Jaundice in a newborn, referred to as Neonatal jaundice or Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, is a common condition caused by excess bilirubin in the blood, characterized by the yellowing of the skin and other tissues of a newborn. Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells.
Normally, bilirubin passes through the liver and is excreted as bile through the intestines. Jaundice occurs when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborn’s liver can break it down and pass it from the body.
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Jaundice of prematurity is one of the types of jaundice which generally affects premature babies. Physiological jaundice is a common type of Jaundice that is generally seen in newborns caused by the presence of an immature liver.
This usually appears within two or three days of birth and disappears within one or two weeks. Breast-milk jaundice is caused by substances produced in their mother’s breast milk that can cause the bilirubin level to rise. These can prevent the excretion of bilirubin through the intestines.
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Yellowing of skin and eyes is one of the symptoms of Jaundice. The colour, sometimes, begins on the face and then moves down to the chest, belly area, legs, and soles of the feet. Sometimes, infants with significant jaundice have extreme tiredness and poor appetites.
Blood tests help to assess the amount of bilirubin in the blood. A phototherapy treatment can be used to cure the disease in a newborn. If the baby is suffering from Physiological jaundice, treatment is not required – a few minutes of sunbathing should help. Sometimes mothers are requested to stop breast feeding to cure a newborn of breast milk jaundice.
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Breast milk does not always lower jaundice in newborns. During the first week, babies can develop breastfeeding jaundice if they do not get enough milk, which makes it harder for their bodies to remove bilirubin. After the first week, some babies may develop breast milk jaundice. Certain substances in breast milk can affect how the liver processes bilirubin, so levels may stay high for up to a month.
Jaundice is treated by checking bilirubin levels with a blood test. Babies with high levels get phototherapy, which uses special light to break down bilirubin. Mild physiological jaundice often requires no treatment, and brief exposure to sunlight may help. For breast milk jaundice, doctors may suggest pausing breastfeeding.
Vitamin D is not a standard treatment for newborn jaundice. Some studies link vitamin D to liver health, but doctors do not use vitamin D alone to treat jaundice in newborns.
Most newborns develop jaundice within 2 or 3 days after birth, and it usually resolves on its own within 1 to 2 weeks. Premature babies may take longer to recover. Breast milk jaundice can last for several weeks. If phototherapy is used, bilirubin levels often decrease within 24 to 48 hours.
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