Jaundice in New Born Babies
July 29, 2008
Jaundice is a common problem in new born babies and is characterized by a yellow coloring of the baby’s skin, particularly in the first week of their birth. It is caused by the build up of a pigment, called bilirubin in the blood. Since the liver of the baby is generally immature, this problem is more common in newborns and it occurs when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborn’s liver can break it down and pass it from the body. Moreover, premature babies are more likely to develop this problem than full-term babies. While this problem is common in newborns, one should not neglect the problem and should get it treated from the doctor to prevent further complications like deafness, cerebral palsy and other forms of brain damage which can occur due to high levels of bilirubin which is not treated on time. In some rare cases, jaundice can also indicate presence of another infection or a thyroid problem.
There are various types of jaundice which can occur in newborns. These include physiological jaundice which occurs in most newborns due to immature liver, breastfeeding jaundice, breast milk jaundice, jaundice of prematurity and others. Jaundice generally appears during the first week of child’s birth and is characterized by the yellowing of the face followed by chest, stomach and finally the legs.
In most case, newborn jaundice is a temporary condition that is treated with an increase in water and with light therapy. In light therapy, the baby is generally treated with special white or blue lights which help in changing bilirubin in the baby’s blood so that it can be easily disposed off in urine. Natural light can also be helpful for the jaundiced baby. However, one needs to be careful and ensure that the sunlight does not damage the baby’s tender and sensitive skin. It is only in rare conditions that babies need blood transfusion to get over the problem of jaundice.
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