Get to know the causes of baby jaundice and how to handle it

Jaundice within a few days after birth is a condition that often occurs and is generally not dangerous. However, sometimes yellow babies can also be caused by serious conditions and need to be treated by a doctor immediately. Jaundice generally affects newborns who are around 1 week old. Some of the symptoms of jaundice that are easy to recognize are yellowing of the skin and eyes, more concentrated urine, and slightly whiter or paler stools.

Yellow babies need to be watched out for if accompanied by other complaints, such as:

• The baby looks very limp or dehydrated
• Baby doesn't want to suckle
• Baby has seizures
• Jaundice appears within the first 24 hours after birth

Babies will also be more at risk of getting jaundice if they experience the following conditions:

• Prematurely born or born before 38 weeks of gestation
• Not getting enough breast milk or formula (for babies who are not breastfed)
• There are injuries or bruises, for example from a long or difficult labour
• Born to a mother who has gestational diabetes

Yellow Baby Handling 

The condition of baby jaundice is not dangerous and can improve on its own within 2-3 weeks. During this time, Mother only needs to give breast milk or formula more often than usual (8–12 times a day). However, if the baby's jaundice doesn't get better after 3 weeks or is caused by certain dangerous medical conditions, then the baby will need treatment from a doctor and undergo hospitalization

Some of the treatment methods are:

1. Phototherapy

2. Administration of immunoglobulin injections (IVIG)

3. Blood transfusion