SCH or Subchorionic Hematoma is a gathering of blood between the membranes of the placenta and the uterus. A more technical name is the chorion. Some doctors will also just refer to it as a blood clot.
Causes of Subchorionic Hematoma
There is no known cause for a SCH but many researchers speculate that during egg implantation, the egg slightly separates or tears from the uterus causing a bleed. There is nothing a woman did or could have done to cause or prevent them. SCH occurs to pregnant women of all ages and races.
Women with SCH are at greater risk for placental abruption or abruptio placenta. Placental abruption is when the placenta tears away from the uterus. This is an extreme pregnancy complication that requires immediate medical attention. If the placenta separates from the uterine wall, the health of the fetus is in danger.
SCH is a risk early in pregnancy because the clot itself can cause a miscarriage. The clot can release completely from the uterus and cause the fetus and placenta to miscarry.
Recently, I had a patient come to the clinic with this presentation. She was eight weeks pregnant at the time. As there is no cure for this pathology and imminent miscarriage is expected, I decided to treat aggreesively with traditional Chine medicine.
My diagnosis was ‘malign blood congesting and congealing in the lower jiao’ and my treatment principle was to ‘nourish blood and engender the new and break malign blood to transform stasis’.
My first acupuncture treatment consisted of the following: ren 14 downward to stimulate the govenor of blood to move heart qi and blood downward through the bao mai to fill the placenta with new blood. This in and of itself will help dispel static blood.
Ren 9 to flush downwards.
Ren 6 to boost the qi to enable the commander of blood to quicken the channels and collateral and move static blood.
Stomach 30 to stimulate the movement of qi and blood locally and to stimulate the movement of placental blood by activating the chong mai which is inextricably linked to the zigong or fetal palace.
Zigongxue to more strongly access the fetal palace and invigorate qi and blood thereat.
I did e-stim bilaterally from zigongxue to stomach 30 to invigorate qi and blood and break malign blood.
Stomach 36 the harmonize the center and regulate qi and blood.
Spleen 8 upwards to move the qi within the blood to quicken the qi and blood and transform stasis.
Liver 5 downward to regulate the pivot of qi. In other words using spleen 8 upwards and liver 5 downwards creates the proper flow of qi and blood.
Spleen 6 to nourish and harmonize the liver, kidney and spleen and…
Liver 3 + Large intestine 4 to move qi and blood.
I prescribed to following herbs:
Ba zhen tang with the following additions:
san leng, 9
e zhu, 9
su mu, 6
Cu chao xiang fu, 9
This formula follows the method of tonifying qi and nourishing blood to engender the new to dispel the old as well as invigorating qi and breaking malign blood. I replace bai zhu in ba zhen tang with mi zhi huang qi as this herb has its utility in toniying qi to engender blood.
After 2 acupuncture treatments and two weeks on this formula the fetus was growing and the hematoma was shrinking. This was revealed by trans vaginal ultra sound.
Mike Berkley, L.Ac., FABORM
Founder and Director, The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness