Parents are extremely sensitive to the he alth of their children. Especially when it comes to newborns. But what if the baby, recently born, was given a strange diagnosis of "jaundice"? Do not be afraid of this word, because most often it characterizes the natural physiological process that occurs in a young organism. So, let's look at what is jaundice in newborns. The reasons and consequences of this phenomenon are described in the article.
State characteristic
Jaundice in newborns, the causes and consequences of which are not clear to parents, causes some panic in mothers. Therefore, initially we will analyze what it is.
To understand why a child's skin turns orange, you need to remember the course of anatomy.
Human blood contains red cells. Their main function is to distribute oxygen throughout the body. These cells live for several months. Then they are destroyed. In the process of their decay, a certain pigment is produced in the body, which has a yellow color.color - bilirubin.
This substance is rendered harmless by the liver, after which it is excreted from the human body. However, if the pigment level is elevated, then failures may occur. It is in this case that a phenomenon such as jaundice occurs. Bilirubin is not completely excreted from the body and stains the skin integument yellow.
For an adult, this is a signal of the occurrence of serious diseases, which are based on the destruction of the liver. But for a newborn, such a state is a physiological, normal process. After all, the baby's body is just learning to function on its own.
Causes of jaundice
This condition is observed in almost 60% of newborn babies. Jaundice usually appears on the 2nd or 3rd day after birth. It is more pronounced in premature babies.
Above, we examined the mechanism of occurrence of such a phenomenon as jaundice in newborns. The causes and consequences of this condition require more detailed study.
Jaundice occurs as a result of the following factors:
- Newborn babies have an excess of red blood cells in their blood. In addition, red cells decay much faster than in an adult. That is why the baby has a destruction of a large number of red blood cells, resulting in the formation of free bilirubin.
- It was said above that the pigment is excreted by the liver. In order for bilirubin to leave the body, it must bind in this organ. In a baby, the liver is not yet fully capable of providing such a transformation.
- Bilirubin exposedmetamorphosis in the intestine under the influence of normal microflora, and then excreted in the urine and feces. But, again, the child's body is only learning to adapt to independent functioning. The intestines of the crumbs are gradually populated by microflora. That is why he is not able to immediately remove bilirubin from the body.
As a result, the baby develops physiological jaundice. This is absolutely not a dangerous condition for the crumbs. But sometimes a newborn may develop pathological jaundice. In this case, the infant needs adequate treatment.
Sources of the pathological condition
Doctors say that the causes of such jaundice can be hidden in the following:
- there is an incompatibility of the blood of the child and the mother by group or Rh factor;
- baby liver not functioning properly;
- baby has underdeveloped bile ducts;
- inflammation occurs in the baby's liver.
Symptoms of physiological jaundice
Distinctive characteristics of the natural physiological process are the following features:
- Jaundice appears no earlier than 36 hours after the baby is born.
- It reaches its maximum severity on the 3-5th day.
- There is a yellow coloration of the skin of the face, neck, chest. The skin below the navel does not turn orange.
- Blood test shows high bilirubin. However, the level does not exceed 205 µmol/L.
- Child's behavior is active. Feeling well, the general condition is not disturbed.
It is important to remember when jaundice in newborns passes. In full-term babies, bilirubin begins to decrease on the 14th day. This is an important indicator that characterizes the physiological process. In premature babies, bilirubin declines by day 21.
However, it should be understood that sometimes there may be some deviations from the above norms. And at the same time, they do not always indicate the development in the body of such a phenomenon as pathological jaundice.
Komarovsky argues that premature babies may experience an earlier manifestation of this condition. Often in such children, yellowing occurs on the second day of life. In addition, Dr. Komarovsky points out that twins or children whose mothers have diabetes may experience prolonged jaundice.
All babies must be supervised. Sometimes physiological jaundice can turn into a pathological form. And the latter condition requires timely treatment.
Signs of a pathological condition
What symptoms indicate a problem in the child's body? Unfortunately, the boundary between pathological and physiological jaundice is very shaky. But still, there are differences between them.
You can suspect a pathological condition by the following signs:
- Jaundice occurs within the first 24 hours after birth.
- Staining of the skin in a yellow tint can be observed on the 7th day of lifebaby.
- A blood test shows not only high bilirubin, but also its rapid increase. There is a daily rate in excess of 85 µmol/L.
- The baby's skin turns yellow not only above, but also below the navel. There is yellowness of the palms, stop.
- The general condition of the baby is disturbed. The child is excited or depressed.
- The baby's urine turns dark and the stool becomes colorless.
- Jaundice in a child is delayed and may be undulating.
What underlies the pathology?
The following factors can provoke such a state:
- prematurity, immaturity of the baby;
- fetal growth retardation in utero;
- Mother taking multiple drugs during pregnancy and childbirth;
- extensive hemorrhages, cephalohematomas;
- not breastfeeding;
- great newborn weight loss;
- non-lactation formula feeding.
