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Management of Neonatal Jaundice
Jaundice is really a yellow discoloration of your skin, the mucous membrane and also the white of the eyes. All newborns have a certain amount of this problem. Jaundice is a result of excessive serum bilirubin in the blood. Once he is born, a baby baby begins to use his lungs to breathe. Excessive red blood cells, present in large quantities within the foetal circulation that carry oxygen break down, releasing sub-products referred to as serum bilirubin,
which is usually disposed off by the liver and passes out through the bowels. Some babies are unable to handle such disposal, resulting in jaundice. Premature and Asian infants have higher levels of serum bilirubin when compared with their Caucasian counterparts. As such, neonatal jaundice is very common in Singapore.
Neonatal jaundice becomes noticeable in the third day and peaks round the six day, gradually disappearing after Ten days. It's harmless unless the amount are high.
SOME CAUSES OF JAUNDICE IN BABIES Jaundice in infants can be brought on by any of the following.
? Pre-maturity
? G6PD [glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency, a
permanent condition where red blood cells break down too easily when exposed to certain trigger agents.
? Sepsis infection in which the baby becomes infected
? ABO incompatibility, a blood group incompatibility that is fairly infrequent but, if there are any, can cause rapid and severe jaundice in babies
? Physiologic jaundice
? Breastfeeding jaundice
? Breast milk jaundice - Both viral and microbe infections can lead to the introduction to red blood cells. Umbilical cord infection, septicaemia and even pyelonephritis can also result in jaundice.
TREATMENT OF JAUNDICE
Phototherapy is really a effective and safe way of treating mild jaundice. This treatment is run like a special micro-blue wavelength light condensed and
manufactured especially for this purpose. It's emitted from a fluorescent light tube.
The principle behind the treatment is that the light is able to break serum bilirubin [unconjugated bilirubin) right down to conjugated bilirubin after which flush it with the baby's stools. The treatment is painless.
Your child remains naked aside from a diaper in order to maximize the area of contact with nowhere light. His eyes are covered for protection. During
phototherapy, your baby can be a little dehydrated so extra feeds may be needed.
In case your doctor has advised sunbathing for your jaundiced baby, expose him to indirect sunlight because of not more than 20 minutes as baby skin is very tender and sunburn can occur very easily. Expose your child only to the morning sun (and indirectly) if you find less heat.
Make sure to shield his eyes in the sun during sunbathing and turn him every 5 minutes. You may give your baby water among milk feeds as dehydration may occur.
SEVERE JAUNDICE
In severe cases, in which the level is greater than 350 p.mol/1, jaundice may cause brain damage in a baby [kernictems). This can lead to irreparable harm to his psychomotor functions, mental retardation as well as death. If you notice the typical the signs of jaundice-yellow discolouration of the skin, palms and white from the eyes-but accompanied by nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and sometimes passing of dark-coloured urine and poor feeding because of severe lethargy,
bring your baby to some doctor immediately.
Early treatment is essential and may save his life. Never attempt self-medication. In such cases, phototherapy alone is usually ineffective and a blood exchange
transfusion are usually necesary when the levels are too high.
G6PD DEFICIENCY
G6PD deficiency is one of the reasons for jaundice. It's caused by a genetic linkage where the mother is a carrier and the condition is manifested in her son. Approximately 50% of her offspring is affected when the mother is G6PD deficient. If your little one is G6PD deficient, you should keep in mind that while the condition lasts for life, he can still lead an ordinary healthy lifestyle using the following precautions.
? Don't use mothballs on his clothes and beddings as they possibly can trigger a rapid introduction to his red blood cells.
? Avoid giving him certain traditional Chinese herbs and fava beans (bian dou) as they can also trigger an immediate breakdown of his red blood cells.
? Do not attempt self-medication.
? Avoid certain medications if you are breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor to find out the types of medicines you
should avoid.
ABO INCOMPATIBILITY
This condition refers to the mother and the baby's incompatible blood groups. If the mother is Blood Group 0 and the baby is really a, B or AB, an issue in the mother's blood can cross over the placenta and cause breaking down of the baby's blood cells. This also applies to Rhesus incompatibility where the mother is Rhesus negative and also the baby is Rhesus Positive. In such instances, the red blood cells break up rapidly, leading to jaundice. This normally appears within 24 hours but isn't severe. In very severe cases, blood exchange transfusions are essential.
