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Treatment Of Neonatal Jaundice

Jaundice is a yellow discoloration of the skin, the mucous membrane and also the white of the eyes.
All newborns possess a certain amount of this condition. Jaundice is due to excessive serum bilirubin within the blood. Once he's born, a newborn baby begins to use his lungs to breathe. Excessive red blood cells, contained in large quantities within the foetal
circulation that carry oxygen break up, releasing sub-products known as serum bilirubin,

that is usually disposed off through the liver and passes out with the bowels. Some babies are unable to handle such disposal, resulting in jaundice. Premature and Asian infants have higher amounts of serum bilirubin when compared with their Caucasian counterparts.
As such, neonatal jaundice is extremely common in Singapore.

Neonatal jaundice becomes noticeable from the third day and peaks round the six
day, gradually disappearing after Ten days. It is harmless unless the levels are high.

SOME CAUSES OF JAUNDICE In infants Jaundice in babies could be caused 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 subjected to certain trigger agents.


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? Sepsis infection where the baby becomes infected

? ABO incompatibility, a blood group incompatibility that is fairly infrequent but, if there are any, may cause rapid and severe jaundice in infants

? Physiologic jaundice

? Breastfeeding jaundice

? Breast milk jaundice - Both viral and bacterial infections can lead to the breakdown of red blood cells.
Umbilical cord infection, septicaemia as well as pyelonephritis may also result in jaundice.

TREATMENT OF JAUNDICE

Phototherapy is really a effective and safe way of treating mild jaundice.
This treatment is administered as a special micro-blue wavelength light condensed and

manufactured specifically for this purpose. It is emitted from the fluorescent light tube.

The key behind the treatment is that the light is able to break serum bilirubin [unconjugated bilirubin)
right down to conjugated bilirubin and then flush it out using the baby's stools. The treatment is painless.

Your baby remains naked except for a diaper to be able to maximize the section of exposure to nowhere light. His eyes are
covered for protection. During

phototherapy, your baby may be a little dehydrated so extra feeds may be required.


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In case your doctor has advised sunbathing for your jaundiced baby, expose him to indirect sunlight for not more than 20 minutes as baby skin is very tender and sunburn can happen very easily. Expose your child simply to the morning sun (and indirectly) if you find less heat.

Remember to shield his eyes in the sun during sunbathing and turn him every 5 minutes. You might give your child some water in between milk feeds as dehydration may occur.

SEVERE JAUNDICE

In severe cases, where the level is greater than 350 p.mol/1, jaundice may cause brain damage inside a baby [kernictems).
This may lead to irreparable harm to his psychomotor functions, mental retardation as well as death. If you see the typical symptoms of jaundice-yellow discolouration of the skin, palms and white from the eyes-but combined with nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and often passing of dark-coloured urine and poor feeding because of severe lethargy,

bring your baby to some doctor immediately.

Early treatment methods are essential and could save his life. Never attempt self-medication. In such cases, phototherapy alone is generally ineffective along with a blood exchange

transfusion are usually necesary if the levels are extremely high.

G6PD DEFICIENCY

G6PD deficiency is one of the reasons for jaundice. It's caused by a genetic linkage in which the mother is really a carrier and the condition is manifested in her son. Approximately 50% of her offspring is affected if the mother is G6PD deficient.
If your little one is G6PD deficient, it is important to remember that as the condition lasts for life, he can still lead an ordinary healthy lifestyle using the following precautions.

? Don't use mothballs on his clothes and beddings as they possibly can trigger an immediate introduction to his red blood cells.

? Avoid giving him certain traditional Chinese herbs and fava beans (bian dou) as they possibly can also trigger a rapid breakdown of his red blood cells.

? Don't attempt self-medication.

? Avoid certain medications if you are breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor to discover the kinds of medicines you

should avoid.

ABO INCOMPATIBILITY

This condition refers to the mother and also the baby's incompatible blood groups. If the mother is Blood Group 0 and also the baby
is really a, B or AB, a factor from the mother's blood can cross over the placenta and cause wearing down from the baby's blood
cells. This 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 up rapidly, resulting in jaundice. This normally appears within 24 hours but is rarely severe. In severely cases, blood exchange transfusions are needed.