What Is Jaundice?
Jaundice occurs when the level of bilirubin in the blood becomes too high, causing the eyes, urine, and skin to appear yellow.
What Is Neonatal Jaundice?
A baby may be born with jaundice, or jaundice may develop during the first few days after birth.
What Causes Newborn Jaundice?
One type of jaundice may appear 2–3 days after birth and usually improves on its own within about two weeks. This is called physiological jaundice. Another type occurs when bilirubin levels become excessively high or rise abnormally. This is called pathological jaundice.
Common Causes of Newborn Jaundice
- Rh blood-group incompatibility between the mother and baby.
- Viral and intrauterine infections in the mother during pregnancy.
- Excessive breakdown of the baby's red blood cells (congenital haemolytic anaemia).
- Sore or wound on the baby's navel (umbilical sepsis).
- Deficiency of certain liver enzymes in the baby (enzyme deficiency).
- Congenital abnormalities of the baby's liver or bile ducts. One important congenital condition is biliary atresia, in which the bile ducts do not develop normally and bile cannot flow properly from the liver. As a result, there is severe liver damage, which can eventually lead to cirrhosis and liver failure. In some cases, liver transplantation may eventually be required.
What Problems Can Neonatal Jaundice Cause?
Children's immune systems are much weaker than those of adults. Elevated bilirubin levels can lead to seizures and bilirubin encephalopathy, which may hinder a child's physical and mental development and result in conditions such as cerebral palsy, intellectual disability (mental retardation), or learning disabilities. Therefore, it is essential to treat jaundice under medical supervision from the very beginning.
How Can Newborn Jaundice Be Prevented?
To reduce the risk of serious newborn jaundice:
- Pregnant women should receive appropriate antenatal checkups and screening.
- Mothers and families should receive proper health education.
- Recommended vaccinations should be given.
- Safe and hygienic delivery practices should be followed.
- After birth, the baby should be examined by a healthcare professional.
- The baby should receive routine vaccinations according to the recommended schedule.
What Should You Do If a Newborn Develops Jaundice?
It is extremely important to consult a pediatrician, preferably a neonatologist when specialized newborn care is needed and medical treatments for the liver should be started promptly. Biliary atresia requires surgery. For babies with biliary atresia, the first surgical treatment, known as the Kasai procedure, is most effective when performed early, ideally within the first two months of life. In severe cases of newborn jaundice, an exchange transfusion may be necessary to rapidly lower dangerously high bilirubin levels.
What You Should Know About Preventing Newborn Jaundice
Infection of the umbilical cord is an important health problem in some areas of Bangladesh.
Possible causes include:
- Unhygienic delivery practices.
- Using dirty cloth or other contaminated materials to wrap or cover the umbilical cord.
- Poor hygiene during newborn care.
These practices can allow serious infections, including sepsis, to develop.
Newborn infections and jaundice should therefore be taken seriously, and medical care should be sought promptly.
Treatment of Physiological and Pathological Jaundice
For mild physiological jaundice, doctors may recommend phototherapy, which uses special light to help the baby's body break down bilirubin.
Direct exposure to sunlight should not be used as a substitute for medically supervised phototherapy, because sunlight is not a controlled treatment and can expose a newborn to overheating, dehydration, or sunburn.
For pathological jaundice, the underlying cause must be identified and treated appropriately.
Never use roadside, open, unregulated, or scientifically unproven medicines or treatments for a newborn. Newborns can become seriously ill very quickly, and delaying proper treatment can lead to permanent complications.