Neonatal care and
Neonatal care and breastfeeding in medieval Persian literature:
Hakim Esmail Jorjani (1042-1137AD) and the Treasure of King Khwarazm: A Review
Mohammad Yazdchi 1, Seyed Fazel Hosseini 2, Kamyar Ghabili 3, Samad EJ Golzari 4, Leila Valizadeh 5, Vahid Zamanzadeh 5, Bahareh Akbarzadeh 5, Amir Mohammad Bazzazi 6, Haleh Mikaeili 7
1. Neuroscience Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2. Medical Philosophy and History Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
4. Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5. Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
6. Department of Neurosurgery, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
7. Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract: Exploring the realm of sciences and challenging the ideas, traditional medicine has always been a medium for developing medical purposes, relieving illnesses and improving quality of life. Hakim Jorjani (1042-1137 AD) compiled his comprehensive 750,000-word textbook of medicine, Zakhireyei Khwarazmshahi (The Treasure of Khwarazm Shah) which is considered as the oldest medical encyclopedia written in Persian. Written in circa 1112 AD, the Treasure has been ranked along with Avicenna’s the Canon of Medicine and Haly Abbas’s the Liber Regalis. Six chapters of the Treasure (third book) include notes on neonatal care and breastfeeding. The present article is a review of the Jorjani’s teachings on the neonatal care, breastfeeding, weaning and teething along with comparisons between the Treasure and modern medicine in this regard.
[Yazdchi M, Hosseini SF, Ghabili K, Golzari SE, Valizadeh L, Zamanzadeh V, Akbarzadeh B, Bazzazi AM, Mikaeili H. Neonatal care and breastfeeding in medieval Persian literature: Hakim Esmail Jorjani (1042-1137AD) and the Treasure of King Khwarazm: A Review. Life Sci J 2013;10(1):115-120] (ISSN:1097-8135).http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 17
Keywords: Jorjani; the Treasure of King Khwarazm; neonatal care; breastfeeding
