Jaundice
Love at first sight . . . Some people are immediately smitten with their newborn. Others take a bit longer. But, any way you cut it, your baby is probably the cutest human on earth. We love their cute, round little faces and chubby hands.
But sometime in the first couple of days after the birth, many parents notice that their baby’s skin is turning a little bit yellow. Jaundice - yellowing skin (and sometimes even the whites of the eyes) - is not uncommon. We prepared this link to help you understand what jaundice is, how to know if it’s normal or a sign of a serious problem, and what you can do to help your baby avoid jaundice.
What is Jaundice?
Your baby is snorkeling (kind of). The baby is swimming (and growing) in amniotic fluid. The baby’s lungs are even filled with fluid. Since the lungs aren’t getting fresh air, the baby gets his/her oxygen by sending dense blood up to the placenta. To make it possible get enough oxygen, the baby makes extra red blood cells so that they can grab all of the oxygen available from the placenta. After birth, when the baby’s lungs fill with air and oxygen is easier to get, the “extra” red blood cells break apart, leaving the baby with the perfectly concentrated blood,
The inside of the blood cells has bilirubin - a yellow chemical. If the baby’s brand new liver can’t quite get all of the bilirubin out of the blood, some of the yellow will continue circulating in the blood . . . and possibly settle into the tissues, turning the skin yellow,
Bilirubin is a normal part of the blood. The liver processes the blood, and the bilirubin is passed in the baby’s bowel movements. The bilirubin might begin building up, and you’ll notice the baby is turning yellow on about day 3. It may continue to get more yellow for the first week. Around 1 week it will begin reducing again, and by the end of the 2nd week the baby’s skin tone should be back to normal.
How Can I Prevent Jaundice?
· Breastfeed your baby at least 10x a day (24-hour period)
· Put your baby in indirect sunlight for 30-minutes in the morning and 30-minutes in the afternoon, wearing only a diaper.
How Do I Treat Jaundice?
· Breastfeed your baby at least 10x a day (24-hour period)
· Put your baby in indirect sunlight for 30-minutes in the morning and 30-minutes in the afternoon, wearing only a diaper.
· We may draw a lab (blood) if the yellow is
