Dealing with Newborn Jaundice

Jaundice is quite a common occurrence in newborn babies. Generally, jaundice is the name given to the presence of excess bilirubin in the blood stream, which causes the whites of the eyes and the skin to become yellow. The general symptoms of jaundice include yellowing of the skin and the eye whites. This yellow tinge may even spread to the chest, arms and legs as well.

In the normal course of events, when the red blood cells are broken down, bilirubin is produced. This bilirubin then goes to the liver and consequently the intestines and then is expelled in the form of bile from the body. In jaundice, the rate of production of bilirubin in the body exceeds the speed at which the liver metabolizes it and expels it from the body. There are many reasons why this may happen in newborn babies. Some of them are:

• The quantity of production of bilirubin is more in newborns due to a higher number of red blood cells
• The liver is still in a developmental phase and may not be equipped to metabolize bilirubin fast.
• Sometimes, the bilirubin that is sent to the intestines may be reabsorbed before it can be expelled in the stool.
• Sometimes the presence of excess bilirubin can also be a symptom of an underlying problem like thyroid or other kinds of infection.

Whatever the cause of excess bilirubin in the blood, more than 25 mg of bilirubin can lead to a lot of dangerous conditions like brain damage, cerebral palsy, and even deafness. According to the recommendations of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), it's important that all newborns are tested for jaundice.

There are different kinds of jaundice that may occur in newborns. These are:

• Physiological jaundice: This is often called normal or mild jaundice and is seen at 2 to 4 days after birth and is a result of a developing liver that is unable to process bilirubin at the normal pace. This kind of jaundice generally goes away on its own in a couple of weeks after birth.
• Jaundice in premature babies: It's natural that the liver in premature babies is even less developed than the normal babies. In such cases, a treatment of jaundice is required to prevent any kind of problems in the future.
• Jaundice due to breastfeeding: In these cases, jaundice occurs when the mother can't supply enough milk to the baby or when the mother has not yet got milk. This leads to inadequate milk supply for the baby, which causes jaundice.
• Breast milk Jaundice: This can occur in approximately 1% to 2% of the babies who are breastfed when the mother's milk has certain constituents that can cause a rise in the levels of bilirubin, which is not expelled by the intestines as a normal course. This kind of jaundice occurs about three to five days after birth and then starts improving in three to twelve weeks.
• Incompatibility Jaundice: This kind of jaundice occurs when the blood group of the mother is different from that of the baby or there is an Rh factor involved. These causes the mothers body to produce antibodies that destroy the red blood cells of the new born and cause an unprecedented increase in bilirubin levels. These days, this can be prevented by injecting the mother with Rh immune globulin, which prevents the antibodies formation.

Generally, regular feeding of breast milk and light therapy are some of the methods used to treat jaundice in babies. However, if you find the yellow color deepening, a high a fever or the baby sleeping excessively, you need to consult a doctor immediately.

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