Jaundice is among the most common condition that affecting newborns within the the first few days of their birth. The problem occurs due to high levels of bilirubin, in the baby. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment found in their blood. It is generally produced during the breakdown of red blood cells, but in case of newborn kids, the liver is not developed enough and has low capability to remove it efficiently which lead to the problem of jaundice. In most cases, the disease is harmless, however, it’s necessary for parents to know about all the symptoms of jaundice in newborns well in advance so they can take important measures to take if their baby if they undergoe the condition.

What is Jaundice in Newborns?

Before jumping on to the symptoms of jaundice in newborns, it’s imporant that parents must have an idea about jaundice in newborns and how it can affect them. It usually starts reflecting within the first two to four days after birth of the child, affecting up to 80% of preterm babies and 60% of term infants. The yellowing starts with the face spreading all over to the chest, and abdomen area and then moves towards the legs, covering the entire body in the color. The reason for occurance of Jaundice in newborns is due to the higher turnover of red blood cells and an less productive liver that is unable to process bilirubin in the right way. In many of the cases, the problems is resolved on its own, but is important to keep a check on the baby so as to avoid probable complications.

How To Spot Symptoms of Jaundice in Newborns?

Yellowing of the eyes and the skin is the most prominent symptoms of jaundice in newborns. The discoloration of the skin is more visible in babies who have light skin tones. In case of babies with dark skin tones, parents must check the whites in hums as well as the eyes.

Some important symptoms of jaundice in newborns are:

1. Yellowing of the Eyes: If the baby has caught Jaundice, a yellow hue becomes visible in the white are of the eyes (sclera).
2. Yellowing of the Skin: The yellowing begins with the skin of the face moving down towards the chest, abdomen, and then covers the legs.
3. Poor Feeding: Not having enough feed or having difficulties while feeding (breastfeeding or bottle-feeding) is common in baby with jaundice which can make the condition worse.
4. Lethargy: Babies caught up with jaundice are mostly low on energy and are more often tired than usual. They might not get up on usual intervals for feedings too, which ideally they must.
5. Dark Urine: Urine of a newborn is typically pale in color but a common sign of jaundice is darker urine.
6. Pale Stool: A baby with jaundice might have lighter colored stool than usual.

It is essential for the new parents to keep a watch on their baby closely and consult with a pediatrician in case they notice any of these symptoms of jaundice in newborns.

What are the Causes of Jaundice in Newborns?

If you are willing to know more about jaundice in newborns, it’s going to make more sense to be aware about the key causes behind the disease. Newborn kids who have more count of red blood cells, and a less mature liver than adults, cannot process bilirubin in a proper way resulting in Jaundince. The problem leads to building up of the pigments in the baby’s blood, which results in the yellowing of the eyes and skin.

Some of the most common causes about jaundice in newborns are:

• Physiological Jaundice: One of the most common form of Jaundice is this one as it occurs due to the baby’s immature liver. In most cases, this one gets resolved within the first two weeks of the birth itself.
• Breast Milk Jaundice: This one occurs after the first week of the birth and is caused because of certain substances found in the breast milk that eliminate the bilirubin slowly.
• Breastfeeding Jaundice: This type of Jaundice occurs when the newborn baby isn’t getting enough breast milk or isn’t feeding well leading to the problem of dehydration that rises the levels of bilirubin.
• Hemolytic Jaundice: Some newborn babies have problems like ABO incompatibility, or Rh incompatibility in which the baby’s blood types mismatches their mother’s blood types which causes faster breakdown of the red blood cells.
• Premature Birth: In case of premature babies, chances of developing jaundice are more in comparison to full-term infants due to their less mature livers.

When Should Parents Be Concerned About Jaundince in Newborns?

Although jaundice is a very common problem in most babies, yet the parents must know about jaundice in newborns well in advance so they can notice the causes of concern right when they start affecting. If you notice extreme yellowing of skin especially in the arms and legs, it is indicative that the child has some levels of jaundice and require attention. However, if you find the newborn baby very low on energy, not having enough feeding, or has pale stools and dark urine, these are symptoms of more serious level of Jaundice that needs immediate medical help.

Jaundice is said to be a common disease but do you know what happens if they remain untreated? The increased levels of bilirubin can lead to an even more serious condition known as kernicterus which affects the brain in a way that can cause brain damage. It is essential to know about all the symptoms of jaundice in newborns in order to prevent the complications right when they occur.

What to Do if Your Newborn Has Jaundice?

If you spot any of the above listed symptoms of jaundice in newborns, you must contact your child’s pediatrician immediately. A simple blood test can detect the baby’s bilirubin levels and shall guide your way to the next steps required.

Here’s what parents should do about jaundice in newborns:

1. Keep Your Baby Under Check: In case your newborn child is detected with mild jaundice, the doctor might recommend you to keep an eye on the other severe symptoms while making sure that the baby is feeding well. In many cases, frequent feeding helps the baby to get rid of the bilirubin through stools and urination.
2. Increase Breastfeeding: Feeding the newborn usually 8-12 times per day, which is more than usual, is supportive in reducing the bilirubin levels. If you are not developing enough milk needed for breastfeeding, you might be required to use a supplement with formula so that your baby stays hydrated and can easily flush out bilirubin from their body.
3. Phototherapy: Phototherapy is a common treatment given in case of moderate to severe levels of jaundice. The newborn baby is placed below the special blue lights which is directed to break down the bilirubin in their skin. The treatment is considered safe and comes with very minimal side effects.
4. Bilirubin Blanket: In some cases, babies can be given treatement at home using a fiber-optic blanket, which is also known as a bili blanket. The bili blanket releases light which supports in reducing the levels of bilirubin while supporting you to keep the baby wrapped up tight.
5. Exchange Transfusion: In certain rare or severe cases, an exchange transfusion might be required, especially when the phototherapy doesn’t work. In this process, the blood of the baby is replaced with fresh donor blood because the levels of bilirubin are required to lowered quickly.

How to Prevent Jaundice in Newborns?

Preventing jaundice might not be an option at all in some cases, but there are certain measures that the parents can take in order to reduce the overall risk involved. Learning about jaundice in newborns and using effective breastfeeding methods is helpful. The key is to keep your baby hydrated using normal breastfeeding or formula. You need to make sure that your baby is taking a good feed, preventing dehydration and eliminating bilirubin from the body.

In addition to this, mothers with O or Rh-negative blood type should also consult their doctors about further monitoring because the babies with these factors are prone to higher risks of getting caught by jaundice.

Knowning about the the symptoms of jaundice in newborns is highly important for the new parents. Despite being common and mostly harmless, unaddressed jaundice can cause serious evels of complications. So you need to be informed about jaundice in newborns, so you can keep your baby’s symptoms under check, and can seek instant medical support if required, afterall you need ensure that your baby gets the best care. It is recommended that you should consult your pediatrician in case you notice any signs of jaundice in your baby before they worsen. With your early intervention, you can save your child from servere issues ensuring they recover sooner.

Becoming parents is a huge responsibility which you can handle with just being a little bit more careful and staying updated in advance. This will save you a lot of trouble your child might have to face in future. So read all you want and just be ready to do what needs to be done.