All you need to know about Neonatal Jaundice

Introduction

Infant or neonatal jaundice happens when the eyes and skin of a newborn turn yellow. The discolouration happens because of excess bilirubin in the newborn's blood. Bilirubin is a red blood cell's yellow pigment. Neonatal jaundice is common among children born before 38 weeks and breastfeeding babies. It mainly occurs when a newborn's liver cannot get rid of the bilirubin in its bloodstream. There might be an underlying condition that causes neonatal jaundice in some cases. No treatment is generally required for babies born between 35 weeks and full-term. A massively high bilirubin level can cause brain damage.

Symptoms of Neonatal Jaundice

Symptoms of neonatal jaundice (yellowing of the white part of the eyes and skin) show between the 2nd and the 4th day after the newborn takes birth. If your baby's skin appears yellow upon gently pressing it, it might mean your child has mild neonatal jaundice. If there is no jaundice, the skin should only appear slightly lighter than the normal colour for a few seconds. Examine it under natural light for the best results. 

When to see a doctor

Most hospitals examine babies before discharge as a policy to check whether they have neonatal jaundice. Doctors must check your baby for neonatal jaundice between the 3rd and 7th day after your newborn's birth. It is the time when the bilirubin levels are at their peak. The following are the symptoms of neonatal jaundice:

• Your baby cries in high-pitch
• Your baby is feeding poorly or not gaining weight
• It is difficult to wake your baby 
• Your baby looks sick or listless
• The white part of your baby's eyes turns yellow
• The skin of your newborn's legs, arms, or abdomen turns yellow

Causes of Neonatal Jaundice

The main cause of neonatal jaundice is excess bilirubin. Bilirubin causes yellow and is normally released upon the breakdown of used red blood cells. Newborn babies produce a lot more bilirubin than adults due to faster breakdown and greater production of red blood cells during the initial days of life. The liver normally releases it after filtering it from the newborn's bloodstream into its intestinal tract. When an immature liver cannot remove it quickly, it causes an excess of it. It is also called physiologic jaundice.

Other Causes

An underlying disorder can also cause neonatal jaundice. It appears much later or earlier than the most common neonatal jaundice. Conditions and diseases that might be the cause are:

• Liver malfunction
• Incompatibility in the mother's and baby's blood
• Bacterial or viral infections
• Infection in the baby's blood
• Internal bleeding
• Enzyme deficiency
• Biliary Artesia

Prevention

Adequate feeding is the best preventive measure for neonatal jaundice. Infants that breastfeed must get 8-12 feedings daily for many days of their initial lives. Babies who feed on formula must have 30-60 millilitres or 1 to 2 ounces of formula every 2 to 3 hours for the first week of their lives.

Request an appointment at Apollo Cradle, DELHI-NCR - Chirag Enclave. Call 1860-500-4424 to book an appointment.