Neonatal Jaundice – Everything You Need to Know!

Does Your Infant’s Eye Appear Yellowish?

Have you noticed yellowness in your newborn baby’s eyes? Don’t panic. It is a common condition called neonatal jaundice, observed in babies. It is caused due to chemical known as bilirubin. This bilirubin is created when old blood cells are getting replaced. Bilirubin further gets breakdown in the liver and gets eliminated from the body. Due to the high level of bilirubin present in the baby’s skin, it appears yellow, and the condition is called jaundice.

As your baby is just born, their liver is not fully developed. Thus, it takes time to eliminate bilirubin from their body. This causes bilirubin builds up, giving a yellowish appearance to the baby’s skin. Jaundice is not a serious condition and subsides within 2 weeks after birth. However, some babies need phototherapy as severe jaundice can damage the brain if left untreated.

Types Of Jaundice

The following are the different types of jaundice.

1. Physiological Jaundice

The most common type of jaundice in newborns is physiological jaundice. It is often considered a normal condition and developed on the second or third days of the baby’s life. As your baby’s liver gets developed to extract bilirubin, physiological jaundice goes away.

2. Breastfeeding Jaundice

It commonly occurs in breastfed babies when they are one week old. Breastfeeding jaundice is developed when the baby doesn’t get enough breast milk. Conditions like nursing difficulties can affect the quantity of breast milk. Breastfeeding jaundice takes slightly longer to subside.

3. Pathologic Jaundice

The most severe form of jaundice is pathologic jaundice, which happens within a day of birth and results in a quick increase in bilirubin levels in infants. It is typically caused by liver disease or blood incompatibility. Urgent medical attention is required, and blood transfusions may be necessary. Treatment can still allow breastfeeding to continue.

4. Breast Milk Jaundice

Often breast milk contains certain substances that can affect the breakdown of bilirubin by the liver. This situation led to bilirubin build-up, and it may appear after one week of the birth. Breast milk jaundice may take more time to subside than other types of jaundice.

Cause Of Jaundice

Generally, most newborns get affected by physiological jaundice. Jaundice is generally caused due to babies producing a great number of red blood cells at times. When their life span ends, they break down in bilirubin. As babies’ liver is yet to develop, bilirubin build-up happens, and it resulted in jaundice. The following conditions can make your babies more likely vulnerable to jaundice.

• Premature babies.
• Baby is not getting adequate breast milk.
• Baby is having different blood type than the mother.
• Genetic conditions that make red blood cells more fragile.
• Babies born with conditions like cephalohematoma.

Diagnosis Of Jaundice In Babies

The yellowness of skin and whites of eyes is a primary diagnosis of jaundice in babies. Additionally, doctors can suggest a blood test to check bilirubin levels.

Treatment Of Jaundice

The treatment of jaundice is dependent on the cause, the baby’s age, and the level of bilirubin. As mentioned earlier, mild jaundice subsides in one or two weeks after birth. Mothers are suggested to feed more breastmilk to treat breastfeeding jaundice. Similarly, in case of breast milk jaundice, switching to formula milk is recommended. For severe cases of jaundice, the following treatment line is recommended.

1. Phototherapy

Doctors suggest keeping babies with jaundice under the lights wrapped in light clothing. Light helps to eliminate bilirubin by changing its form.

2. Fluids

Dehydration is one such condition that can affect the level of bilirubin. Therefore, breastfeeding frequently is strongly recommended.

3. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg)

In cases, where babies have developed jaundice because their blood type is different from mothers, an intravenous injection of immunoglobulin is administered. IVIg help in blocking antibodies that might attack red blood cells and reduces the chances of blood transfusion.

4. Blood transfusion

In emergency cases, where high bilirubin levels do not decrease even with phototherapy, blood transfusion is recommended.

Neonatal jaundice is a physiological condition characterized by yellowness of the whites of the eyes and skin. Usually, this condition subsides on its own within two weeks of birth. This condition is caused due to high level of bilirubin present in the baby. In severe cases, neonatal jaundice may need further treatment.

Conclusion

Neonatal jaundice is a common condition in newborns that typically resolves without intervention within two weeks. However, understanding the types and causes of jaundice can help parents identify when it's a normal part of development or when it requires medical treatment. Staying informed about this condition ensures parents can provide the best care for their newborns.