What is infant jaundice?
Infant jaundice is a condition where yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes usually appear between the second and fourth day after birth. Jaundice is a common condition in infants. It is affecting over 50 % of all newborns. In the majority of cases, jaundice disappears within 2 to 3 weeks. But jaundice, when persists longer than 3 weeks, may be an underlying condition.
Cause
At the time of birth, the newborn’s body contains a high quantity of bilirubin a yellow pigment produced during the pregnancy period with a normal breakdown of red blood cells. At that time the liver removes bilirubin from the blood and passes it to the bowels so that it can leave the body. But after birth newborn baby's liver does not remove bilirubin as fast as it requires. Jaundice causes when bilirubin builds up faster than the liver can break it down and pass it from the body.
A baby is more likely to get jaundice under these conditions:
· If the baby is premature, their body is less ready to remove bilirubin.
· If the baby isn't getting enough breast milk because a mother's milk isn't in yet or the baby is having trouble breastfeeding. Breast milk stops the liver from quickly removing bilirubin and it levels slowly over 3–12 weeks.
· If the baby has a different blood type from the mother. The mother's antibodies attack the baby's red blood cells.
· If the baby has a genetic problem that makes red blood cells more fragile like hereditary spherocytosis and G6PD deficiency.
· If the baby is born with high red blood cell numbers (polycythemia) or a large bruise on the head (cephalohematoma).
Symptoms
The first symptom of newborn jaundice is the yellowing of a baby’s skin and eyes. The yellowish sking starts on the face, then the chest and stomach, and then the legs. The white part of the eyes also looks yellow. The other symptoms may be sleepy, fussy, floppy, or have trouble feeding.
Treatment
Nowadays doctors or pediatricians check the newborn for jaundice and gave the right treatment before discharge from the hospital. The Child Specialist in Noida suggests that if your baby with jaundice stays for longer than 2 weeks needs emergency treatment and more testing to check for other things that cause jaundice including infections, and problems with the liver or bile system, metabolism, or genes.
If your baby has jaundice that isn't going away then visit your nearby Child Specialist Doctor or you can contact the Best Pediatrician in Noida Dr. Vipin Jain.
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