subject: Jaundice Causes And Treatment [print this page] Jaundice is characterized by yellowing of the skin and the sclera or whites of the eyes. It is not a disease but only a sign to many other different diseases. Jaundice is caused by the high level of chemical bilirubin in the blood. Depending on the level of the chemical, the yellow pigmentation of the skin and the sclera may vary. When it is too high, it could appear as brown and not yellow.
Jaundice is a disease of the liver. It can occur when there is an obstruction in the bile duct, or if there is destruction of the red blood corpuscles. When a person has jaundice, their skin becomes yellow in color. This characteristic yellowness is seen even in the eyes and the fingernails. Stools and urine also get colored. The yellow color is an indication that the circulation of bile is in excess.
Infant jaundice is a condition which shows up as a yellow hue to the whites of the infants eyes and a yellow cast to the skin starting on the baby's head and moving down to the toes.Jaundice occurs as a result of the breakdown of extra red blood cells associated with the transition form your fetus receiving oxygen from your placenta to supplying her/his own oxygen. Bilirubin is a by-product of this breakdown process, and when it is reabsorbed and circulates it tints the skin and eyes yellow.
The blood cells in your baby's body are broken up into a yellow pigment called bilirubin. The level of bilirubin needs to be kept normal by the liver and kidneys by excreting it in the baby's poop. But the liver of a newborn baby is not very mature. So bilirubin levels rise in the blood causing yellow pigmentation of the skin.More than 90% of newborn babies are affected by normal physiological jaundice. So relax. This type of jaundice is seen usually on second or third day of the baby's life .
The main symptoms of jaundice are headache, fever, extreme point weakness, yellow eyes, skin, tongue, Dark urine, Light-colored stool. The patient also feels abdominal pain or swelling in the liver region. At the starting movement jaundices also irritates with intense itching.Now we will know about the treatment of jaundice. Because jaundice is not a specific disease so it is important for you that you should diagnosis of all the specific causes of the jaundice and treatment directed at the specific cause such as removing a gallstone that is blocking the bile duct, your jaundice will disappear.
Excessive red blood cells, present in large quantities in the foetal
circulation that carry oxygen break down, releasing sub-products known as serum bilirubin,which is usually disposed off by the liver and passes out through the bowels. Some babies are unable to handle such disposal, leading to jaundice. Premature and Asian infants have higher levels of serum bilirubin compared to their Caucasian counterparts. As such, neonatal jaundice is very common in Singapore.
To make sure that your infant is healthy and safe, always follow the advice given to you at the hospital or at your health care provider's office. Determining the cause of jaundice and assessing the level of bilirubin in your newborn is always very important in order to prevent possible serious complications.
