One of the most common health concerns is jaundice, which occurs in two of every four newborns. It is noticed first on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body. Jaundice typically appears in the first few days of life, when a chemical called bilirubin builds up in a baby’s blood. A newborn’s liver is not mature enough to take care of all the bilirubin in its body. The liver is better able to get rid of bilirubin after a few days; so most infants become less jaundiced on their own. Mild jaundice is no cause for alarm. With more jaundice, a newborn is at risk of more serious health complications, including brain damage. Jaundice is more likely to occur in babies who are breast-fed. Since bilirubin levels continue to rise for a few days after birth, it is important that most newborns have a visit with a doctor when the baby is three to five days old. The babies who are more likely to have hyperbilirubinemia are those who:
Had a high bilirubin level before leaving the hospital
Were born more than two weeks early
Have a lot of bruising under the scalp
Mild jaundice usually is not dangerous and tends not to require treatment. Severe jaundice must be treated early, so that the rare but harmful effects of hyperbilirubinemia can be avoided. Call your baby’s doctor right away if your baby looks jaundiced and is having a hard time waking up, is fussy, or is just not feeding well. Jaundice usually only lasts for two to three weeks.
By Dr Boris Petrikovsky MD