Clinical Efficacy and Nursing Efficiency Analysis of Jiuwei Zhusheng Decoction in Promoting Cervical Ripening in the Perinatal Midwifery Holistic Care

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Jiuwei Zhusheng Decoction (JWZSD) and perinatal midwifery holistic nursing care in promoting cervical ripening, we conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 80 primiparous and full-term pregnant women with indications for labor induction. The participants were divided into a control group (n = 40) receiving intravenous oxytocin for labor induction and a study group (n = 40) receiving oral administration of JWZSD. Additionally, 30 female Wistar pregnant rats were randomly assigned to the blank group, oxytocin group, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group to compare relevant indicators. In the clinical study, both groups showed significant increases in Bishop scores after treatment. However, the study group demonstrated significantly greater improvements compared to the control group. Moreover, the study group exhibited higher rates of clinical effectiveness and successful vaginal delivery than the control group. In the animal experiment, both the oxytocin and TCM groups displayed disorganized and relaxed cervical connective tissue with evident interstitial edema when compared to the blank group. Furthermore, rats in the TCM group exhibited significantly elevated serum levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) compared to those in the oxytocin group. The combination of JWZSD and perinatal midwifery holistic nursing care for labor induction can effectively enhance cervical ripening and reduce the incidence of cesarean section, potentially through the regulation of IL-8, MMP-9, COX-2, and PGE2 expression. However, further investigations are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.