ABSTRACT
Jaundice is the most common reason of newborn's admission to neonatal ward. Many Iranian families give traditional remedies like sugar water, camel's thorn and flixweed extracts to breast-fed babies for reducing jaundice. This study investigated the effect of traditional remedies on idiopathic neonatal jaundice. This prospective study has been performed on 336 babies with idiopathic jaundice in a four year period [2005-2009] at Ghaem hospital, Mashhad, Iran. The babies were divided into two groups. In case group [n=234] breast-fed babies received no remedy and in control group [n=102], traditional remedies were given additional to breast milk and the results recorded and compared. In the present study significant differences were observed between the two groups in age of admission [6.8 +/- 3.2 vs 9.2 +/- 3.7 day, P<0.001], serum bilirubin values [17.8 vs 21.3 mg/dl, P<0.001] and percent of weight loss [P<0.01]. There were no significant differences between the two groups in birth weight, sex, gestational age and duration of hospitalization, age at jaundice remission, hematocrit value and maternal factors [age, gestational order, pregnancy and labor problems][P>0.05]. Traditional remedies [camel's thorn, flixweed and sugar water] cause more weight loss and delayed reexamination of newborns leading to increased hyperbilirubinemia. These remedies may raise pseudo confidence in parents, which postpones reexamination and follow up of the newborns