A Research on the Erupted Fetal Diseases Caused by Traditional Chinese Drugs — Discussion from the Issue that Chinese Goldthread Rhizome is Prohibited in Singapore

Abstract

Chinese Goldthread Rhizome is prohibited in Singapore since it is thought to induce neonatal jaundice. In literatures of traditional Chinese medicine, this drug was never treated as a contraindicant for pregnancy, and there were no records and reports on it inducing neonatal jaundice. The results of the authors's experiments showed that Chinese Goldthread Rhizome and berberine had no induction of neonatal jaundice in pregnant rats and mice and newly born rats, and had no influence either on the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase of mice red blood cells. Fetal toxicity of traditional Chinese drugs including Chinese Goldthread Rhizome should be further studied in order to promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine.