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Jaundice occurs in 60% of full-term babies and in 80% of babies who were born prematurely. The child’s skin, mucous membranes and eyeballs turn yellow on the second or third day after birth. Symptoms do not affect the well-being of the newborn and disappear after 4–5 days. So physiological jaundice is manifested, which does not need to be treated. There is also a pathological variety that phototherapy and sorbents save from.
Risk group
The baby's skin turns yellow due to fetal hemoglobin. The substance disintegrates, due to which the concentration of bilirubin in the body of the newborn increases. The child’s body is gradually cleansed of the harmful compounds that go out with feces and urine. But this process is slow, so the bilirubin level normalizes after 2-3 weeks. If the symptoms appeared in the child on the third day, his health did not worsen, and all the tests are normal, which means that he has physiological jaundice. She does not threaten the life and health of the baby, so doctors offer mothers not to worry and regularly feed the baby with breast milk. It has a laxative effect, normalizes the functioning of the digestive organs and helps the child's body clear of toxic compounds.
The skin turned yellow on the first day after birth? Is the child restless, refuses to breast and cries constantly? The newborn has a pathological jaundice. The level of bilirubin rises too quickly, the child's body can not cope with the load. The substance affects the functioning of the nervous system, brain and digestive tract.
Pathology develops if the baby had:
- genetic diseases of the circulatory system;
- liver problems
- Rhesus conflict with mother;
- blockage of the bile duct;
- infectious diseases.
Jaundice appears in the baby, if the mother has diabetes, but not always.
A child with a pathological type of disease is sent for a blood test. An ultrasound of the liver and bile duct is performed, and sometimes samples are taken for biopsy if cirrhosis is suspected. After the examination, the doctor selects treatment. It depends on the level of bilirubin, the condition of the newborn and the cause of the pathological jaundice.
Phototherapy
The baby is placed under a special lamp that emits ultraviolet light. A bluish light enters the skin and destroys bilirubin. Residues come out with urine and feces.
Irradiation is carried out in the hospital under the supervision of nurses. Ultraviolet lamps dry the skin of the baby and lead to dehydration. The baby needs to be given plenty of fluids. Boiled water or a weak broth of rose hips are suitable, but breast milk is more useful than other drinks.
A woman is recommended to follow a diet:
- refuse salty;
- do not eat fried;
- exclude fatty foods from the diet.
Mom should eat a lot of seasonal vegetables, sour-milk products and chicken breast, cereals and apples. Thanks to this diet, breast milk becomes light and saturated with vitamins. Fatty foods create an additional burden on the children's liver, slowing the recovery of the newborn.
Phototherapy is prescribed for pathological jaundice. The procedure is canceled if the baby:
- hives or burns appeared;
- the skin has become a marble shade;
- feces have become dark brown or black.
In this case, the ultraviolet lamp is replaced with medicines or homeopathic remedies.
Cleansers and Enzymes
If phototherapy does not help the baby, the doctor will prescribe glucose.The drug is administered intravenously with a dropper. The product reacts with bilirubin and breaks it down, reducing the level of the substance.
Simultaneously with glucose, sorbents, for example, activated carbon, are prescribed. The tablet is ground into powder, mixed with boiled water and given to the child. The drug can be replaced with Enterosgel, which works more efficiently and faster.
With liver failure or problems with the biliary tract, the doctor prescribes choleretic drugs. The most popular is Hofitol. The medicine normalizes metabolic processes and improves kidney function. Hofitol drops are prescribed to infants. They are dissolved in boiled water and given on an empty stomach.
The choleretic properties of the drug Ursosan. It has a positive effect on the liver and helps to convert free bilirubin into a straight line. The capsule is divided into several doses. The baby should drink the medicine with boiled water or breast milk so that it is better absorbed.
Phenobarbital or Elkar are also prescribed. Preparations have choleretic properties, protect the liver. Elkar contains L-carnitine, which improves appetite and normalizes metabolism.
With pathological jaundice, Hepel is used. The composition of the homeopathic preparation includes natural components that absorb toxins and facilitate the work of the liver.
After feeding, the newborn is given a weak broth of wild rose. A bandage soaked with magnesia is applied to the liver to stimulate the breakdown and elimination of bilirubin.
All drugs are prescribed by the pediatrician. If after the medicine the child begins vomiting or diarrhea, it is necessary to choose another remedy.
People's recommendations
Breasts who normally tolerate jaundice and do not complain about well-being are advised to prepare a peppermint broth:
- Pour 5 g of dried grass with a glass of hot liquid.
- Set in a thermos for 1.5–2 hours.
