Mothers, especially first time ones are usually very protective of their newborns.
While navigating the new world of motherhood, they take on advice and suggestions about the welfare of their babies from people.
These advice, sometimes, can be harmful to their babies.
One of such may be using camphor to keep cockroaches away from a baby’s clothes but a medical doctor, Nonso, on twitter, is warning against that.
In a series of tweets, the doctor explained that keeping camphor around new born babies can cause jaundice and brain damage.
Please read his tweets below and pass this across to any new mom you know.
WARNING!
If you have a newborn baby, avoid camphor around them and even on their clothes
Camphor or naphthalene is linked to jaundice in new babies
Jaundice is yellow coloration of their skin and eyes because of overproduction of bilirubin
It can cause brain damage!
Please RT pic.twitter.com/kS5H6iz5SR— Nonso MD Aproko Doctor™) (@aproko_doctor) August 21, 2019
Our red cells contain hemoglobin, this is what helps carry the oxygen from your lungs to other places
When red blood cells are broken down, this haemoglobin is broken down to bilirubin
When this gets to the liver, they are combined with a compound that makes them less harmful
— Nonso MD Aproko Doctor™) (@aproko_doctor) August 21, 2019
Some babies, mostly male babies may lack an enzyme called G6PD, this deficiency is inherited and common in Africans
It helps protect the red cells from damage and when it’s lacking, the cells break down easily. Exposing them to camphor can rapidly breakdown their blood cells
— Nonso MD Aproko Doctor™) (@aproko_doctor) August 21, 2019
Also, babies have a special kind of red blood cells at birth that have a short life span.
They also have low concentrations of that binding substance in the liver.
Now camphor may increase the breakdown of these red blood cells causing an increase in bilirubin
— Nonso MD Aproko Doctor™) (@aproko_doctor) August 21, 2019
Because this bilirubin is not bound, it enters into the blood stream, this is what colors the eyes and the skin of the baby yellow.
If it gets too high, it may get into the brain of thay baby, this can lead to seizures, drowsiness, poor feeding or sucking, abnormal cries
— Nonso MD Aproko Doctor™) (@aproko_doctor) August 21, 2019
Most people say that putting babies under the sun can help reduce jaundice, but because of the risk of burning them or increasing their temperature to risky levels, it is no longer recommended.
If you suspect your baby has jaundice, see a pediatrician immediately
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— Nonso MD Aproko Doctor™) (@aproko_doctor) August 21, 2019