Jaundice is not the name of a specific disease, but rather a symptom or phenomenon of the yellow pigment in the body. Here are the causes of jaundice in children and treatment methods in the following article:
Causes of jaundice in children
Jaundice is a common condition in children, especially newborns. In fact, this symptom prevails in a specific and most common type of jaundice in newborns, known as physiological jaundice.
What is meant is jaundice that appears within two to three days after birth, and then usually goes away on its own within one to two weeks.
Everything you need to know about the causes of jaundice in children and treatment methods in the following article:
Causes of jaundice in children
The causes of jaundice in children generally result from the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a substance that results from the breakdown of another substance known as heme, which results from the breakdown of red blood cells. Bilirubin is mainly responsible for the color of stool and urine.
It is worth noting here that jaundice in children is rarely a sign of a serious health problem. Some health problems that can be causes of jaundice in children include the following:
A blood type mismatch between the mother and the child, which causes the child’s red blood cells to decompose faster than normal and raises the levels of bilirubin in the blood. This is one of the most common causes of jaundice in children.
Suffering from blood cell diseases, such as sickle cell anemia or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.
Some type of infection that is usually caused by a virus, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), or bacteria, such as a urinary tract infection. Jaundice can also be a sign of a more serious infection, such as herpes simplex or sepsis. .
Dehydration, which in turn leads to a high concentration of bilirubin in the body. Therefore, infants who sometimes find it difficult to eat enough food are more susceptible to the development of physiological jaundice.
The presence of endocrine disorders in the child, such as: hypothyroidism or hypopituitarism.
Having some conditions that prevent the flow of bile from the liver, such as: biliary atresia, a cyst in the bile duct, or cystic fibrosis.
The child suffers from hereditary diseases, such as: Gilbert syndrome, or the accumulation of galactose in the blood, and these are very rare causes of jaundice in children.
Physiological jaundice is more common in infants, but in any case this is not a reason to stop breastfeeding.
Treatment of jaundice in children
After identifying the causes of jaundice in children, we mention here that in many cases treatment focuses on treating the underlying problem. However, attempts are sometimes made to help the infant get rid of bilirubin because it can cause harm in itself.
The most common treatment is phototherapy, where a lot of bilirubin accumulates in the skin, while ultraviolet rays contribute to the breakdown of bilirubin into products that are easily excreted and therefore bypass the immature liver.
This idea is very simple: expose the baby''s skin to ultraviolet (UV) rays. It is performed by undressing the child, covering his eyes, and placing him under a lamp that emits ultraviolet rays.
These rays do not pose a danger to the child, and continuous and careful monitoring of the child’s body temperature prevents skin damage.
Parents must also emphasize providing adequate fluids to the child through appropriate breastfeeding.
When should you go to the doctor?
According to what was mentioned above, the majority of cases of jaundice in newborns are benign and go away without treatment. However, bilirubin is a toxic substance and if it is present in the body in very high concentrations, it may cause irreparable damage to the nervous system.
Moreover, sometimes jaundice indicates the presence of other serious phenomena, and therefore a doctor must be consulted in the following cases:
Exacerbation of the risk of jaundice, especially the spread of jaundice to the lower back and beyond, that is, towards the lower limb, especially below the knees.
Prominent changes in the child’s behavior, such as: difficulty waking the child up, or, on the contrary, if the child is nervous and difficult to calm down.
The child appears in a strange position, especially with the back bent backwards or if the muscles become sharply stiff.
The child cries a lot and sharply.
