Caring for Newborn's Umbilical Cord from Iranian Traditional Medicine Point of View.

BACKGROUND: It is evident that infant's umbilical cord is essential for its survival and growth. In the past, it was not considered as a necessary tissue. However, nowadays, it has attracted lots of attention and its relation to different diseases has been demonstrated. In Iranian traditional medicine, caring for newborn's umbilical cord has been frequently recommended and it has been associated with different diseases.

METHODS: Herein, Iranian traditional medicine resources such as "Qanun-fil-Tibb", "Exir-e-Azam", and "Tib-e-Akbari" were studied. In addition, recent developments in classical medicine were reviewed using search engines including Google Scholar, PubMed, SID, and IranMedex.

RESULTS: It has been revealed that there is a direct relation between early cord clamping and oxidative stress, anemia, and low cardiac output. In Iranian traditional medicine, it is believed that the umbilical cord length, which should be cut off, is important. A short cord may lead to bladder contraction and frequent urination. Furthermore, if the umbilical cord is not squeezed efficiently, its content may enter the bladder, testis, and stomach leading to various diseases.

CONCLUSION: It seems that the remarks by the Iranian traditional medicine on caring for newborn's umbilical cord can be useful for the prevention of different diseases.