All About Newborn Jaundice In Infants
In the newborn jaundice is a health condition that can occur in newborns during the first Lebenstagen- or weeks.
Newborn jaundice: origin and disease features
The newborn jaundice is characterized by a yellowish color of the baby’s skin, which usually begins on the face and to the feet enough in the most critical cases.
Behind the yellowish color is bilirubin: a yellow substance that is formed in the body when red blood cells are broken down. There this substance is broken down by the liver until it leaves the body through the stool.
In the uterus and protected in the amniotic sac, the placenta is responsible for removing the pigment from the baby’s body and transporting it to the mother’s liver for processing.
At birth, the newborn’s liver should take over this task. But if it doesn’t do this efficiently, the bilirubin will build up in the body.
The outer layer of the eyeball (sclera) turns yellow, as does the child’s skin.
Jaundice can also occur if the newborn has a condition that causes an increase in the number of “old” red blood cells to be replaced.
Some of the most common conditions of this type are:
- Blood group incompatibility (rhesus incompatibility) between mother and child
- Bowel disease
- Infections
Types of newborn jaundice
Jaundice is very common in infants after they are born. Almost all babies suffer from this condition for the first few days of life.
This is a temporary and harmless condition that usually goes away on its own as the baby’s liver “learns” to excrete bilirubin through stool.
However, there is another type of jaundice called “breast milk jaundice “ that also occurs during the first few days and weeks of life.
Here it happens that a substance present in breast milk interferes with the breakdown and excretion of bilirubin.
However, like the previous one, this type of jaundice is not serious for the baby and usually disappears after a few days.
Complications that may arise
Although newborn jaundice is a condition that is usually not very worrying and often goes away on its own, the condition can sometimes worsen and then needs immediate treatment.
Possible reasons for deterioration are:
- Diseases that affect the liver
- Trauma during childbirth
- Infections
Treatment focuses on light therapy. The child is exposed to ultraviolet light in the incubator with his eyes closed.
In addition, babies with severe jaundice are given fluids intravenously. In some critical cases, a blood transfusion is even performed.
If there is severe jaundice, the baby looks tired and is not eating well. This hinders his interaction with the environment and his weight gain.
Although they are rare, there are complications that can affect the brain.
For example:
- Bilirubin encephalopathy
- Infantile cerebral palsy
- deafness
Overcoming jaundice thanks to breast milk
Newborn jaundice often goes away a few days after it occurs. This is an indication that the baby’s body can now regulate the level of bilirubin in the blood on its own.
A rich and extensive diet enables the child to pass stool – and with it bilirubin – several times a day.
Monitor your child’s skin for changes and see a pediatrician if you suspect they have jaundice.
But most of all, you should give him enough breast milk. So it may be able to overcome the disease on its own.
