Physiological jaundice in newborns
For many newborns, on the second or third day of life, the skin becomes yellow. And so that it does not frighten the newly-minted parents, they should learn more about jaundice, which is called physiological, even during gestation.
What it is?
This is the name of the physiological state of a newborn baby, which occurs in half of full-term toads and 70-80% of premature babies.
It has nothing to do with liver disease and in most cases does not require treatment.
You can learn more about physiological jaundice in newborns in the following video clip.
What caused?
The appearance of physiological jaundice immediately after birth is associated with the disintegration in the body of the baby fetal hemoglobin, which was responsible for the transport of oxygen during the intrauterine development of the infant. As soon as the child begins to breathe, such hemoglobin becomes unnecessary and collapses, as a result of which the pigment bilirubin is released. Increasing its level and causes yellowing of the skin.
In addition, the liver of the newborn is still immature and its functions are weakened. And since it is she who participates in the removal of bilirubin from the body, this also affects the onset and severity of physiological jaundice. In addition, part of the bilirubin is absorbed back into the children's intestines, which also helps to maintain the level of this pigment at a high level.
Symptoms
A yellow skin tint appears in a child gradually. First, the skin of the face and neck turn yellow, then the skin of the body and finally the limbs turn yellow. The yellowness decreases in the reverse order, that is, the face pales the last.
Other symptoms of the physiological type of jaundice are:
- Not disturbed general condition of the baby.
- Natural color of urine and feces.
- Normal levels of hemoglobin in the blood.
Norm bilirubin
In a newborn baby on the third day of life, the level of bilirubin normally does not exceed 205 µmol / l. The increase in bilirubin concentration per hour on the third to fifth day of life does not exceed 3.4 µmol / L. Further, every day the level of this pigment gradually decreases and by the age of three weeks approaches the indices in adults (not more than 20.5 µmol / l).
The appearance of physiological jaundice is observed when the level of this pigment is higher than 85-120 µmol / l, since it is with these indicators that bilirubin is able to penetrate the surface layer of the skin.
Treatment
In most cases, infants with physiological jaundice are not treated and the condition passes without a trace independently.
If the child is at risk of increasing the concentration of bilirubin to the toxic level, the baby is prescribed phototherapy. A child without clothes is placed in a hood, the eyes and genitals are covered with an opaque cloth, and then placed under a special lamp. Under the influence of its light, bilirubin begins to transform into a harmless compound, which quickly leaves the body of the baby with urine and also with feces.
It is enough for 1-3 days of such phototherapy so that the level of bilirubin starts to decrease.
When does it take place?
The duration of physiological jaundice depends on the condition of the baby and some other factors, but in most full-term babies jaundice begins to decrease from the fourth day of life and by 10-14 days it completely disappears. In premature babies, the yellowness of the skin can last up to 3 weeks.
Tips
- For the prevention of physiological jaundice, the child should be applied to the breast as soon as possible after delivery and often breastfeed, because breastfeeding helps to remove bilirubin from the child’s body more quickly with meconium and then with normal feces.
- Sunbathing is also beneficial for the baby. A child can be exposed to the rays of the sun from the first day of life, but such procedures should not be long.
