Herbal Appetizer for Children with Failure to Thrive (FTT) in View of Traditional Persian Medicine: A Review

Back ground: Failure to thrive (FTT) is a condition of poor weight gain in early childhood. Low appetite which is associated with FTT interacts with increasing caloric intake as the main treatment for FTT. Phytochemicals in herbal remedies could alter appetite more than the expected effects of other nutrients. This review aimed to assess the effective and safe herbal appetizer for children with FTT according to Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM).
By searching through main pharmaceutical books of Persian medicine during 8th –18th centuries (A.D.), the herbal remedies as appetizer were determined. We searched Phytochemical and pharmacological activities of these herbs in PubMed, Scopus, ISI and Google scholar databases, since 1950 to15 december2016.
Findings: Overall, 42 herbs were found. Among these herbs, only 11 herbs were prescriptible for children. Improving of feed intake, growth performance, weight gain and gastro- esophageal protection were the most reported activities.
Natural remedies Prepared from these herbs may be useful for enhancing appetite especially for FTT in children. Additional well-designed studies are needed to investigate the safety and efficacy of them.