Jaundice in Newborns

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Jaundice in Newborns

Introduction

Jaundice among newborns is the condition where they develop a yellowish appearance in the skin and the conjunctiva of the eyes. The main reason for the development of the yellowish coloring in the skin of the newborns is the excessive build up of the pigment bilirubin in the blood (Punnoose et Al, 2012). This is due to the phenomenon of the breaking down of the red blood cells, and is constantly recycled from the body. The liver usually extracts the buildup of these pigments from the bloodstream; however an anomaly in this process can lead to the development of Jaundice. The reason for the development of Jaundice among newborns is the slow processing in the removal of the chemical, by their livers. Majority of the new born babies suffer from Jaundice to a certain degree, and this condition is even more persistent among the premature newborns. The impact of the condition on the general health of the newborn baby is highly dependent on its general health. For a healthy newborn, mild Jaundice is not a very serious concern; and might even resolve itself within a few days, without the need of excessive medical attention. However for the newborns that are sick or premature, the health care facilities need to proceed with meticulous care and medical attention. Also the babies who suffer from advanced forms of Jaundice, caused by an unusually large buildup of the chemical bilirubin, will have to be given special medical attention.

Discussion

Major Symptoms of Jaundice among Newborns

As discussed the main symptom of Jaundice among newborn babies is the yellow coloring of the skin and conjunctiva of the eye; however there are several other symptoms that must be closely monitored among the newborns, to identify the existence of the advanced stage of the condition. If Jaundice is left untreated among the newborn babies, it can cause serious repercussions such as brain damage among them (Maimburget Al, 2010). The babies who are suffering from Jaundice will display excessive sleep tendencies. This behavior may also cause several difficulties in the feeding process of the babies, which may cause the baby to become dehydrated or suffer from malnutrition. A baby, who has conjugated Jaundice, will also display certain anomalies in its urine and stool samples. The stool for such babies will have a white chalky appearance, and the urine will also be unusually dark. Normally ...