IS TAR ANJEBIN A PROPHYLACTIC AGENT FOR NEONATAL JAUNDICE?

Taranjebin is a plant resin obtained from camel's thorn, a shrub abundant in desert areas of Iran. It contains saccharose and has been traditionally used by grandmothers to treat neonatal jaundice. This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of taranjebin in reducing bilirubin in physiologic ranges when used prophylactically in normal full-term newborns. ,95 term healthy newborns were given 10,20, or 30% taranjebin starting at4 hours of age for 3 days, while ')0 infants were given placebo. Mean serum bilirubin levels were determined on day S for both study groups, as were daily transcutaneous bilirubin indices. In the 30% taranjebin group, 5 of 29 treated infants developed jaundice (bilirubin I Ii mg per dl) compared to none in the control group (p< 0.05). Taranjebin was thus not found to be effective in preventing hyperbilirubinemia in normal healthy term newborns.