Bridging Ayurveda and Modern Science: A Critical Appraisal on the concept of Garbhasrāva (Early Pregnancy Loss)

Abstract

Background: Early pregnancy loss, described in Ayurveda as Garbhasrāva, continues to be a major reproductive health concern despite significant advances in maternal healthcare and obstetric interventions. Contemporary biomedical science attributes miscarriage to multifactorial causes including genetic, endocrine, immunological, anatomical, environmental, and psychological factors; however, many cases remain unexplained. Exploring the Ayurvedic Samprāpti alongside contemporary pathophysiological mechanisms may provide a more comprehensive understanding of pregnancy loss and support the development of preventive pre-conceptional and antenatal care strategies.

Aim: To critically appraise the Ayurvedic concept and Samprāpti of Garbhasrāva and correlate it with contemporary biomedical pathophysiological mechanisms of early pregnancy loss.

Materials and Methods: This conceptual review analyzed classical Ayurvedic texts and contemporary biomedical literature related to Garbhasrāva and early pregnancy loss. Comparative evaluation was performed to correlate Ayurvedic Samprāpti and etiological concepts with modern pathophysiological mechanisms.

Results: The review identified two major pathogenetic dimensions of Garbhasrāva: pre-conceptional (Viprakṛṣṭa Nidāna) and post-conceptional (Sannikṛṣṭa Nidāna) factors. Ayurvedic concepts such as bīja duṣṭi, kṣetra duṣṭi, Agni duṣṭi, and Apāna Vāta prakopa showed significant parallels with modern mechanisms including genetic abnormalities, hormonal imbalance, defective implantation, oxidative stress, and placental dysfunction associated with early pregnancy loss.

Conclusion: Garbhasrāva is a multifactorial condition arising from both pre-conceptional vulnerabilities and post-conceptional triggers, and an integrative Ayurvedic–biomedical approach may improve prevention and pregnancy outcomes...