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Jaundice | Bookmark This Article!
Most jaundice in newborn babies is normal and harmless, and likely to appear as a yellow pigment to their skin that looks similar to a bruise in the later stages of healing. It can also appear as a yellow tinge in the eyes and mucous membranes. It has a more likely chance of showing up in babies born prematurely. In most cases jaundice will disappear in a few days and never reappear or have any consequences for the baby. It generally shows up first in the face and chest, and moves downward toward the toes. The yellow pigment is caused by an over abundance of bilirubin, which is a by-product of old red blood cells. Normally everyone has some bilirubin in their bloodstream, but not enough for it to show on the skin. When your body manufactures too much bilirubin, it is stored in your tissues. This is when it becomes noticeable - think about the healing bruise again. In a normal person, about one percent of our red blood cells are being replaced by new ones every day. The old red blood cells are taken to the liver, processed, and come out in our stool. Babies are more susceptible to jaundice because they have a very high red blood cell count. This increases the amount of bilirubin produced. Jaundice may appear for many reasons such as:
If your baby is diagnosed with a type of jaundice that needs further treatment, here are the basics of what they do. Doctors will generally use what is called phototherapy. Another name for it is a Bililight. A Bililight is a set of fluorescent lights that are set over the baby's bed. Doctors will place a mask over the baby's eyes so that they aren't hurt by the bright lights. The light helps the body get rid of the excess bilirubin that is found just below the skin. It does this by changing the structure of the bilirubin so that the baby's liver is better able to absorb and excrete it. The lights are harmless to a child. They will not get a tan or burn, although they may have increased bowel movements as their bodies struggle to excrete the excess bilirubin. Treatment usually lasts a couple of days, and the doctor will remove him the moment he thinks the danger is past. While most forms of jaundice are harmless, some types of jaundice can be fatal. It is always better to be safe then sorry. If you notice that your baby's eyes or skin is turning yellow, contact your doctor immediately.
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