Amniotic Pocket Changes Following Wu-Ling-San Treatment for Gestational Edema

To determine whether the maternal administration of Wu-Ling-San during pregnancy affects amniotic fluid volume, we measured the fluid levels in pregnant women who either had or hadn't been administrated Wu-Ling-San. We investigated 504 amniotic pocket (AP) measurements in 61 healthy pregnant women, 437 AP measurements in 71 untreated pregnant women who exhibited pretibial edema during pregnancy, and 82 AP measurements in 21 pregnant women who exhibited pretibial edema during pregnancy and were treated with Wu-Ling-San therapy (Goreisan, 7.5 g/day). Among the 3 groups, differences in AP were not observed prior to 35 weeks of gestation. After 36 weeks of gestation, AP measures were significantly higher in the Wu-Ling-San-treated group (3.78 ± 0.81 cm), compared to the untreated group (3.34 ± 0.79 cm) (p = 0.0036). We identified no significant AP differences between the Wu-Ling-San-treated and control groups. Our findings indicate that the administration of Wu-Ling-San to pregnant women with pretibial edema can prevent subsequent reductions in amniotic fluid volume. Thus, Wu-Ling-San may be helpful in the treatment of oligoamnios.