Jaundice, or jaundice, is common in newborns. Babies with jaundice have yellowish skin and whites of their eyes. This disorder is usually not serious, but babies who have it should be monitored. Symptoms, causes, treatments … Everything you need to know about jaundice in infants.
Jaundice is characterized by yellowing of the skin and / or eyes. It is caused by too much bilirubin in the blood, a yellow substance that is carried by red blood cells to the liver where it is passed and then excreted in the stool. It is common in newborns and most often not serious.
How do I know if my baby has jaundice?
Jaundice in newborns is easy to spot: it manifests itself during the first days of life, i.e. at the end of the 2nd or 3rd day, and causes yellow coloring of the whites of the eyes and skin (first on the face and chest). These symptoms are most severe from the 3rd to 5th day and usually go away on their own after a week of life. In premature babies, jaundice can last for several weeks. The prevalence of this mild disorder (it's not a disease!) Is higher in premature babies, babies with low birth weight, and babies born to mothers with diabetes. This is the most common form of jaundice, known as physiological jaundice.
Some babies may also have jaundice from breastfeeding. It occurs about a week after birth and can last for several weeks. The cause is components of breast milk that slow down the elimination of bilirubin by the liver. Like physiological jaundice, it is benign.
More seriously, kernicterus occurs when the level of bilirubin in the blood is so high that it reaches the brain and can cause neurological sequelae (mental retardation, profound deafness). Fortunately, this form of jaundice is rare.
Why do babies have jaundice?
excess bilirubin in the blood is responsible for jaundice in newborns. Bilirubin is a harmless orange pigment when it circulates in normal amounts in the blood. It is formed when red blood cells break down in the body. This substance is therefore transported by the blood, which takes it to the liver where it is transformed before being eliminated in the child's stool and urine. It is this that gives the characteristic yellow color of the stools of infants. A baby with jaundice therefore means that his body is producing too much bilirubin or that his liver is not eliminating it quickly enough.
How to diagnose jaundice in newborns?
In the maternity ward, when jaundice is suspected in a newborn baby, his bilirubin level is measured either:
- by a blood test (sample taken at the same time as that to detect metabolic diseases).
- by a bilirubinometer, a portable device that measures the level of bilirubin in the skin.
How to treat jaundice in the baby?
In the majority of cases, no treatment is necessary because jaundice resolves spontaneously. This is called physiological jaundice. The symptoms last for a few days, while the child's liver, immature at birth, is able to naturally remove excess bilirubin from the blood. The same goes for jaundice associated with breastfeeding, it does not require any special treatment and breastfeeding can be continued normally, except for medical advice.
To speed up the elimination of bilirubin from the liver, We also recommend that mothers breastfeed or bottle-feed their babies very regularly from birth.
Babies with jaundice can also be exposed to blue light, phototherapy. This treatment is started when the level of bilirubin in the blood suggests a risk of kernicterus, the severe form of jaundice. Newborns are placed naked under a device that diffuses blue light (the eyes are protected by small glasses). This promotes the elimination of bilirubin by the kidneys. If the blue light is not effective enough, the infant may receive intravenous treatment or a blood transfusion.
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Jaundice: when to worry
In the event of jaundice in the baby, certain signs should prompt him to consult urgently. Call your doctor promptly if your baby:
- refuses to be breastfed or bottle fed.
- is drowsy.
- loses a lot of weight (more than 10% of his birth weight).
- has severe symptoms (arms and legs are yellowish or orange).
Also, special monitoring is taken when jaundice occurs in:
- babies born before 37 weeks gestational age.
- babies who have a blood type incompatibility with that of their mother.
- babies who have an infection.
- babies with jaundice spread to the arms and legs.
- babies weighing less than 2.5 kg at birth.
- babies whose jaundice started less than 24 hours after birth.
- babies who bruise and have a difficult delivery (use of instruments).