Syndrome differentiation and treatment
The basic therapeutic principles of scleredema neonatorum are warming yang and supplementing qi, activating blood circulation to remove blood stasis. According to various clinical symptoms, warming and tonifying the spleen and kidney are applied in the case of yang deficiency, for restoration of yang qi of the spleen and kidney is not subject to invasion of pathogenic cold; dispelling cold and activating the flow of yang qi are used in the case of severe cold; promoting circulation of qi and blood is adopted in the case of blood stasis; clearing away heat, removing toxin and dispelling stagnation are used in the case of stagnation of heat and toxin.

1. Deficiency of yang qi  
Main symptoms and signs: Ice-cold of the body, motionless lying in bed, somnolence, weak breath, cry in a low voice with timidity, raising head for inspiration, inflexible joints, difficulty in sucking, pale complexion, hardness and edema of skin and muscle with the whole body involved, deep red skin, scanty urine or anuria, pale lips and tongue, light red and inapparent superficial venule of index finger.
Therapeutic methods: Supplementing qi, warming yang and regulating qi and blood.

2. Unsmooth blood circulation due to cold accumulation 
Main symptoms and signs: Purple and dark complexion, cold body, and limbs, scleredema occuring only on buttocks, legs, arms, cheeks, etc. of which the skin is not easily pinched up and deep red, cyanotic or swollen like cold injury, in severe cases, oral and nasal bleeding, deep red lips, deep purple superficial venule of index finger.
Therapeutic methods: Warming meridians to expel cold, promoting blood circulation and activating collaterals.

3. Stagnation of heat and toxin 
Main symptoms and signs: Fever, dysphoria, red face, coarse breath, skin scleredema with purplish red, dark and scanty urine, in severe cases, no cry, no eating and motionlessness, nasal bleeding, purplish red lips, pale and sluggish superficial venule of index finger.
Therapeutic methods: Clearing away heat and removing toxin, promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis.