Neonatal Jaundice In Your Newborn Baby - Symptoms, Causes & Remedies

Jaundice is most commonly seen as yellowish discoloration of skin, sclera of eyes- reason being accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin. Bilirubin is a substance produced by body when old red blood cells break while been replaced by new RBC’s. This bilirubin is later secreted in stools of new-born. The liver usually removes bilirubin from body.

Causes Of Neonatal Jaundice -

Jaundice in new-born is very common because their livers aren’t mature enough to remove bilirubin from body.

1. Physiologic jaundice-

   It is the most common type, and occurs with destruction of red blood cells in first few days. It leads to more production of bilirubin which the immature liver of a new born isn’t able to handle causing accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin in body. It leads to yellowing of white eye and skin as well, progressing from head-to-toe. It is mostly harmless and resolves on its own within 2 weeks as liver matures gradually

2. Pathological jaundice-

   It occurs due to various conditions like below-
   • Rh-incompatibility of mother’s and foetus blood leads to production of antibodies by maternal blood against foetus blood causing destruction of RBC’s and leading to increased bilirubin-jaundice
   • A skull injury to skull causing accumulation of blood clot under skull (cephalohaematoma). this blood clot is when broken by body ,it causes too much release of bilirubin at once which could be too much for neonate’s liver to handle
   • A mother with diabetes increases chance of foetus having jaundice
   • Sometimes baby swallows blood during birth .which is broken by baby’s intestine and absorbed by bloodstream leading to an usurge in levels of bilirubin

Also Read: Constipation In Infants & Toddlers - Prevention Tips

Symptoms Of Jaundice

The most common symptom is yellowing of sclera and skin progressing from head-to-toe.

Some associated symptoms may include-

• Fever
• Poor feeding
• Lethargic
• Excessive sleepy
• Loss of muscle tone

Complications Of Jaundice -

Excessive bilirubin levels are neurotoxic and can lead to brain damage causing disease called as kernicterus

Also Read: How To Cure Mouth Ulcer In Infants

Treatment Of Jaundice -

It is advised to expose new born to sunlight near a window twice a day for 10minutes each because along with jaundice it also helps with supplementing Vit-D.

Before discharge its beneficial to seek help from the nurse in learning the correct way as how to expose to sunlight.

If bilirubin levels are high or there’s some associated pathology as well than you might to get your baby admitted or receive phototherapy at a private clinic or at hospital. Phototherapy helps in converting bilirubin to lumirubin which is easier for new-born’s body to handle.

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