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Neonatal Jaundice is an excessive amount of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is the yellowy substance in the blood that is removed from the bloodstream by the liver. This yellowy substance can make the baby's skin appear yellow or very tan. Jaundice is not a disease, but it is a good indicator that their could be other problems in the body.
About 50 percent of all newborn babies have a problem with jaundice. It is more common in premature infants. While the baby is still in the womb the mother, through the placenta, rids the baby’s body of excess blood cells. When the baby is out of the womb sometimes their liver is unable to get rid of the blood cells as fast as they build-up. These blood cells are called bilirubin and they create a yellowy substance that turns the skin and even the whites of the eyes a yellow color.
Usually a baby will be fine after a few days with jaundice. The liver will mature and catch up quickly to filtering out the bilirubin. But if the baby can not eliminate it quickly, this can be dangerous. Too much bilirubin can harm brain cells. Another problem that jaundice can indicate is the total absence of the ducts in the liver that drain the bile secretions; this is called obstructive jaundice. This is why it is important for doctors to monitor any baby with jaundice carefully by doing bilirubin tests to find out the level of bilirubin in the blood.
Most doctors will prescribe sunlight as a treatment for jaundice if the baby is going home as normal. If the baby has a bad case of jaundice the doctor will put them under a UV light in the hospital to speed up the recovery. They may send the baby home and instruct you to bring them back the next day for another session under the light. With a minor case of jaundice the natural UV rays in the sun is enough. Place your baby in their cradle or car seat in a window with moderate sunlight coming through for small amounts oftime through out the day. You can put their legs and lower body in the sun and shield their eyes so they will sleep better.
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