Effect of a Popular Chinese Herb on Neonatal Bilirubin Protein Binding
- 1 January 1990
- journal article
- research article
- Published by S. Karger AG in Neonatology
- Vol. 58 (2) , 98-103
- https://doi.org/10.1159/000243239
Abstract
A study on the effects of a popular Chinese herb commonly given to newborn infants was undertaken. ‘Chuen-Lin’, Coptis chinensus/japonicum, which is consumed by 28–51% of Chinese infants, was found to have a significant effect in displacing bilirubin from its serum protein binding as assessed by the peroxidase oxidation method. Taking this herbal tea may thus increase the risk of brain damage by free bilirubin in jaundiced infants. As neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia is highly prevalent among Southern Chinese, the use of Chuen-Lin in the perinatal period must be strongly discouraged.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Unbound Bilirubin and Kernicterus in Low-Birth-Weight InfantsPediatrics, 1982