Did you notice the skin and eyes of your newborn baby has turned yellow? Possibly, it is the most common medical condition called jaundice that is experienced by most of newborn babies.
Jaundice is not a disease; rather it is a sign of many different diseases that takes place in the first few days of your baby’s life.
Infant jaundice is not at all cause of concern for your baby. It doesn’t cause any kind of discomfort and usually disappears on its own within one or two weeks after its occurrence.
In most cases, this medical condition in your baby mainly occurs, when your baby’s liver is not matured enough to metabolize a molecule called bilirubin. This bilirubin usually forms when our body recycles old or damaged red blood cells present in the blood.
Even though jaundice cannot cause any harm to your baby, still it is always suggested to keep your baby under close observation by your baby’s doctor. This can help you to protect your baby from many serious health complications.
Be careful if your baby has any of these conditions!
Jaundice can cause serious complications for your baby, if he\she possess any of these conditions:
- If your baby has born pre-term that is before 37 weeks of gestation period, possibly he\she will experience jaundice within few weeks after their birth.
- Jaundice can occur in those babies who weigh less than 2500 grams.
- If your baby’s blood group is not compatible with your (mother’s) blood group, then your newborn is at high risk of developing serious form of jaundice.
- If your baby has taken birth after experiencing difficult delivery, then they have chances to face difficult health complications associated with jaundice.
- When this condition of jaundice moves to arms and legs of your baby, it can cause serious health complications for your newborn offspring.
Never ignore to treat jaundice in initial stages!
If left untreated, this common medical condition in your baby can turn into most serious health complication called kernicterus.
Once if your baby develops this form of severe jaundice, higher levels of bilirubin causes severe damage to baby’s brain and certainly leads to deafness in your child. It also causes severe developmental disabilities and also certain unusual form of cerebral palsy.
Particularly, if your baby was born early, before normal gestation period (premature baby), try to pay more attention in watching the signs and symptoms of jaundice. These are certain most common manifestations associated with severe jaundice.
- High-pitched crying.
- Extreme sleepiness such that it becomes a tough task for you to wake your baby.
- Deep yellow or orange skin-tone.
Whenever you notice these signs and symptoms in your newborn baby, immediately consult your baby’s doctor to provide better treatment at right time and protect your baby from serious health complications.
