Effect of Barely flour on jaundice in full-term neonates

Background: Hyperbilirubinemia is a common problem in neonates that affects approximately 60% of term neonates and 80% of pre-term neonates in the first week of life. Newborns, due to prematurity of the liver and digestive tract, could not eliminate bilirubin quickly. This phenomenon leads to hyperbilirubinemia and jaundice during the first days of the birth. Because indirect bilirubin is toxic for central nervous system and is not soluble in water, elimination of it is difficult. Severe hyperbilirubinemia causes kernicterus , mental retardation , hearing loss , cerebral palsy , behavioral disorders and death. The most common method of treatment is phototherapy and in severe cases, is exchange transfusion. In Lorestan province, it is believed that putting barely flour on skin of icteric neonates decreases and sometimes treats icterus state. The observed effect is due to cold nature of barely. The aim of this study is to introduce barely flour therapy to medical society, as one of the traditional methods if it is effective, and to inform Lorestan people and warn them about complications of severe jaundice if it is not effective. Materials and methods: A controlled clinical trial in neonatal ward of Madani pediatric hospital of Korramabad affiliated to Lorestan university of medical sciences was done during a period of one year. During this period, all full-term neonates with indirect bilirubin > 16mg/dl were studied. Neonates divided into two groups of cases and controls. In the study group, in addition to phototherapy, filtered and fine barely flour was put on whole skin of neonates, except their face and umbilical area. Control group, only treated with phototherapy. Data were collected by questionnaire and laboratory tests. Findings: Ninety neonates including 45 neonates in case and 45 neonates in control groups were studied. Of these, 62(68.9%) were boys and 28(31.1%) were girls. The duration of hospitalization in 44.4% of study group was 48 hrs and in 33.3% of control group was 96 hrs (4 days). The average of hospitalization period in study group was 2.7 days. (Minimum 1 day and maximum 4 days with SD=1.09) and in control group was 3.7 days (minimum 2 days and maximum 7 days with SD=1.2). Duration of hospitalization of two groups was statistically significant (P=0.001). Conclusions: Our study indicated that phototherapy in conjuction with barely flour therapy is more effective than phototherapy alone. But, people must be informed that affected neonates have to be underwent medical therapy, and barely flour therapy alone is not a reliable treatment.