneme and published in the January 2008 issue of the African Journal of Biotechnology with the title, “Identification and preliminary phytochemical analysis of herbs that can arrest threatened miscarriage in Orba and Nsukka towns of Enugu State.”

Oral interview method was used to obtain information on the availability of herbs that can arrest threatened miscarriage. Two herbal medical practitioners were interviewed; one in Nsukka and another in Orba, both in Enugu State. Information on the parts of the plants used and the method of preparation of the herbal drugs as well as dosages were also obtained.

The survey identified plants used in arresting threatened miscarriage to include Corchorus olitorius (Ewedu in Yoruba, and Arir a/ulogburu in Ibo), Chrysophyllum albidum, Gambeya albida, pawpaw, Newbouldia laevis, Sida acuta, Ceiba pentandra, Ricinodendron heudelotti and Heliotropium indicum(Odundun or Agogo Igun in Yoruba).

Chrysophyllum albidum is commonly referred to in English as white star apple; Udala in Igbo and Osan in Yoruba. Sida acuta is commonly referred to in Igbo as Udo or broom weed or Isepotu in Yoruba. Ceiba Pentandra, which is commonly referred to as Silk cotton tree, is called Akpu-ogwu in Igbo; in Hausa called Rimi and in Yoruba called Araba. In Igbo, Ricinodendron heudelloti bears the name Okwe.

Over eight different recipes were identified as being used to prevent threatened abortion. In each case, all that was needed to be done was to take a tumbler of the prepared decoction three times daily.

The first recipe involved collecting equal quantities of the tender leaves of the Corchorus olitorius(Ewedu in Yoruba) and pawpaw. These are cooked to a boiling point and allowed to cool very well before the woman drinks it daily. The leaves of white star apple (Udara in Igbo; Osan in Yoruba) are cooked to a boiling point without opening the pot until the time of administration.

A tumbler of the decoction of the tender leaves of pawpaw or Newbouldia laevis( referred to as fertility plant; Ogilisi in Igbo; Aduruku in Hausa; and Akoko in Yoruba), is also used. Another recipe was to cook the stem bark of silk cotton.

The preparation of Boraginaceae Heliotropium (referred to as Cock’s Comb; Kalkaashin in Hausa: Agogo-igun in Yoruba) is slightly different. A reasonable quantity of the whole plant is ground and mixed with clay in an ointment form. This is applied around the waist of the patient.

Based on the chemical tests that were carried out on the powdered forms of these plants, the study submitted that “the presence of proteins and carbohydrates in most of the herbal plants may be a factor in arresting threatened miscarriage which is specifically due to malnutrition or infections.”

They wrote, “The use of the young leaves of pawpaw leaves has an added advantage due to the fact that the macerated leaves, in conjunction with Basil (Ocimum), is used in treating diabetes, which is also one of the causes of miscarriage.”

“The traces of oil observed in some of the plants may be involved in these processes and ultimately play a part in correcting hormonal imbalance which is one of the causes of threatened miscarriage.

Their analgesic properties may help to relieve pain in the lower back and abdomen; their antispasmodic properties may relieve cramps which may accompany bleeding from the womb, while their bactericidal effects may help to control infections.”

The study explained that tannins, a chemical substance present in these plants, also hastened the healing of wounds and inflamed mucous membranes, adding that these properties supported the use of lemon juice in herbal medicine for the treatment of bleeding among other disorders. Bleeding from the womb is characteristic of threatened miscarriage.

According to the publication, “The presence of flavonoids in the herbal plants, the study said, was particularly advantageous since it could help in the treatment of immune system disorders which are responsible for between five and 10 per cent of recurrent miscarriages. Since flavonoids prevent platelet stickiness (platelet aggregation), they are probably wonderful remedies for the treatment of all types of miscarriages. “

The researcher’s conclusion was that the study authenticated the usefulness of the identified plants as potential sources of useful drugs for threatened miscarriage