Background: Despite the major advances in pediatrics, health outcomes in children continue to be poor especially in developing countries. In this scenario, traditional knowledge like Suvarnaprashana (SP) can be utilised for improving child-health.
Objectives: To conduct a scoping review of currently available evidences on Suvarnaprashana and identify knowledge gaps in the field.
Eligibility criteria: RCTs, non-RCT-parallel group and pre-post interventions on SP.
Sources of evidence: Ten studies retrieved from seven electronic databases were included in the review following the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology and the PRISMA-ScR extension for scoping reviews.
Charting methods: Data was extracted and charted systematically.
Results: The selected studies were heterogenous in study conduct, age group, outcome reporting, etc.
Conclusion: SP was consistently associated with improvement in weight and reduction in illness episodes. However, the effects on immunity, IQ, etc. needs to be tested on larger and specific populations for considering SP as a public health initiative.
Key words: Swarnaprashana; Swarna-bhasma; Child-health; Immunomodulation.
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