A holistic perspective on pediatric healthcare: Insights from unani medicine

Children are the foundation of society and healthy children ensure a healthy society. For a child to achieve their full potential, it is essential to ensure their physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. Ancient Unani Scholars recognized the importance of Sinn-i-Numū (childhood) which is the stage of growth and development and explored multifaceted aspects of child health care, focusing on prevention of disease and early intervention. This review underscores the holistic approach of the Unani System of Medicine with an emphasis on the balance of the four Akhlāṭ (humor), environmental factors, diet and body movement according to the physiological and developmental needs of the baby. It explores various procedures like Tamlı̄ḥ (salting), Tadhı̄n (oil massage) Taqmeet (swaddling), etc., and their positive effect on the growth and development of children. Ancient Unani scholars elaborated on common ailments of children and emphasized the use of common herbal medicine for treatment. This review aims to offer a comprehensive insight into child healthcare within the Unani system of medicine, highlighting its potential benefits by combining historical perspectives with contemporary research.