You may have heard other parents say that their baby was jaundiced or that they needed to ‘go into heat’ shortly before or shortly after coming home from the hospital. Neonatal jaundice is a newborn condition, and heat treatment is one treatment for it. About 50-60 percent of healthy newborns will have some degree of jaundice, but most do not require treatment.
So what is neonatal jaundice?
This condition occurs in newborns when they have high levels of a substance called bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that results from the breakdown of red blood cells. High bilirubin causes the whites of the eyes and skin to be yellow-ish in color.
Babies develop jaundice when their liver does not remove enough bilirubin from the blood. As the liver grows, it often goes away on its own.
How serious is baby jaundice?
Most cases of infant jaundice do not require any treatment.
Rarely, some babies have jaundice caused by a serious infection.
In rare cases, if the bilirubin level is too high, it can lead to a brain tumor. That’s why we look at it carefully. It’s one of the many things pediatricians check during your well-baby visit right after your baby is born. (Don’t skip those visits!)
If you are preparing to welcome a baby into your family, here are five things you should know about jaundice in newborns.
1. Know your risk.
Certain factors make it likely that your baby may develop jaundice. These include:
- Your baby was born prematurely.
- Mother and baby have different blood types.
- Your baby has a large scar from a birth injury.
Some breastfed babies may develop jaundice. This often happens in newborns who have difficulty breastfeeding or who are not getting enough nutrition from breastfeeding. Your doctor will work with you on a solution for this.
Despite the occasional concern, experts still recommend breastfeeding because of its many benefits.
2. Know what to look for.
Your baby will be checked for jaundice before you come home from the hospital. But it’s good to watch it at home too. Jaundice usually appears between the second and fourth day after birth.
Check your baby by gently stroking his forehead or nose. If the area you pinched is yellow in color, your baby may have jaundice. It can be difficult to see, especially in babies with dark skin.
Jaundice usually starts on the face. As it gets worse, it moves down the body to the legs. As it gets better, it turns, from the feet up to the face. The first and last place you will see yellow is on your baby’s face.
Pediatricians will check your baby’s entire body for jaundice. Sometimes we will do a blood test to give the best results of your child’s bilirubin level.
3. Know what to do if your baby has jaundice.
The most important things to look out for in jaundice are:
- How much does your child eat?
- How often does your child have wet and dirty towels
- Your baby’s skin color
- Your child’s activity level (it may decrease as bilirubin levels increase)
A newborn baby can get rid of bilirubin through bowel movements (by passing it out). So you want to see your baby feed every 2-3 hours and have several dirty diapers every day.
In infants with high bilirubin levels, light therapy—called phototherapy—may be recommended. Your child will be placed under a special light to help break down the bilirubin. It is important if your child needs heat treatment that it is done under a doctor’s order. Do not try phototherapy at home by exposing your child to direct sunlight as that can lead to tanning.
In most cases, jaundice gradually disappears within two weeks as your baby’s liver begins to function properly.
When you return for your baby’s newborn visit, your doctor will continue to monitor your baby to make sure the bilirubin level is stable.
4. Know the difference between breastfeeding jaundice and breastfeeding jaundice.
breastfeeding jaundice refers to jaundice that develops when a baby is not properly fed.
Jaundice of the breast it is caused when substances in the milk stop bilirubin from breaking down. It is rare, occurring only in 1-2% of newborns. This type of jaundice can last for four weeks or more.
With both types of jaundice, mothers generally do not need to stop breastfeeding.
5. Know when to call your doctor.
If you are concerned about how your baby is doing or feeding, call your doctor. You will need to name both your child:
- Not eating well
- It looks more “purple” than before
- Don’t make them usually
- It was hard to wake up
It’s easy to check for jaundice in the office, and it can go a long way in providing peace of mind for a worried parent.
