How does jaundice in the infant and what are its causes

Jaundice in newborns, treatment of this disease – these problems are of concern to many parents. Joyful long-awaited baby cry – mother is waiting for him, listening to every move inside.

And then, finally, he appeared so cute, small, helpless, but suddenly it turns out that his skin has a suspicious yellow tint. Is this really such a terrible disease, like jaundice? In most cases, the mom starts to panic, but usually the doctors find compelling reasons to parents to reassure.

Even though it sounds scary, but the jaundice the baby is not a death sentence, but only a reaction to a new unknown world. You need to adjust, so the body tries to adapt. Of course, such a process, the doctors do not leave unattended and trying to watch the development of such a reaction. And there is a skin color due to the fact that in the blood occur for the uninitiated mom some mysterious processes that physicians are absolutely clear.

In human blood the man has red blood cells, small blood cells that are delivered to every cell of the big body, the oxygen and carbon dioxide. But they eventually wear out, and in their place come new. And this happens infinitely many times, because the work of red blood cells lasts an average of 120 days.

But their disappearance does not go unnoticed, because, hence, they leave behind a substance called bilirubin. This component is a special pigment. It is yellow, and the merit of the matter is that he is an active participant in the metabolism of hemoglobin.

Bilirubin is not so safe, and in large quantities can harm the body of its toxic properties, this is why the human body is trying to quickly shed.

The blood picks up the bilirubin and drives it to the liver, and there are enzymes to neutralize it. If to say in scientific language, the elimination of harmful substances is called bilirubin conjugation. When bilirubin is not a threat, it is excreted through the bile ducts.

The whole process is debugged accurately, but it happens that time is not working some system, then the amount of bilirubin increases. Here then appears a yellow color because yellow pigment too much.

When this happens with older people is a very bad sign, and indicates that in the body there are serious processes, and the diagnosis can be disturbing – hepatitis, intoxication, inflammation of the gallbladder.

Newborns are slightly different from adults. One feature is an elevated hemoglobin level, and during the first days of life it is quite sharply. But the enzymes still too weak for this simple reason, to cope with high levels of bilirubin, they can not, therefore, when the alfalfa butterfly baby’s skin turns yellow. But there is nothing to worry.

And if the child is premature, the liver enzymes are even weaker, so more than half of premature babies have yellow skin color. To these children, you can add twins, or of infants from mothers which have a disease like diabetes. Often breastfeeding causes changes in the skin of the newborn due to the fact that breast milk has a structure that restrains the enzyme in the liver of the baby.

How many treated the disease? Usually, jaundice is treated for several weeks. But, as always, exceptions also happen. If the color of the skin does not want to change, it suggests that the baby processes in the body are still not established, and neutralize toxic hepatic enzymes and have not learned. Will have to take more tests, tests, and only then the doctor will be able to understand what is happening in the body crumbs, why bilirubin is behaving so freely.

It may happen that:

• red blood cells are destroyed too quickly, so the number of bilirubin in the blood is too high. This may indicate hemolytic disease;
• the liver cannot work at full capacity, the cause may be hereditary hepatitis hepatitis is determined by the liver;
• the bilirubin leaves the body through the ducts of bile, but if they do not work well or show up of their obstruction, is a mechanical jaundice. Treatment after determining the disease by a doctor.

Treat the disease

How to treat jaundice in newborns? It so happens that nearly a month the child does not change the color of the skin, but the results were normal, kid fun, develops by all standards is excellent, his appetite good, so, not much worry is not necessary. But the doctor with test results still must follow – what level of bilirubin contains a baby.

If the test results say about the increased levels of bilirubin, but he climbs to a certain point while under the care of a doctor, there’s no reason to worry.

The problem occurs only if the amount of bilirubin progressively increased. Not to hurt the liver and other organs, and a physician and treatment. Treatment start of the body, which is in urgent need of help. But the level of toxic substances should be reduced. If the condition is a concern, you can do a blood transfusion, magnesia is sometimes used, but more gentle and effective method is sun. It turns out that they are so strong that destroy toxic substance.

Because there was such a treatment of jaundice in the month of the child as phototherapy. It has become popular and is the method of treatment is that of the child, protecting his eyes, put under a special light source, which is blue light treatment of neonatal jaundice. The procedure assigned by the doctor. Using blue light can cure the child in the home.