yellow colour in baby
yellow colour in newborn babies. In the human body, new blood is being made all the time and old blood is being destroyed. One of the products of destroyed blood is called bilirubin. Bilirubin normally goes to the liver to be processed and then leaves the body in the poo. For the first few days after birth your baby's liver does not work as well as it does later, so there tends to be a build-up of bilirubin in the blood. This causes the yellow colour in the skin and whites of the eyes.
If the amount of bilirubin level gets too high it may make your baby drowsy. Very high levels can lead to hearing problems and brain damage. In hospital, care is taken to ensure that the bilirubin level does not get too high.
Prolonged jaundice may also be due to liver disease. This is why it is important to contact your local doctor if jaundice is prolonged. One of the signs of liver disease would be your baby's poo being very pale rather than a rich yellow colour. A blood test to check the bilirubin levels (total and conjugated fractions) is the best way to know if a liver problem is present. Jaundice due to liver disease needs to be investigated immediately so that appropriate treatment can be instituted.
- There are risk factors present such as prematurity.
- Jaundice is present within the first day of life.
- Jaundice is extensive
- Persisting jaundice beyond two weeks of age
YELLOW COLOUR Treatment
Good fluid intake is essential for newborn babies. Jaundice is often exaggerated with mild dehydration. Bilirubin is processed (metabolised) by the liver. Mild jaundice in the first week needs no treatment except fluids. Moderate jaundice is treated by placing your baby naked (with a protective mask over the eyes) under a bright light or a bluish-coloured light. This is called phototherapy and can be delivered safely in many different ways.
The light breaks down the bilirubin in the skin and makes the jaundice fade. This light treatment may cause your baby to have loose poos. This is dealt with by increasing your baby's fluid intake. Unsupervised exposure to direct sunlight is not recommended, as it can be harmful causing sunburn. In severe jaundice your baby may need to have a special blood transfusion in which your baby's blood is replaced (exchanged) with fresh blood to wash the bilirubin out of the system