And don't forget when newborn jaundice passes. The physiological process should not last more than 21 days. Therefore, if your baby remains yellow after the above time, be sure to consult a doctor.
Possible consequences
Jaundice in newborns is most often a physiological condition. Therefore, it passes on its own, without any treatment and does not leave behind any consequences.
But if the jaundice does not go away for a month, or there are other signs indicating a pathological phenomenon, then a smallthe patient needs adequate therapy.
Every day the baby's condition worsens. The baby's skin becomes greenish, and the size of the liver and spleen may increase.
Without medical attention, serious complications can develop:
- Toxic poisoning of the brain, nervous system.
- High levels of bilirubin can lead to a decrease in albumin, resulting in albuminemia.
- If the pigment penetrates the brain, then the crumbs will develop nuclear jaundice. This pathology can cause deafness, frequent convulsions, mental retardation of the infant.
- The late stage of the disease is characterized by involuntary contractions of muscle tissue. The child may lose motor control.
At the same time, if the pathological condition is detected in the early stages and timely treatment is carried out, then, as a rule, unpleasant consequences do not occur.
Status Diagnosis
One skin tone is not enough to confirm the presence of jaundice. To diagnose the baby, examinations are prescribed:
- urine, blood tests;
- study of pigment levels in serum and blood;
- Ultrasound.
If necessary, the baby is referred for a consultation with an endocrinologist, surgeon, cardiologist.
Baby treatment
Many pediatricians, both domestic and foreign, argue that in most cases, the newborn does not need drug therapy.
Jaundice lasting about three weeks is not a disease. Therefore, this condition does not require treatment. A completely different picture is observed if the jaundice is characterized as a symptom of a serious illness. The baby needs adequate therapy if bilirubin reaches a dangerous level in the body, and even more so continues to grow.
Treatment of jaundice depends on the level of pigment, the condition of the baby, the cause of the pathology.
The following activities may be assigned to a child:
- phototherapy;
- drug treatment;
- blood transfusion (if risk of kernicterus is high).
Baby Phototherapy
The simplest, but at the same time effective method to treat jaundice is phototherapy. Today it is extremely successfully practiced in almost all clinics.
For phototherapy, a special lamp against jaundice is used. The waves emitted by it stimulate the process of splitting bilirubin into non-toxic compounds. The latter, after intensive therapy, lasting about 10-12 hours, are excreted from the body of crumbs in a natural way (with urine and feces).
This method allows you to refuse medication. In addition, it does not require the separation of the child from the mother. Therefore, breastfeeding is not interrupted.
The duration of phototherapy typically takes about 96 hours.
Drug therapy
If the level of bilirubin is significantly higher than the boundary value, or the effect ofphototherapy is negligible, the baby is prescribed medication.
Drug therapy consists of:
- From choleretic drugs. Means that improve the functioning of the liver and remove excess bile from the body are recommended. The newborn is prescribed medications: "Ursofalk", "Hofitol". Both one and the second medication are allowed for use from the first days of life. However, it is the Hofitol preparation that is preferable, since the Ursofalk medicine contains many additional components (preservatives, flavors) that can provoke an allergy.
- Sorbents. Preparations bind toxic substances, toxins and remove them from a small organism. The newborn may be prescribed medications "Smecta", "Enterosgel", activated charcoal. As a rule, preference is given to the first remedy. From the drug "Smekta", produced in the form of a powder, a suspension for an infant is easily made. In addition, this natural sorbent is absolutely safe for babies.
- Vitamin complexes.
Home Treatment
If a baby has physiological jaundice, then, as mentioned above, the baby does not need therapy. Therefore, mother and baby will be discharged from the hospital home. However, you can help your baby get over the condition more quickly.
Treatment of jaundice at home includes the following activities:
- Sunbathing. Let the baby sunbathe. The sun is the best healer. Under its influence, bilirubin is destroyed. But remember that the baby should notstay in direct sunlight for a long time so that there are no burns on the delicate baby skin.
- Diet. Nursing mothers should strictly monitor their food. It is recommended to completely exclude from the diet food that has a pronounced taste. Give up pickles, smoked meats. It is better to base your diet on vegetables and fruits. Do not forget about the drinking regime. A breastfeeding woman needs to drink about 2 liters of water per day.
- Rosehip decoction. The drink perfectly normalizes digestion and stimulates the removal of harmful substances. The decoction can be consumed by the mother herself. A drink for babies is also allowed.
Conclusion
Now you know what jaundice is in newborns. You also know the causes and consequences of this state. Most often, an orange skin tone indicates the course of a natural phenomenon. Despite this, the baby needs careful monitoring. For any deterioration, you must respond immediately. This is the only way to protect the baby from serious consequences.
