Why is my baby jaundiced?

Newborn jaundice is when a baby has high levels of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow substance that the body makes when it replaces old red blood cells. The liver processes bilirubin in the blood into a harmless form that is eliminated from the body in feces and urine.

Jaundice makes the baby’s skin and the whites of the eyes look yellow. In newborns, this yellow color begins to appear first on the face, then on the chest and tummy, and finally on the legs and hands as the bilirubin level rises.

It is normal for a baby’s bilirubin level to be a little higher after birth. When the baby is growing in the mother’s womb, the placenta removes bilirubin from the baby’s body. The placenta is the organ that grows during pregnancy to feed the baby. After birth, the baby’s liver begins to do this job. It begins on the third day of the baby’s life, peaks on the fifth day, and resolves on the seventh or eighth day. In this normal pattern, the level of jaundice is not high and does not need treatment. This is called “physiological” or normal jaundice.

treatment for jaundice

Some newborns need treatment before leaving the hospital. Others may need to return to the hospital when they are a few days old. Treatment in the hospital usually lasts 1 to 2 days.

Sometimes special blue lights are used on babies whose levels are very high. Is called phototherapy. These lights work by helping to break down the bilirubin in the skin.

The baby is placed under artificial light in a warm, closed bed to maintain a constant temperature. The baby will wear only a diaper and special glasses to protect the eyes.

Breastfeeding and jaundice

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends continuing breastfeeding with phototherapy, if possible. Rarely, the baby may have an intravenous (IV) line to give fluids.

Your pediatrician may recommend additional fluids to supplement your breastfeeding. This is especially so if your doctor has diagnosed inadequate breast milk as a contributing factor to your baby’s jaundice. Don’t worry, continue to breastfeed your baby and/or express breast milk regularly eight to 12 times a day, following your pediatrician’s advice to supplement with extra fluids during phototherapy.

If you are separated from your baby during phototherapy readmission, express your milk regularly to ensure continuity of milk supply and avoid breast engorgement. Let your pediatrician and nurses know that you intend to continue lactating to breastfeed. Ask your baby not to bottle feed to avoid refusing the breast later. Nurses are experts at carrying a syringe or cup around the hospital. The milk fed can be your expressed breast milk or formula milk.

After phototherapy is complete, your baby will be discharged from the hospital. An appointment will be scheduled for a bilirubin level check in the next few days.

For a good supply of breast milk, it is important that you rest and eat well. If you have a birthing babysitter, she will cook nutritious food for you to ensure the volume and quality of your milk production.