- Give a teaspoon of filtered broth after feeding or on an empty stomach.
Water infusion is used carefully. If the child has colic or strange rashes after mint, treatment is stopped.
To reduce the concentration of bilirubin in the blood help baths, which add a decoction of calendula or goldflower. The plant is poured with hot water and boiled for 30 minutes. A glass of liquid is placed on a spoon of grass. Ready to strain, bath in the broth of the baby. The newborn is immersed in the bath for 10-15 minutes, then removed and wiped. The broth does not need to be washed off with clean water.
Breasts should not be given choleretic drugs, laxatives, and castor oil. Such funds do not accelerate the cleansing of the body of toxins. They only disrupt the functioning of the digestive organs and slow down recovery.
Mode and fresh air
Jaundice is not contagious, so you can walk outside with a baby. Fresh air strengthens the baby’s immunity, saturates the blood with oxygen and normalizes the level of hemoglobin.
In the summer, babies with physiological jaundice are advised to take out in the sun. Ultraviolet baths accelerate the breakdown and elimination of bilirubin. But so that the newborn does not receive heat stroke or burns, several rules must be followed:
- Do not leave the baby alone.
- Take sunbathing in the early morning or after four in the evening.
- Constantly try the nose of the newborn. If it gets hot, the baby is brought into the house or shade.
- The baby is given a tablespoon of boiled water before and after the procedure to restore fluid balance in the body.
- The child can not be completely undressed so that the ultraviolet rays do not burn the delicate skin. A thin T-shirt and shorts or panties will do.
- A panama hat or cap is always put on the baby’s head.
Each procedure lasts from 10 to 20 minutes. If the child begins to act up, it means he is hot and uncomfortable. Direct sunlight is contraindicated for a newborn. The cradle or stroller in which the baby lies is covered with a lace curtain or a special net that scatters and softens the rays.
In winter, babies sunbathe next to a closed window. The kid is stripped to the diapers, the bed is moved closer to the sun. You can put the newborn on the windowsill, if there are no drafts. The child is constantly looked after so that it does not fall to the floor.
The baby must rest a lot. Mom and baby are shown peace and positive emotions. Excessive experiences only worsen the well-being of the newborn.
Artificial Feeding
With jaundice, the baby is advised to give breast milk. It is nutritious, contains many vitamins and has a mild laxative effect. The baby is applied to the chest 10-12 times a day. The more he eats, the more he goes to the toilet. But bilirubin is excreted from the body with feces and urine.
Can breast milk cause jaundice? Yes, if the mother and the newborn have a Rhesus conflict. The female body produces antibodies that, together with milk, enter the body of the newborn and poison it. In such situations, it is advised to abandon breastfeeding for at least a week or completely switch to artificial mixtures.
Jaundice can provoke estrogen. The hormone enters the body of the newborn with milk and stops the breakdown and excretion of bilirubin. The level of the substance increases, and the baby's well-being worsens.
If mom suspected that milk is to blame, it is advised that she refuse to breast-feed for a day. Did the newborn feel better and the bilirubin level decreased? Have to buy an artificial mixture. You can return to breastfeeding in a week, when the condition of the baby is stabilized.
Babies who eat mixtures sometimes have constipation. They lead to intoxication of the body. In order for the child to go to the toilet in a timely manner, you need to select the correct formulations and solder the baby with ordinary boiled water. You can give a little dill liquid, because it helps with bloating and has a mild laxative effect.
Varieties of jaundice and treatment
A pathological jaundice of a mechanical type is treated operatively. If the bile ducts are clogged, a bypass is performed. The annular pancreas is excised. And with liver cirrhosis, an organ transplant is done.
Jaundice caused by hepatitis C virus is treated with interferon, which is administered intravenously. Antibacterial agents are prescribed if the pathology appeared due to blood poisoning.
In Rh conflict, vitamins, glucose and choleretic drugs are prescribed for the newborn. In severe cases, the baby will need a blood transfusion. Maternal will not work, because it contains dangerous antibodies.
Sometimes transfusion is replaced by hemosorption. A special drug cleanses the baby's blood of toxic substances and prevents the development of nuclear jaundice, which affects the brain.
Children who have increased bilirubin due to hypothyroidism are prescribed hormones. They restore metabolism and normalize the thyroid gland.
Many factors can provoke jaundice in the baby, so the advice of a pediatrician should not be neglected. You should pass all the tests, undergo an ultrasound scan and find the cause of the increased bilirubin. After the examination, the doctor selects drugs and treatment methods, and the mother must fulfill all the requirements in order to protect the newborn from complications.
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