Jaundice
Jaundice is a common, temporary and usually harmless condition in newborn infants. It affects both full-term and premature babies, usually appearing during the first week of the baby's life.
Jaundice occurs when there is a build-up of a naturally occurring waste substance in the blood called bilirubin. This build up causes the baby's skin and the whites of the eyes to appear yellow. Bilirubin is normally processed in the liver and excreted from the body.
"Normal" jaundice occurs in newborns because their liver is not yet fully developed and cannot process the bilirubin quickly enough. This creates the condition of higher levels of bilirubin in the blood called hyperbilirubinemia. Some normal jaundice will disappear within a week or two without treatment. Other babies will require treatment.
Home Medical Equipment for Jaundice Patients
High levels of bilirubin can be dangerous to your baby. It is important to monitor levels and, if necessary, to treat the jaundice to ensure the healthy development of your child. Phototherapy is the most common treatment for jaundice. Normal jaundice is usually treated with phototherapy for a few days until the liver is mature enough to handle the bilirubin on its own.
