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Management of Neonatal Jaundice
Jaundice is really a yellow discoloration of your skin, the mucous membrane and also the white from the eyes. All newborns possess a certain amount of this problem. Jaundice is due to excessive serum bilirubin within the blood. Once he's born, a baby baby begins to use his lungs to breathe. Excessive red blood cells, present in vast amounts in the foetal circulation that carry oxygen break up, releasing sub-products referred to as serum bilirubin,
which is usually disposed off through the liver and passes out through the bowels. Some babies are unable to handle such disposal, leading to jaundice. Premature and Asian infants have higher levels of serum bilirubin compared to 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 is harmless unless the amount are high.
SOME CAUSES OF JAUNDICE IN BABIES Jaundice in babies 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 up too easily when exposed to certain trigger agents.
? Sepsis infection where 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 infants
? Physiologic jaundice
? Breastfeeding jaundice
? Breast milk jaundice - Both viral and microbe infections can lead to the breakdown of red blood cells. Umbilical cord infection, septicaemia and even pyelonephritis may also result in jaundice.
Management of JAUNDICE
Phototherapy is really a safe and effective method of treating mild jaundice. Laser hair removal 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 therapy is that the light is able to break serum bilirubin [unconjugated bilirubin) down to conjugated bilirubin after which flush it out using the baby's stools. The treatment is painless.
Your child is left naked except for a diaper in order to maximize the section of contact with the blue light. His eyes are covered for protection. During
phototherapy, your baby may be a little dehydrated so extra feeds may be required.
If your doctor has advised sunbathing for the jaundiced baby, expose him to indirect sunlight for not more than 20 minutes as baby skin is extremely tender and sunburn can happen effortlessly. Expose your baby simply to the morning sun (and indirectly) if you find less heat.
Make sure to shield his eyes from the sun during sunbathing and turn him every five minutes. You may give your baby water in between 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 inside 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 of the eyes-but accompanied by nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and sometimes passing of dark-coloured urine and poor feeding due to severe lethargy,
bring your baby to some doctor immediately.
Early treatment is essential and could save his life. Never attempt self-medication. In such instances, phototherapy alone is usually ineffective along with a blood exchange
transfusion are usually necesary when the levels are extremely high.
G6PD DEFICIENCY
G6PD deficiency is among the causes of jaundice. It is the result of a genetic linkage where the mother is a carrier and also the condition is manifested in her own son. Approximately 50% of her offspring is affected if the mother is G6PD deficient. If your little one is G6PD deficient, you should remember that while the condition can last for life, he can still lead an ordinary healthy lifestyle with the following precautions.
? Don't use mothballs on his clothes and beddings as they can trigger a rapid breakdown of his red blood cells.
? Avoid giving him certain traditional Chinese herbs and fava beans (bian dou) as they can also trigger a rapid introduction to his red blood cells.
? Don't attempt self-medication.
? Avoid certain medications if you're breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor to find out the kinds of medicines you
should avoid.
ABO INCOMPATIBILITY
This problem refers back to the mother and also the baby's incompatible blood groups. If the mother is Blood Group 0 and the baby is really a, B or AB, an issue from the mother's blood can cross over the placenta and cause wearing down of the baby's blood cells. This also pertains to Rhesus incompatibility where the mother is Rhesus negative and also the baby is Rhesus Positive. In such instances, the red blood cells break down rapidly, leading to jaundice. This normally appears within Twenty four hours but isn't severe. In very severe cases, blood exchange transfusions are needed.
