Information about Infant Jaundice

We have to know about Infant Jaundice

• A yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes seen in newborns and infants which commonly lasts for a week to 10 days.

Could be dangerous, if the answer is YES for any one of the following questions

• Colour of the skin is changed to yellow?

Causes of Infant Jaundice

• Infant’s liver isn’t mature enough to metabolize a molecule called bilirubin,
• Other reasons:
• Severe bruising
• An infection in your baby’s blood (sepsis)
• An incompatibility between your blood and your baby’s
• Jaundice that develops in or lasts past the second week of life may be due to:
• A liver malfunction
• A severe infection
• An enzyme deficiency
• An abnormality of your baby’s red blood cells

Do’s and Don’ts of Infant Jaundice

•  Avoid alcohol in pregnancy

Signs & Symptoms of Infant Jaundice

• The first sign of jaundice is a yellowing of a baby’s skin and eyes. The yellowing may begin within 2 to 4 days after birth and may start in the face before spreading down across the body.
• Bilirubin levels typically peak between 3 to 7 days after birth.
• If a finger lightly pressed on a baby’s skin causes that area of skin to become yellow, it’s likely a sign of jaundice

Medical advice for Infant Jaundice

• If your baby’s jaundice lasts longer than two weeks.
• Your newborn’s jaundice is severe — the skin is bright yellow
• Your baby seems listless, sick or difficult to wake
• Your baby isn’t gaining weight
• Your baby develops any other signs or symptoms that concern you

Risk factors of Infant Jaundice

• Boys tend to be at higher risk
• Premature birth.
• Bruising during birth.
• If your blood type is different from your baby’s,

Treatment for Infant Jaundice

• Mild jaundice will usually resolve on its own as a baby’s liver begins to mature. Frequent feedings (between 8 to 12 times a day) will help babies pass bilirubin through their bodies.
• More severe jaundice may require other treatments. Phototherapy is a common and highly effective method of treatment that uses light to break down bilirubin in your baby’s body.
• In phototherapy, your baby will be placed on a special bed under a blue spectrum light while wearing only a diaper and special protective goggles. A fiber-optic blanket may also be placed underneath your baby.
• In very severe cases, an exchange transfusion may be necessary for which a baby receives small amounts of blood from a donor or a blood bank.
• This replaces the baby’s damaged blood with healthy red blood cells. This also increases the baby’s red blood cell count and reduces bilirubin levels

Self-care of Infant Jaundice

• Feeding more frequently will provide your baby with more calories and cause more bowel movements, increasing the amount of bilirubin eliminated in your baby’s stool.

Investigations of Infant Jaundice

• Urinalysis