- General Drug Summary
- Description
- Menthol is a covalent organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring in nature is (-)-menthol, which is assigned the (1R,2S,5R) configuration. Menthol has local anesthetic and counterirritant qualities, and it is widely used to relieve minor throat irritation.
- Also Known As
- (-)-menthol; (r)-(-)-menthol; L-(-)-menthol; L-menthol; Levomenthol
- Structure
- Summary In Neonatal Jaundice
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1 record(s) for Menthol NA in Neonatal Jaundice.
- PMID
- Drug Name
- Efficacy
- Evidence
- Summary
- use of such products may be contributiing to the severity of Neonatal jaundice.
- The risk of jaundice in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient babies exposed to menthol. Acta paediatrica Scandinavica, 1980 May [Go to PubMed]
- A major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in Lagos, Nigeria, is severe neonatal jaundice seen in G-6-PD deficient babies. The observation that the jaundice is more severe in outpatient than in inpatient babies suggests that its cause is exogenous."
Mentholate"
powder which is commonly used in many clinics and at home to dress umbilical cords was suspected to be the offending agent. A controlled study of the effects of one of these powders was carried out on 60 consecutive G-6-PD deficient babies. In 30 of them the umbilical cords were dressed daily with the powder while the remaining half who were untreated served as controls. The treated babies developed statistically more significant jaundice than the controls. Inability of neonates to conjugate menthol in this power is probably responsible for the jaundice developed by these G-6-PD deficient babies. It is concluded that the use of menthol and/or camphor-containing commerical products on neonates be discontinued, especially in communities where the incidence of G-6-PD deficiency is high as the use of such products may be contributiing to the severity of neonatal jaundice.