Infant jaundice belongs to the category of “fetal yellow” in Chinese medicine. Fetal yellow can be classified into damp-heat obstruction, cold-damp obstruction, qi stagnation and blood stasis, etc., and is treated with traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), with limited efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), and is not used as the main treatment.
Damp-heat obstruction type of fetal yellow is due to the mother’s vegetative dampness, left in the fetus, damp-heat into fire caused by the child will be manifested as yellow skin, yellow sharp as orange and other symptoms, the treatment should be clearing heat, diuresis of dampness, yellowing, can be used in the treatment of Artemisia capillaris soup.
Fetal yellowing caused by cold and dampness obstruction is due to congenital deficiency of the fetus, weakness of spleen yang, internal generation of dampness and turbidity, and dampness is transformed from cold. The child will show symptoms such as yellowish skin, dark color, depressed spirit, and greyish stools, etc. Treatment should be warming up the middle, resolving dampness, and eliminating yellowing, and can be treated with Hezhong Yin Chen Tang.
Fetal jaundice of the qi stagnation and blood stasis type is caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis due to prolonged dampness and heat in the spleen and stomach, and the liver’s lack of detachment and drainage (the liver’s function of detachment and drainage is abnormal). The child will show symptoms such as yellowish skin, dark and dull color, and swollen belly and abdomen, etc. The treatment should be to promote qi circulation, resolve stasis, and eliminate stagnation and accumulation of stagnation, and can be treated with Haifuyuyixu Tang.
If a newborn baby has symptoms of jaundice, do not use medication to bathe privately, it is recommended to treat under the guidance of a professional Chinese medicine practitioner to identify the symptoms.