How to "Fingerprint" Baby's Health
Examining "fingerprints" is one of the methods ancient physicians used to diagnose illnesses in infants. It is generally used for children under the age of three to determine the presence of hot or cold symptoms.
Examining "fingerprints" is one of the methods ancient physicians used to diagnose illnesses in infants. It is generally used for children under the age of three to determine the presence of hot or cold symptoms. This is because the skin of children under the age of three is delicate and their fingerprints are clear and easy to observe. In children over the age of three or adults, fingerprints are hidden beneath the skin or may have disappeared, making them difficult to observe. Therefore, "fingerprints" are no longer used to diagnose illnesses, and pulse diagnosis is used instead.
"Fingerprint" refers to the veins on the palm side of the index finger of a child. The normal fingerprint of a child should be a mix of red and yellow, faintly visible beneath the skin. If the child is ill, the color, location, and depth of the fingerprint will change accordingly.
If the illness is superficial, the child's fingerprint will be shallow and visible on the surface of the skin, such as at the early stage of a cold. If the illness is internal, the child's fingerprint will be deep and hidden beneath the skin, such as in the case of food stagnation. If the illness is related to cold symptoms, the fingerprint will appear red, such as in the case of catching a cold from the wind, and the fingerprint will be bright red and shallow. If the fingerprint is pale red and deep, it indicates a weak spleen and stomach. If the illness is related to hot symptoms, the fingerprint will appear purple, such as in the case of catching a cold from heat, and the fingerprint will be purple and shallow. If the fingerprint is dark purple and deep within the skin, it indicates that the illness is severe and the blood vessels are blocked. A faint fingerprint that disappears upon touching and reappears later indicates a deficiency syndrome. A pale red fingerprint indicates insufficient Qi and blood, indicating a weak body. A pale purple fingerprint indicates a weak body with hidden heat, indicating the presence of deficient heat. If the fingerprint does not move or change color when touched, it often indicates a syndrome of excess or the lingering presence of pathogenic factors in the body, such as phlegm dampness, food stagnation, or pathogenic heat accumulation.
In clinical practice, by examining the fingerprints of infants with external and spleen-stomach diseases, diseases can be accurately determined or diagnosed with a high degree of accuracy. For example, whether the child has malnutrition or whether the illness is hot or cold. However, examining fingerprints to determine or diagnose illnesses is only one of the diagnostic methods in traditional Chinese medicine. In clinical practice, it is still necessary to combine the four diagnostic methods to make an accurate diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment.
