Jaundice is a very common disease in newborn babies. It is usually noticed in few days or weeks of birth.
Jaundice causes yellow discoloration of the skin and eye white. It can either be mild in most cases and a bit serious sometimes.
When a child has mild jaundice, it can easily go away gradually on its own.
It’s believed that a child with jaundice can be exposed to early morning sunlight, in some cases this is quite effective.
CAUSES OF JAUNDICE IN CHILDREN
During pregnancy, the mother’s liver breaks down the baby’s bilirubin.
After birth, the baby’s own liver takes over this task.
Jaundice occurs when the baby’s liver is not able to handle extra bilirubin on its own.
Because a baby’s liver is still immature, jaundice is quite common.
Jaundice in children can also be a symptom of very serious health issue.
SYMPTOMS OF JAUNDICE IN CHILDREN
- Yellowish skin and eyes : if you discover your infant eyes or skin is yellowish, then your baby has jaundice.
- Dark urine ; a healthy infant urine is lightly colored or colorless.
Treating jaundice in children differs, it’s either it goes away on its own or a little exposure to early morning sunlight.
For a more serious case of jaundice, the child goes through phototherapy.
Phototherapy exposes the baby’s skin to a special type of bright blue light.
These “bili lights” are very safe for most babies.
The light causes a chemical reaction in the skin that lets the body remove bilirubin more easily through urine and stool.
Depending on bilirubin levels, phototherapy may take anywhere from a few hours to several days.
The best way to be sure your baby recovers well from jaundice is to follow the advice of your baby’s health care provider.