History of recurrent miscarriage in traditional Chinese medicine literature

Recurrent miscarriage (RM) as a gynecological disorder was recognized by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners long before the age of modern medicine. TCM physicians reported and recorded RM in the canonical TCM literature, which dates back more than 1500 years. The first cases of RM as a fertility abnormality were reported in Chanjing, which was written during the Nanbei Dynasty of China (420 A.D.589 A.D.). Some prescriptions for the treatment of RM are still actively used by modern TCM practitioners. In addition, many recent pharmacological and clinical studies have focused on the TCM therapy for RM. To identify the new therapeutic targets for RM and further promote the interest in treating RM with TCM, we reviewed the etiology, pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention of RM discussed both in the TCM literature and in contemporary pharmacological and clinical studies.