Newborn Jaundice Causes and Treatments
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When my son was a newborn he developed newborn jaundice. This is a very common condition in newborns. If your newborn develops this condition you will first notice a yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes. Though alarming it does not mean that your baby has a disease of the liver. Instead it means that your baby's liver is not yet efficient in filtering excess bilirubin in his blood. Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells which is naturally filtered through the liver. Newborn jaundice occurs when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborn's liver can break it down and pass it from the body.
Causes of Newborn Jaundice
1)Newborns make more bilirubin than adults do since they have more turnover of red blood cells.2)A newborn baby's still-developing liver may not yet be able to remove adequate bilirubin from the blood. 3)Too large an amount of bilirubin is reabsorbed from the intestines before the baby gets rid of it in the stool. Though newborn jaundice is a common condition it is a condition and must be treated or it can life altering implications. High levels of bilirubin — usually above 25 mg — can cause deafness, cerebral palsy, or other forms of brain damage in some babies. In less common cases, jaundice may indicate the presence of another condition, such as an infection or a thyroid problem. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all infants should be examined for jaundice within a few days of birth.
Most Common Types of Jaundice
Physiological (normal) jaundice: occurring in most newborns, this mild jaundice is due to the immaturity of the baby's liver, which leads to a slow processing of bilirubin. It generally appears at 2 to 4 days of age and disappears by 1 to 2 weeks of age.Jaundice of prematurity: occurs frequently in premature babies since they are even less ready to excrete bilirubin effectively. Jaundice in premature babies needs to be treated at a lower bilirubin level than in full term babies in order to avoid complications. Breastfeeding jaundice: jaundice can occur when a breastfeeding baby is not getting enough breast milk because of difficulty with breastfeeding or because the mother's milk isn’t in yet. This is not caused by a problem with the breast milk itself, but by the baby not getting enough milk to flush the body of excess bilirubin.
Newborn Jaundice Common Treatment
If your baby is diagnosed with jaundice there are a few things you are going to do to help treat your newborn. These treatment techniques are simple and work but you must do all of them in order to avoid a worsening condition.1)Make sure your baby is getting enough fluid. If you are nursing you may need to pump and put it in a bottle for a few days to be sure your newborn is getting enough. 2)Place your baby in the sun for 10 minutes twice a day. I found that a nice sunny spot in my climate air conditioned home met this need nicely. Sunlight helps stimulate the breakdown of bilirubin. 3)The last thing you will be asked to do is to get your newborn's blood bilirubin level taken for a few days after being released from the hospital. This is normally done by a small heel prick. Now if for some reason your newborn is not responding to these common treatments you may be given a blue light to use. This is called phototherapy. The light simulates sunlight but is used during sleep for longer periods of time. If your newborn continues to have symptoms of newborn jaundice your pediatrician may recommend that your baby be placed in the hospital for observation and treatment.
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