The effect of herbal medicine on neonatal jaundice: a systematic review

Background: Herbal remedies have been implicated as adjunctive therapies in the treatment of neonatal jaundice over the years. The aim of this review was to investigate the therapeutic effects of herbal medicines on neonatal jaundice. Methods: In this systematic review, a search process was performed in online databases of Scopus, Medline, Web of Science and Cochrane Library based on PRISMA guidelines. Components for searching were “neonatal jaundice” and “herbal medicine”. Relevant articles in English published between January 1900 and October 2020 were extracted. The quality of the articles was assessed by the CONSORT checklist. Results: Finally, according to the inclusion criteria, 9 studies with a total of 1323 neonates were selected. The herbal remedies used by the researchers for treatment of neonatal jaundice included Bilineaster drop, alhagi pseudoalhagi, and zizyphus jujuba were used in 8 of the 9 studies. In 5 of these 8 studies the Bilineaster (Purgative manna extract) had significantly reduced serum bilirubin levels of the infants. Conclusion: Based on the results, the herbal remedies (especially bilineaster) are probability effective as adjuvant therapies along with standard therapies in the treatment of neonatal jaundice. These can reduce the bilirubin level – hospitalization days and re-hospitalization.